New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-18
Reform on THE ISLANDS.

lies AND OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. EFPlIRACY
AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.
| To the EdItOr OF The Trt6une
SIR: All who know the facts are convinced THAI
| the Department of Public Charities and Correction
should be reorganizcd from top to bottom. Al.
though millions have been expended m carving
out defective system, the only institutions which
might have been made effective and useful were
abolished as soon as errors in administration were
! laid bare. The consequence was that children and
vonth were remanded to the streets 10 secta-
! rian institutions to be maintained at public expense
but at about double the former rate. | venture 10
say it will be wiser to abolish the Department alto
| gether than TO multiply private institutions that
are supported at public expense and to fax people
! for training children in particular denOmnatonal
| faith.
reorganization OF the Department is a public
necessity on the score of economy. by the change
! in policy whereby the expenditure OF public money
is delegated to private institutions the cost of main
| tenauce has been nearly doubled, premium has
been set on ineficieucy, and the control of public
funds has passed out OF the hands Of those who
ought to exercise it, 1t cannot be real economy to
appoint men to these responsible public Offices
with the distinct understanding that these nstltu-
tions shall be used mainly to further the interests
of political party religious body. lt cannot
be real economy to multiply buildings and agencies,
70 aim merely nc n low cost OF maintenance per cap
tia and to ignore the sources Of crime and pauper-
ISM Real economy demands a well-drectcd
effort to prevent crime and to reform crim-
inals, so rs to cut of the sources
Of supply and reduce to a minimum the army OF
paupers and transgressors who are now burden
mon the public The Scholarship which had been
instituted at an expense of $4,000, and the indus
trial school were the only Department institutions
!
and TO give Youthful criminals a chance to make a
new start in the right direction yet because there
were mistakes made in the management of these
reformatory agencies they were abolished alto
gether Certainly it would have been wiser 10 rem
der them more efficient than TO abandon the Effort
10 reduce to obedience, order, cleanliness, morality
and honest industry the class from which the most
reckless and dangerous criminals are recruited
We have now a Department whose main idea 10 that
Of confinement and labor-and not very hard
labor at that. 1t fails to discriminate
between the hardened offender and the beginner in
crime, but thrusts them into forced companionshlp.
II fills all the official vacancies with political adj
! herents and prostitutes its influence to sectanan
! puruoses while the food of crime and pauperism
increases in volume 1t closes its eyes 20 the moral
and spiritual interests involved. IL fOrgets that
| the State is taking care of immortal beings, and
! that something must be done besides providing
! food and medicine and shutting them up where
! they cannot work evil.
Ii will be generally admitted, think, that on the
score of economy and efficiency radical changes IN
! the present system are Imperatiyely demanded
speak from experience and familiarity with the
details of this department of public work, when |
Indicate a few measures of reform which should be
| adopted First of all let an institution be estab-
! lished for the prevention and reformation OF
criminals and paupers. The schoOl-Snip and indus
trial school should be reOpened and conducted more
! lntegently and Systematically than they were be-
| fore they were abolished. They have many
! advantages over the House of Refuge as reform
atories Scholarship does not degrade boys DIV SMUT
ting them mp in cells and sitting their seltrespec
but accords to them freedom from restraint and yet
subjects them 10 wholesome discipline, and enforce;
habits OF industry and cleanliness. An industrial
| school in which boys are taught trades according
to natural aptitude. and at the same time are trained
! IN tine rIdments OF education ana irjEgh', u an
institution OF unqueStIOnable utility. HRtts lslahu
! Is most excellent site for such a school Lying
at the head of the SOUND, it Is high, tiny ana OF
sufficient to admit OF thorough claSSln atou
! of the inmates Some OF the illcdlties when nave
| been encountered in the conduct OF these TWO III
sttutionS can be- lesSened, If not entirely counter
! acted. For example numbers OF d vs. VINO WIZ
sent to the Scholarship were released Dy the JUDGES
after remaining on board only few days-luSt lona
| enough to be washed and clothed without deriving
any permanent benefit. Moreover, the sclool-ship
was not properly differed by men whose heals
| were in their york. 1t Is plain that such lnSutu.
!
can be made effective aud successful mere as tDey
If it be impracticable to divorce this Department
| from politics-and who SAYS that 1t Is lmpracti-
cable gat least il Is possible TO give the Pie'uhg
officer of every institution the privilege OF IeJgetg
IN unfit or improper candidate LOT supoiutinaso
/ position. Let the Commissioners be aoe' ngn-
toned, independent men, peculiarly htted by eurca-
non and character for the responsibilities 0ttheh
Office so that their religious and political views WIZ
not influence their action in making appointments.
During the last ten years children and adults nave
| beon divided in accordance with their religious
faith, and great difficulties have been experienced
I'm arranging the conflicting claims of the various
| religious bodies. Unless the denominations arg
| treated with perfect equity the Department win
become hopelessly inefficient and will lose the re-
| sppct of the community. The thing 10 he secute9
i'm our public institutions Is religious tOleratlOn shA
! the thing to be put down with "a high hand IS ihiO
! erauce Freedom Of conscience and OF worship musS
be enforced by the most stringent rules. III,
An evil % which direct pubic attention Is thls'
! The sick the insane, the prisoners the wOrk-D9uso
! men and the women are scattered ABOUT on thelnlI
! islands without any systematic effort being hauSS
to classify them. Randalrs Island contains gr0uIsSSi
all classes which come under the jurisdiction 81 'So
! commissioners. Time, money and labor could %
saved # there were more systematic arTangcmeI,.
III the lunatics now on the three islands cCad 10
collected on Wards Island, and the supplies, mee,
cal treatment and religious services appropriate ~
that class could be organized there II ali the ~
could be- removed 20 Randalfs Island; ana II hs la,
! Island could bo reserved for retomatOrY lDsh'uI
| lions, great Improvement IN organization WOu.H
be effected. Another reform would be tn e
| tension of the ylsitaIions OF a meu9..i
board of high standing TO every hosPan
and unatic asylum under the control OF the CV 3n
! missoners. Another step In the right directlon
would be the establishment of refuge Tor the 0en
ett of those who leave the institutions only 70 I'm
| in the city friendless, pennies and beset VIZ"
| temptations -
Let Inc bring this letter to a close by laying stress
upon two suggestions /. If institutions Of u pai'y
private aud partly public nature are to remain ~ -
operation let those which maDlieStly inferior ~
cut OF from the public treasury, ana let the Dep"
! ment of Pubic Charities and Correction have moIo
! money and be rendered more efficient than u y ~
| nrasent q Let the arrangements tor religious