Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-09

at large, in the Jail or in the work house, where
they ought not To be. because we cannot receive
and provide for them
NO wore Use can be made of boy than to
send him 20 the Jail or work house. Associating,
g, be must, with the most depfayed and hard
eucG class OF criminals, he soon learns their
wave and comes out ready for any crime and
becomes an expert criminal from the training
he receive ftoln the inmates OF those institu-
Hons, becoming burden upon society,
and. "a rule, finding his way to the
renitentiary. Truly, if only matter
OF dollars and cents. il would be more
economical To make provision FOR him in our
school. where. under proper training, and dis
cipllnc. and humane treatment, he will be led
awsv from former habits and grow up credi.
70 himself. his friends and parents and AN ad-
Vantage 10 the community III which he lives.
Another very important view of the matter
IL this: Owing to the always crowded condl-
ton of the school and the constant demands
made by the parents of the boys and by the
courts for admissions the time OF boys already
therein Is made shorter to make room for
others This IL great disadvantage, but one
that cannO: well be now avoided. The bows
should be retained at the school until
the trustees are entirely satisfied that
they are fitted by age, reformation and etuca-
ton to go out into the world, with sufficient ex-
perience to avoid their past evil companions
and mistakes. Ii sometimes occurs that owing
20 the short time are able to keep the boys
they drift back into their old habits, and the
good work done for them at the school is IN
done.
SICKNESS CAUSED By CRowpIyo.
"1he present buildings at the school we're
erected to contain 100 boys. We now have
more than 200-ff.y more than We really should
have. As said before, the dormitories are
crowded beyond the limits of health safety and
good order. Some time since we had a severe
visitation Of typhoid fever, from which one boy
died. The disease stiil fingers caused as our
physician says, by the ovcrcrowded condition
of our dorinitories, and he has strongly urged
that more boys be received in the school
until the number now there shall be materially
reduced. and urges that never again they per-
NIT the dormitories to be in the over
crowded condition they in. He
reports that We will always be liable to attacks
of q like character Just so long as We permit
this condition of things. Contrary to the rules
of the school, the laws Of hygiene and morals
in many instances two boys have been required
to occupy the same small single ped. 1t is I'M
necessary for me to say one word ~ to the great
improperly of this evil It Is, therefore easy
TO see that accommodations arc needed for 200
more boys, now on the community, in the Jail
or work house or overcrowding our dormito-
ries, and If these buildings given to us they
will be filled almost soon as completed
The serious alternative is presented, shall these
boys be sent to the reform school, educated,
cared for, taught useful occupations and made
good citizens or permitted to fill the streets
and crowd the jail and work house? This
Is very serious question and must
now be met As before said, daily
am as president of the board obliged to re-
fuse admittance to school to parents Of hayward
boys. and In many instances boys whose parents
have come to me have been sent to the Jail OF
work house because our school could not re-
ceive them The expense Of keeping them in
these places is almost as great as keeping them
In the school
The District Of Columbia is rapidly increas-
ing in population; and crime and hayward
boys are keeping pace with its growth. When
our buildings were erected many years ago
they suf6ced for the then population of the
District of Columbia; but now the population
Of the District has more than doubled, and we
simply ask that the accommodations of our
school be doubled to meet the requirements Of
society.
1T may be said that the sum asked is large
1t may look large, but measured by the num-
Der Of boys who may be saved from life of
crime and the large amount of money that
would be saved in their future prosecution IL
not sent to the school the amount is small. 1t
Is far better to reform boy and make him a
good citizen at any cost than to permit him to
be turned out q criminal and punish and sup
port him, perhaps. for life
COST OF xAINTcSxNcE.
The report gives the results of correspond
reformatory institutions with view to ascer-
As shown by ii, the average cost per inmate
per annum in forty-seven Institutions was
1881 The lowest was at the
house of reformation for colored boys, at
Cheltenham, Md, which was $500 The
highest was at the reform school at Bonneville,
No.. $S5o.41. On institution, the Cathoiic
protectory at Wsstchester, n. Y, has over
2000 inmates. Two others have between
1000 and 1000 The reformatory at
Eimira, and the institutions at Deer
Island. Mass, between 500 and 1000, the other
institutions containing 500 or less inmates. The
salaries Of superintendents range from $500 to
$4,000 per annum. The largest salary list is
at the Massachusetts reformatory, being $780,
007.4S, but at this institution l am informed
the officers maintain themselves.
The pro rata expense of the District school
was S204. 80. Allowing credit for the amount
covered into the treasury, derived from the
labor of inmates, the pro rata is reduced to
sl91.1S. This is less BY o. 80 than the general
average, that average being s193. II per annum
per inmate.
In point Of expenditure, without this credit,
the school stands No. 16. but allowing credit for
the amount paid into the treasury it stands No.
~. 1t will be borne in mind. the report SAYS
that u larger number of inmates can be sup
ported at less ratio Of expense than a smaller
number.
Il have visited many similar institutions
throughout the United States,' saws President
Falls. but in none of them have found the in
mates better fed, clothed and caree for than in
our school
The aggregate cost may to many seemlarge;
but money spent for preventing crime and re-
forming the criminal Is in small proportion to
what it would cost to maintain the same popu-
iatfon If its criminal tendencies were not
checked From an economical standpoint alone
money SO spent is profit to the state.
Az has been well said by another:
Every state that makes her criminals
prisoners is unmindful of her duty II she
ncglects to employ the best means for their
reformation The same writer SAYS: Reform
atOry institutions are right; and while they may
BE- improved they will never be displaced. They
are doing good work, which is steadily grow
ing in the appreciation of thoughtful peo-
pie and strengthening those concerned
in their administration in the de-
monstration that their efforts are
in the right direction, and their results
valuable The amount. S19S.7S pro rata cost
per annum. is not large for maintaining and
educating these delinqueuts and employing
means for their reformation. Do not the re-
sults so far justify much larger expenditure In
this direction?
LE6rsLArToS NEEDED.