New-York tribune., 1882-04-12
WORK IN HOUSES or REFUGE.

THE BILL CONCERNING CHILDREN'S LABOR.
oBJEcrIoys TO THE PASSAGE OF AN ACT PENDING
BEFoRE A SENATE CoMMITTEE-1HE VIEWS
OF RICHARD ~ HOE.
The Board of Managers Of the Ncw-Yolk House OF
Refuge entertain strong objections to the Dill now
nending before the Senate Committee on Mlsceila-
neous Corporations making 1t unlawful 10 let OF
hite by the day, week. or month, or longer periou'
tho services of children in honses of refuge re-
formatories, etc. under sixteen yosoS "i m aEe sinh
icct Yesterday Richard Vi. Hoe, VINO has Deen Il
manager of the House OF Refuge for twenty-five
II favor the retention of the present system OF
labor AZ the House of Refuge until better plah
can he devised This has not been done. But 10 Is
said that the children should be taught trades IN
stead Of working for contractors. Where Is the
money TO come froT 1t would cost thousands OF
dollars to get the machinery and materials LOT con,
ductng trade trades, ana Tor paying Tue shileu
worknen that would be necessarily employed AS
keepers This wOnld be q largo additional expense
TO the State and II Is hand enough 10 get money LOT
the institution now although DelieVc 10 lliSlIt,-
ti0n is carried on more ecOhonhca.y. but ss.ho .n
from the question OF expense the sholtness Oh me
time during which most oi the chlidfeh are ~ tnc
House Of Refuge would prevent their learning Hioc
than the rudiments OF n trade. Ihey cone LOT TWO
or three months, six months year perhaps, or
moye and then thcI parents want them back, or
niore j. nrocuTed for them. And may say that
have known of no instances where boys from the
Refuge have failed to get work, Notwithstanding
charge
ticuar subdivision OF work under contractor
here would be unable to get anything to do outside.
consider it not OF so much Importance 10 Try 10
teach tne bows trade in the short time they are
confined IN the Refuge as TO inpart to them haDtS
of industry, pumctuaity and ORDER To tram tnolr
hands 10 work aud to inure them 10 Just dIscIpl,nc
For this purpose useful labor is necessary, ana III
has hcen found, after q long experience, that the
best results are obtained hy letting the lahoT oil the
inmates to proper persons, The boys learn now 10
work and II is thcir advantage, not the recuniary
returns to the Refuge, that we have constantly III
view. If we had the requisite money ana thc Doys
the requisite time for learning trades, III might he
preferabe although have always thought III nm
wise to allow the labor OF rciOrinatoTy institutions
tn enter into direct competition with that OF the
outside world. 10 certain extent this happens
now 10 is true although this lettng-0ut ol laDor Is
different from turning the Refuge into manniac-
tory. II might be possible TO llnd some lgIt IIacos
which the bows cOuld carry Oh without a large eX
pense. although this question OF competition WOulu
arise. II has been proposed to have boihouse at
the Refuge III which the boys could learn the care
of plants and gardening, and the plan was also
island on which the boys could work. 1t is much
better than teaching trades here TO have the boys
leave tho institution soon as possible ana 20 Oh
farms, where they can learn to hecome farmers;
Again, the advocates OF ms DiIl speak Gi INC tne
bad character and cruelty OF the contractors men
in charge OF the children. his Is rldicui0usly
untrue First none of the contractors men can
WORK IN the instItltiOn without being examined
and admitted by the superintendent. who has over
sumnarily to discharge any OF them. Ana,
secondly the boys not under the charge ol these
the regular attendants OF the Refuge are constantly
present The superintendent, OF course, refuses TO
admit anv oVcrsccTs who he thinks may exert bad
influence on the boys. As regards charges OF
cruelty may say that any case OF misbeiiaVlor IS
reported TO the superintendent, who alone has
mower to order punishment. Among 800 children
OF this class of course there who occasion
ally deserve and are benefited by whipping; but
i'm All nv experience ] have known of only one IN
stance in which excessive punishment was IN
djcted That was through the caTeleSSncSS OF 3n
assistant superintendent. who was promptly dis
charged. The hCuIs and the nature OF The business
are specifPd in the contract. The children them
selves arc often allowed to Judge OF the tasks set
them They are asked ii the WORK Will DE TOO haId,
and if they think 80 il is lightcncd. When thcY
accent task after trial this is their daily work. and
by doing the of seven or eight hours IN hve or
six they gain much more tine Tor recreation.
But the hours for rest and meals are never inter-
lered with. None OF the contractors employees
have any power to discipline or 0verwork tho
children. None of the very young children are
allowed to work unless at some slight task Tor u
short time simply to 0ccnpy them.
&" If the hiring OF the labor as we conduct 10 now
he prohibited by law. we have no means 10 pur-
chase machinery and help TO do work by the piece,
or to buy materials to manufacture IN the lnsttII-
ton nor have the ability to dispose OF tho pro-
ducs of this labor prOitably, should we take the
risk of entering upon manufacu urlng. Therefore
the inmates would 3c forced to remain idle anG lose
the instruction row obtained IN their work. and the
revenue of the Refuge would be reduced about
$4,000 yearly. This amount 1t would be neces-
sary TO ask the Legislature to make up This
House of Rciugc Imay say by the way Is the Oldest
chartered TciOImatOTy institution IN The world and
il has always been conducted on phanthrOpic as
we'll as economical methods | wish Mr.. Gerry and
Nj. Letchworth. instead OF constantly pulling such
institutions to pieces, would come and JOIN us and
aid Us in finding a better way OF conducting the
management