Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-05


 The scholars have engaged with spirit in the work of the farm as well as in the duties of he classroom. The trustees look upon the of this school as full of promise for the future of our agriculture. Being the first of its kind in this country, and having no example to follow, it must reach success through experience. It is intended to be more technical and nearer the farm than the agricultural college has been or well can be. It is intended to strengthen in its pupils their attachment for rural life Its object Is not to make scholars, but to train young men to be well informed and skillful farmers. The school in it's early stages must of necessity be an experiment.. It is cordially commend ed to tbe fostering care of the General As sembly. With your support it cannot fail to win success and prove honorable and profit able to the State
 STATE PRISON.
 The report of the commissioners of the State prison is in some regards noteworthy one. The high state of discipline at this es- tablishment which was reported last year has been maintained and increased. The number Of punishments has decreased, in fact has been steadily decreasing under the present management. Severe punishments have be- come of the rarest occurrence, and even the reprimand is not frequent. The appropria- tions of last year were not found quite suffi-
  ly necessary, but the deficiency was met from the earnings of the prison. The def ciency at the close of the years business is $5, ,259 ST. This may be traced to three causes: first, the number of prisoners has been smaller than last year by eleven; in the next place 1,654 days of labor have been lost by sickness; these two causes have tended to diminish the income of the prison and in the last place it is very well known rIc during the year in the cost of necessaries This loss by sickness has assumed very se- rious proportions. It is said that about threes fourths of these cases of disabling sickness can be traced to malarial disorders. In view of these facts, and the long acknowledged inferior character of the prison buildings, the board of commissioners insist th1s year, with particular emphasis, on the necessity of Q new prison building on new site. The ar guments which they use, and which will doubtless be more fully presented to you, are the age of the prison, the fact that it was built in days when prison management was radically different from what it is to-day, it's manifestly unhealthy situation, and the fact that the experience of many other States has shown that buildings of the character of our old prison are not so built as to allow of the best results under improved and intelligent management. It may well be that the time has come for Connecticut to take into serious consideration the whole matter, and show it's appreciation of the improved conduct of it's prison by equipping proper building.
 The Connecticut Prison association con inues it's good work of aiding discharged prisoners to obtain honest employment upon their release from prison That ssno person discharged from the State prison during the past year can truthfully say that necessity has compelled him to return to crime'' enti- ties the association to the good will of all right minded citizens. It is also worthy of remark that the administration of the prison has been greatly aided by the cooperation of citizens who have exerted themselves to make the religious services and life of the prison real and useful As consequence the effects of the Sunday services have shown themselves in the discipline of the week. That this effect is more than temporary would appear also from the fact that the number of convicts who are returned to the prison to serve out sentences under second conviction is steadily diminishing.
 THE STATE REFORM SCHOOL.
 The matter of most interest in connection with the Reform school is the establishment of an experimental cottage, to try the results of the family system, as compared with the congregate system on which the school has formerly been conducted. The success so far, for 3 trial of about nine months, has been in every way satisfactory. The trustees SUD- port the superintendent in his assertions about the working of this system, and show that the action of the last Assembly in mak- ing the appropriations necessary for the ex- pertinent was wise Its immediate extension is not asked for, as it is deemed best to have the results of longer experience to support such 8. recommendation. As a whole the State has every reason to be satisfied with the condition of the school The administra- tion of the superintendent, aided by the valu- able influence of his wife, the matron, has been to the satisfaction of the trustees. Their endeavor has been to make the school a re- formetory and not penal establishment, and so to conduct it that boys having been there will furnish 8 fair presumption that he will not later become an inmate of the State prison. The reverse has been only too near the truth in times past. I commend to your favorable attention the suggestions which5are made by the trustees and superintendent as to what is needed to make the work of the school still more efficient
 THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
 This reformatory, and true reformatory it has proved to be- has gone on without noteworthy event through the year, doing it's good and necessary work effectively. It has cared for 221 girls during the year. Of these 174 remain in the school, and 47 have been discharged or placed in good homes or places where they have honest employment. The trustees find that there is developing tend ency to send to the school girls of very tender age, that they may be kept out of the way of vicious and corrupting influences, rather than for the purpose of correcting evil habits already formed. From Shis and other facts within their knowledge the trus- tees are led to believe, and they represent that large number of neglected youth of both sexes may be found within the State, growing up without responsible guardian ship, in varying conditions of ignorance and idleness, and plainly drifting toward life of pauperism and crime. They are to be found in the streets of our cities, in the aims houses of our towns, and in other places equally ill-ftted for making them good citi- zens Their case may not need the discipline of the Reform school or of the Industrial school, or any management involving expense to the State, but it does demand an efficient guardianship, with power to enforce habits of daily employment in school or at work. This subject of neglected children is consid- quiry into the facts and taking such action as their case requires.
 HOSPITAL FOR INSANE.
 At the Middletown hospital for the insane the new building, the south hospital, was teenth anniversary of the establishment. As consequence of the enlarged capacity of the retreat there has been notable increase of patients. The year began with 529 un- der treatment, and ends with 731. Of these, 719 are aided by the State It is se rious question what provision is to be made for our indigent insane The almshouses of our towns are not yet relieved of them, and their number seems to be increasing. The