Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08


room for sly hundred aud iify and a. the trustees
thought IN ISIS WAS likely To lac Kept fu butit con-
,llne ,iii winter only one hundred and thirty weight
The addition OF lSiG. hullt for two hunlfrd, now
lodges about thirty and II wag cuniem plated at the
time Of the last report to co,r 1t entirely. The reI
sons ct tins falling Oh have been partly the great
expense ani partly the fact that other methods
have been irund more ctliciclouS for reform In
Massachusetts HOW there are larger number Oi
children for whom places found IA ilnilr, than
are IN thc three STATE ''h"os. Thoa, IN families
treated wards of the STAT, and visited
| AMI their condition reported.
Il Is u natter of sharp dispute among the best
students of refprmItJry methods, and was debated
at the last meeting of The National Conference Oi
| charities. ~ Cleveland, whether the congregAte
system, rs II Is called 10 which our Reform School
belongs. Is EO; failure. II would hc very uuwlse
to invest more HlDucs buildings mil i' qilrS-
lion OF whether We the right ii:.'N 1r not Is
settled, However that may b.. feel >uic nf tins.
that II j. Tor The welfare OF the State throwing Out
| the question o1 expense entirely, AMI considering
merely the preparation of The bows tJc future citi-
xenshp. 10 re,lu,,' the number taf TIE present
| buildings VIII ice ample.
The plan al binding cut I'LL Of age III MOI Goa
slider III: best one bat finding good place Tor the
| hoy for wear or more, ami then II he does well
leaving him some voice IN the choice of the place.
and IN liking the price for his labor, but st under
| The care aud control Of the State authorities
| i combination oi the binding out AMI iiohdiloh
systems. with a. much OF the latter Is me ease VIII
! IHuii Of the Reform School should Lee a mere
| stepping Stone 10 the family. That - the proper
place for cillihOOd and youth and II through ms
| fortune they lose this healthy influence tie Sldtt
| quickly a. possible. In our agricultural stale
| where good places readily found, an sure tins
policy Will sometime lee adopted To a mach greater
! extent ihtn heretofore. Bows cannot ~ hitrh loi
the Work OF life within four walls Or conSre2itetl
| IN An Institution of tins kind. hut only 10y actual
| contact with the world under the -: l,I;uenccs
| we can throw around them. Mr.. ali Mrs Fair
| bank are faithful and devoted officers; II would he
difficult 10 MI their places. wish u say every
thing possible IN regard TO their faithful discharge
OF duty ~ they understand IT, They iiyc great en-
thu>Eiin IN their work. but this ytry enthusiasm
| possibly leads the superintendent 10 OVeT-rate the
| benefit his restitution confcrs upon lis inmates
| From his standpoint few boys would not be I'M
proved hy course in his school, and the longer the
| better. Every man in charge Of great Institution
"i this dnd likes 10 see II flourish Is naturally glad
| To have iirg" number under his charge. AMI Of
course. II ilrt axe there for long term tey Team
| more. AMI can MAKE Il better exhibition Ot The
| advantages they have received. In SAYING iii,
say nothing more of Mr. FarbInk titan what could
be said of almost any man in his position whn had
that great faith and enthusiasm III his work ne''s-
10 Success
| II does not with most boys promote manliness
| ami strength Of character. II Is an unnatural and
entirely artificial relation, We know that keeping
a boy secluded from the ordinary relations ami IN
Iucnres OF life, even from its temptations, Is not
| often IL" bert way. They go ont INTO The world
WIN Their nhy'nta strength and passion fHlly de-
| vel1pcd hut entirely unused TO tue .woild. They
have lo~i their pride and feel that there Is Il badge
OF degradation upon them. AMI are weak 10 resist
| temptation. aEl many of them fall readily INTO
J crime. Twelve have in the state Prison. anil
nineteen or twenty in the House Of Correction dur
ing the two years; ai,i there Is room for argument,
u, least, that term in one of these INSTITUTIONS Is
more refornatory IN effect than too long coniine-
ment in the school.
The method OF arbitrary marking. too, while 10
some extent Necessary, when carried 10 extreme,
tends 10 develop deceit and hypocrisy. The honest.
manly boy, but with log love OF life and play,
cannot reach the required standard reg,lly I'D
| the embryo IT riah lleep,' who can humhly and
hypOcrtlcally adapt himself 10 the requirements.
This may be ''fat blasphemy against the system,
hut II i earnest conviction from careful study
of II as whole, from what have seen at the sep
| araie seml-annu1l examinations OF the inmates,
now required By the Statute. AMI ar other vlslts anu
from the best examination, have been able 10 give
TO individual cases.
Acting upon these views have rcc0atly parl on
Ell or reiniie the fines OF several bOys These had
in my judgment July satisfied all Just require
mentS of the law. Doubtless have erred IN midi
vldull cases. It would have been better II they
had been worked oil by the superintendent and
trustees Ia good places, and IN the ordinary course
of management. But these officers honestly diiter-
Ell with ne, and believing that the greatest good As
a whole OF the boys and the State would be served
by releasing them, sud having examined the cases
several ilInrS-whlch my successor could not Il" AZ
pf-stni-thcrc was no other course 10? NE u pnr-
sue. do hot believe greater proportion nf these
Will Had their way To prison than ui those dii-
charged under ordinary methods Whatever the
result The responsibility rests entirely with me.
IN appropriation was made four years since for
more sleeping room by raising the Iuot ol the gun
| house. lherc was nothing done, hui me appfu-
prIailpn used iur other purposes Is The law al
| lowed That might now he done aid furnish
ali the necessary sleeping room, and Is the better
To- have two sleeping apartments with less num-
her in each than Ia make new buildings tDhccOul-
mo1ate the whole. hut believe win proper less-
lation and with an administration OF the school on
the plan have suggested. with view u help
the bows Ia hclp themsclvcs-WhIch Is the truest
chari.y-hy finding them employment as rapidly is
pp-slle arI places in good homes. that The number
can h. reduced h'low INV and no buildings re
quirrd. ,-
The. suggestion Of iac trustees that more land
should lie purchased when II can he done at rea-
Sonal.lc pr'rt mret5 with nv approval II Is much
better employment for the boys IMAM Inc shop
work. The anl wui,si Lr Improved ny their liDor
an, ought b. loss To- tac state tn nut uelleve
| II is advisable 10 start any system oil complete
mInufacforv because the number ought 10 be re-
,iucr,l So low that there will he little need of any
work of this KIND and that the larger part Of the
inmates rpuil b.. employed upon the lnd. Ihe
trustees su@s2s; additional room Tor Officers anu
guests. Ihi> l., however. ihi'eh Gif?c heeod ~
Windsor.
What IS To H. III. future p,,i"y ot The state IN
reference TO The school question 81 great I'M
pnrtance The superintendent has great faith IN
ms work AMI a rare faculty OF impresslng others
with il. II is magnetic and contagious. Legsla-
tive cnmt.i,.rcl are quite sure to agree win ms
views though thcs are rot always sustained 10y me
ralmrr Judgment Of the Legislature.
10 purchase new buildings and machinery at Wa
rrri,ur, and enlarge them Tor the manufacture OF
chairs The committee reported faNOrI''ly AMI
after, earnest opposition AMI some restrictive
amendments il PASSED the Senate. The House com
mittec reported IN lis favor hut the House refused
II a third reading.
In i blll WIS AAlhd'' van sN"' W.
new buildings at yersrunrs. The committee re-
u.4.sc,t AMI Recommended the passage OF >ub-t-
lutte h;ll blouse bill j9 the first section OF when
appropriated :slpoo for new building i0rihe boys
department, Of sufficient capacity 10 accommodate
two hundred boys. The second section apprupIl-
ated :: uun Tor a barn. The irst section was sricS-
en- out IN the House 10y vote of lag yeas 10 - nay 5,
and the second section only passed.
The act of l,,S favored 10y the committee but
came near defeat. refer 10 these hllS. AMI Is
pacllly 10 he one oil l>.6,as foreshalo~ns 4 policy
which would entail enormous eNrtliNe on me
SAFE AMI with good hut positive harm, ~ be-
lievc.
The expenses now surpaSS the probable average
of the prison and House -. Correction combined
No officers could lie more faithful IN the discharge
of ,luiy than the trustees ami all tae "ii'ts nave
been The trustees have undertaken niiicI extra
Ial,Gr under the law OF the last session M cores
ponderce and other ways. and have been prompt IN
performing II. oar difference has been III II" man
ner pprsnual II was merely that they accepted
NOR. of the policy which has hitherto prevailed IN
| in the management Of The school than could
possibly subscribe 10. -
In larger part by the towns is that of the Reform
school. The towns now pay hfiy cents per week.
The trustees agree with me that II should NOT be
less than one dollar. think one dollar AMI hfty
cents would be still better, and would not any more
than cover the expense. There Will h- many
| less sent under such Law. and with no la result
10 The good order OF the community We nave dls-
charged snlrr or required the towns 10 pay one
dollar and lfty cents per week. But Tue people OF
the town know much better than the trustees can
whether a boy really needs the restraint and DIS
riplin, of the school, or whether ne Is Sent 10 set
md of him and shift he expense on Inc state II
proVnlIng HIM with good home or other means Is
al that Is required he will not be sent TO the school
If I'M. town pays the expense and still all Will be
sent who ought 10 he, as the people OF the town
are the suffers II this Is not done. me present law
recurring towns 10 pay nity cents per week has
considerably reduced commitments, but not a lew
Improper ones are still made and more legislation
IN ihis same direction Will largely diminish the
numbers with no harm To the stale.