The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-04-23

children They were Only employed
to such extent and in such occupation
as make them profitable to the mana
gers by taking the place of hired help
Instead of military tactics being taught
in every school as the law contemplat-
| ed, in most of the institutions there
was not a soldier or person familiar
with military affairs employed in any
| department. In none was there found
teacher of agriculture. The number
of teachers and attendants for the
schools was wholly inadequate. In
stead of careful teaching 10 vocal
music the children were left to occas.
ional practice in singing in concert,
without technical training. Tie OBJ
| iect of the provision of the law cited
evidently was that when the children
graduated from the schools at ! 6 years
of age they would not only be fairly
taught in common school branches of
education, but would also, according
to their natural bent. be fairly trained
in some useful industrial employment
and thus qualified for even competi
ton 10 the race of life. How shock
lngly this humane purpose IF the law
has been perverted will be apparent
when it is stated that not only was in
dustrial instruction very generally neg
lected, but that also,n many instances,
/ the children were employed in the
most disgusting occupations, such as
cleaning cesspools and similar work,
thereby breaking their self-pride and
humiliating them. With one except
ion the chief employments to which
the children were put were such as
should have been done by paid servants
of the schools The object of this was
to save expense to the managers. 1t
is but just, however to say that as
rule the children were found to be
naturally bright and rather well in
structed in the common branches of
knowledge.
At one of the schools, children were
deprived of instruction for a consider
able period, because of the insufficient
force of teachers. At another school,
it was impossible from the character
of the limited number of employees to
exercise that supervision and restraint
over the boys and girls which the die
tates OF morality and humanity re-
quire.
A brief explanation will show how
this condition of affairs was brought
about, and how it remained undiscov.
cred until the official exposure of few
weeks ago.
Primarily. it may be said that the
abuses enumerated conld not have ex-
listed if the officers charged by law
with the supervision of the schools had
faithfully performed their duties. TIE
law requires that the Superintendent
Of Public Instruction ''shal visit each
Soldiers Orphans School at least once
each quarter, either in person or by
deputy. remaining at least "a hours in
each school," There are also male
Inspector and female assistant provided
for by law, VINO are directed to he
paid not more than 800 per month
and necessary travelling expenses. The
evidence disclosed by the investigation
establishes that none of these officers
have performed their duties During
the past year the Superintendent visit
ed the Mount Joy School once and
each of the Inspectors twice. The Su-
perintendent visited the McAlisterville
School in MAY, 1885, and stayed but
ak hours, and was not there afterwards
until subsequent to the exposure of this
year. The Inspectors stayed at this
school between 5 and hours. At the
Mercer School i. was testified by an
employe that since September, 1884,
neither the Superintendent nor Inspect
ors had remained "a hours, the average
duration of their visits being 5 hours.
These are but samples OF the neglect
by these officers of their duties. In
deed, the condition of the schools and
children, as observed at the investiga-
ton, and as fnIly set forth in the re-
port of the Secretary of the State
Board OF Health, was of itself sufficient
to show either that the officers had not
attempted to perform their duties as
Inspectors, or, that if they did they
were incompetent to Judge of the facts
and did not observe the existing abuses.
They certainly failed to report and TO
correct them The official reports of
the Inspectors also show that they did
not visit the institutions as often as
was necessary to obtain a thorough
knowledge of the condition and opera
tion of the schools. These reports are
of the most general character. and in
variably present the schools in the most
favorable light, and when read in con.
nection with the facts disclosed by the
investigation prove on the part
of the Inspectors, at least, either
neglect or incompetence.
1t was also disclosed that in some
manner the school Principals received
word in advance of the coming of one
of the Inspectors, and a carriage was
sent to the depot to convey that official
to the school,
Section 10 of the act of 1867 Great
ing the Department of Soldiers
Orphans imposes upon the Superintend-
ent of the schools the obligation of
making detailed report to the Cover
nor of all the soldiers orphans under
his charge "their condition and prog
ress, the numbers of each respective
age from A to l6 years" The last
named provision has been entirely ig
nored in the report of the Superintend-
ent for the year 1885, and his state
ments concerning the condition of the
children are not borne out by the in
vestigation.
The appropriation bill for the mainte-
nance of soldiers orphans for the two
years which ended May 81, 1885, de-
clares it to be the duty of the Superin-
tendent to prescribe the kind of cloth.
ing to be worn, and to see that "each
(child) receive an amount of the full
value of S25 per annum.' According
to the rules and regulations of the de-
partment it was the duty of the In
spectors to examine all bills of goods
for clothing purchased during the year
and to see that this requirement of the
law was complied with.