Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-03
THE NEEDS OF THE REFORM SCHOOL

The Trustees Mt the District Buildings.
At noon today the Commissioners gave .
hearing to the board of trustees Of the reform
school upon the subject of appropriations.
The entire board of trustees was present. a.
follows: W. S. Thompson, J. E. Fitch, c. 8.
Noyes. Jno. Z. Carpenter. A. J. Falls, N. W..
Burchell and Col. Cecil Clay. Superintendent
Shallenberger was also present.
President Falls laid the case before the Com
missioners. He referred to the crowded con-
dition Of the school and the urgent necessity
for increased accommodations. The compile
ment of the school, he said, was $50, yet at
present 200 boys were being accommodated.
As another argument in favor of increased
accommodations Mr.. Falls referred to the
number of boys who were discharged from the
Police Court because there was no place for
them.
The Jail and work house had been filed with
youngsters, much to their detriment, for in
carceration at either place did more harm than
good. 1t made them criminals
There was not day he did not receive q
telephone message from the Police Court ask
ing If the school had room for one more
The annual estimates. which were already be-
fore the committee, contained an item for the
construction of three-family buildings at an es-
timated cost of $4,000. If these we're appro-
priated for the difficulty would be remedied.
At present the community is calling upon
the school to take charge Of these boys
President Falls desired the Commissioners to
strike out that section of the law which re-
quired the school to turn into the treasury of
the United States all surplus earnings of the
reform school.
If the school had the use of that surplus.
which last year amounted to some Sc, 900. it
could make good use Of it in the way of employ
Ing additional teachers, general improvements,
repairs, &c.
The next matter taken up was the action Of
the Commissioners in delegating the superin-
tendent OF charities to supervise the reform
school. sMr. Falls said the reform school was
not charity. and the superintendent of chari-
ties had no jurisdiction over the school,
Again, there was no necessity for such a
thing, inasmuch as one of the Commissioners is
ex-offcio a member of the board, with all the
rights and powers of a member to visit and in
spect the workings of the school.
The order OF September II. in which the Com
missioners ordered the superintendent Of chari-
ties to include in his estimates those of the
reform school, was read and evoked consid-
cradle discussion.
The Commissioners denied that they had
delegated any supervision of the school to the
superintendent of charities as superintendent of
charities, but merely an advisory officer of
the Commissioners. and his recommendations
would not be considered as those Of the super
intendent of charities
The trustees stated that they would be glad
to have the fullest inspection of the operations
of the school by Superintendent War
ner or any one the Commits
sioners might designate. bu. only
desired to enter q protest against the in
stitution being reckoned as a charity COM
ing under the jurisdiction of the superin-
tendent of charities. The trustees had
no objection whatever to Superintendent
Warner. of whom thev had a high opinion, but
simply objected to being included in the range
of his line Of duties superintendent of
charities.
The Commissioners said they had never held
that the reform school was included in
the list of charities controlled by
the superintendent of charities and that, as
previously stated. their designation of reform
school matters to him was simply of an advisory
character.
In the desultory conversation that followed
much interesting information was elic-
tied to the important and excel
lent character of the work performed
by the reform school ard the pressing need for
rev buildings 10 accommodate the constantly
increasing demand for room for the boys re-
quiring the wholesome training of the institu-
ton.
The Commissioners expressed much intcres.
in the school and accepted the earnest invita-
ton of the trustees to visit the place and make
a thorough inspection of its workings.