The record-union., 1896-11-29
WHITTIER SCHOOL REPORT.
Trustees Make Recommendations for
Various Improvements.
The Superintendent Thinks Lack of
Education Brings Many Boys
and Girls There.

Adina Mitchell, Trustees of the Whit
tier Industrial School, have handed in
their biennial report for the two years
concentrations of the Superintendent
are indorsed, looking toward the better
equipment OF the institution.
The trustees estimate the per capita
cost of support of children to be $23 per
month. divided as follows: Clothing
81 80, salaries S. so, provisions So so,
materials used in shops 81 so, table
linen and dishes 81 so, school books and
appliances 50 cents, fuel, light and
power y, incidentals, medicines, etc.,
81.
I'VE would like" the report continues,
ito emphasize a recommendation made
by our predecessors that an additional
100 acres of land be purchased. This
additional acreage would not only add
to the efficiency of the work attempted
by giving employment in a greater va
riety of agricultural lines. but it would
contribute no small amount toward
lessening the amount of expenditure for
maintenance. With sufficient land, all
vegetables. hay and grain might be
produced, whereas now large quantity
must be purchased.
"Brick-making has been successfully
tried in the last few months, and we
find that excellent brick can be made
from the clay on our own grounds at
cost not to exceed So per thousand
"A contemplated addition to the
Trades School building, to cost not to
exceed $50, 900, is to be built Of brick
made by the boys of the school. It is
proposed in this building to better ac-
commodate the trades already taught
and to add to them plumbing and tin
shop, cannery, machine shop and
small foundry, sloyd room for the
small boys and a well-equpped gym
nasium.
1T seems misfortune that owing
to the crowded condition of the institu-
tion boys committed here have to be in
county jails from one to five weeks be-
fore they can be received. An additional
double cottage, to cost about $4,000,
built to accommodate two companies of
small boys. is very desirable.
For the better care Of the sick and
those who are we'll a separate hospital
building is badly needed. This, together
with a superintendent residence,
which is also a necessity, can be built
for $4,000
With the increase of land the herd
of cattle should be increased by at
least twenty high-grade milch cows
The Superintendent report is a very
interesting document. and while it Is
OF considerable length, deals with a
great many questions of interest It
shows that during the five years the
school has been in existence there have
been admitted SSS boys and 1S1 girls
Financial and statistical tables show
ing movement of population, age cause
of commitment, parentage, etc, for each
fiscal year accompany the report, which
are expected to greatly aid in forming
plans for the future improvement of the
school
The Superintendent calls attention to
the desirability Of a good compulsory
education law, and contends that lack
of education on the right lines and want
of the care and training which are re-
ceived by regular attendance at school,
are prolific causes of many boys and
girls starting on the wrong road. AL
lowed to spend their time on the streets
or with vicious and depraved compan-
ions, with no one to guard them from
the dangers they encounter, it is not
surprising that so many boys and girls
become the wards Of the State.
hxa h 4
children so far received at Whittiers 8
shows that the average time spent by
them in school has been 419 school
years of nine months each. Over 16
per cent. Of the number, or 112, have
attended school one year or less. and rs
never attended school at all. Only %
have attended school more than eight
years. Many of the boys have been
tramps and spent years wandering
from place to place with older compan-
ions, acquiring vices the most depraved
and degrading known to man.
In this connection the following fig
ures are submitted, showing the par
entage Of pupils in the school. Pupils
whose parents were separated when
committed to school 212, or 1885 per
cent; pupils whose parents We're de-
ceased "a, or $40 per cent: pupils
whose fathers were deceased 203. or
1888 per cent; pupils whose mothers
were dead los, or 10.1 per cent pupils
who knew nothing of their parents As,
or 4.49 per cent: pupils whose parents
lived together 404. or 37.79 per cent. 1t
Is thus shown that proper paternal
guidance has been foreign to a great
majority of the children.
1t is also recommended that agents to
represent the school be appointed in
the several counties In the State, and
when application for admission is made
1t should be the duty of the agent to
make thorough Investigations and re-
port to the courts whether such appli-
cations should be allowed. The data
such an agent would gather
would be of incalculable value to the
school. and the agent should also be
the guardian of the child from the time
OF the arrest until the commitment,
thus obviating the necessity Of jails
The Superintendent urges that in re-
forming a pupil all possible informa-
tton about his iife antecedents and en-
vironment generally should be at the
command of the school. and as much
of this was given in testimony before
the committing magistrate 1t is recon-
mended that transcript of the evi-
dence taken in each case be forwarded
with the commitment
The pupils are divided into compa-
nies of nifty each. arranged with a view
to keeping the different classes, marked
by age. criminal tendencies etc. as
nearly separate as possible and for this
reason the cottage recommended by the
Trustees Is needed.
Under the present law girls are SUBJ
Ject TO commitment between the ages of
and 10. but a girl must be discharged
AT Is, though IL years and II months