The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-28
THE sEFORRE SCHOOL.
Report of the Hon. IS. G. Hatch, a Member
of she Board of yisitOrs-Some RemRrIx-
able Statements and Queer Recomn,en.
dafiOuH.

STATE OF MAINE, COUNCIL. CHAMBER,
AUGUSTA, Dec. 30 1888.
To His :Elrcellency Governor Robe and Eaecntipe
In conformity to the provisions of sec. IL, chap.
ESQ, laws OF 1888, the undersigned, of the Wis.
iting committee to the State Reform School an
pointed by the Governor submits his yearly
REPORT.
The Legislature of 1883 by an amendment to
chap. 14z of the revised statutes relating to the
Reform School, provides in sec. II of said amend
ment that the Governor shall appoint committee
of the Council to consist Of three with whom shall
be associated one woman, to visit the State Reform
senooi from time to time examine into the trea t.
to maintain letter box in the school to which the
inmates shall at all times have free access to hear
complaints of i'll treatment, etc. and yearly sew
orally report to the Governor aud Council CON
corning the school, its conditions and needs %
The committee appointed under authority of sec
II, made their first official visit in June. Mrs
Hunt of Portland, the lady associated with the
committee, has been unable the past year TO join
the committee in their official visit to the instftu-
tom On our first visit to the Reform School, a
letter box was established and the inmates of the
school advised of the purpose Of the law under
which the visiting committee acted. Rules Wera
adopted and the same printed and put up in several
conspicuous paris of the building The officers of
the institution expressed their readiness to cooper
ate with the committee in carrying out the rule
they had established and to render them in their
werk, such assistance as was in their power.
The boys seemed much gratifed that an oppor-
tunity was to be given them to communicate their
complaints, if any they should have, 10 a committee
under the authority of law The preliminary work
necessary to organize for the future visits of the
committee having been arranged, the remainder of
the day was given to inspection of the Reform
School buildings and the farm buildings onnected
herewith. Everything was found in good order
and the property of the State we'll protected and
cared for. The farm looked finely and appeared to
be under good state of cultivation. The farm i'm
PIGMENTS and machines used ON the farm were of
the latest and most approved pattern. Quite A
number of the boys were at work in the fields and
seemed to take an interest and pleasure in their
labors.
call to the shops where many of the boys are
employed in bottoming chairs with cane found
them attentive and apparently interested in their
work. The knowledge and the habits of industry
the boys acquire by working in the chair shop will
doubt, be of value to them after they leave the
institution.
A visit to the schoolroom during the honrs of
study, showed that the schools were well managed
the teachers qualified for their work and the bows
as rule interested in their studies. few of the
boys manifest quite desire to acquire an educa-
tion and become useful members of society," 10
such every facility consistent with the rules of the
school and the government of the institution is Of
fered.
The second visit of the committee was made july
10th. The letter box was opened and the eighty
letters 1t contained were examined. In nearly all
these letters the writer's expressed themselves salts
ned with their treatment by the officers of the
school, and spoke kindly of them. A few complain
ed OF severe punishment for violation of the rules
others found fault with the food furnished them,
The committee carefully inquired into the COM