Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-30
ANNUAL REPORT
OF Mrs. Annie N. L. Hawes on the State Re.
form Schoot.

hIahCo iNBOil " Liz OONtIuOf ain
| Council
TO the Governor and the Honora BIZ
Council OF Maine:--In submitting t,
you according to statute, my individ
| ual report as a member of the Stat'
Board Of Visitors to the Reform School
| VIII say that In the past two year.
| have continued to make study o
reform school work in our own and in
| other states, both by personal observa
ton. and through the reports of others
| Last year | spent two days at tn,
Lyman school in Westboro, Mass, ant
lately ! visited the Sockanosset Schoo
| in Rhode Island. These are both boys
reform schools though they are known
| by happier names.
| l am glad to call attention to certain
| improvements in our school in the
past two years. The military drill an(
the Swedish gymnastics have tended
to change the sipshod shambe and
| shuttle of the street Arab into the up
self-respecting boy That promptness
of movement acquired in the tactics
| has been help in the gen
eral discipline of the school is unques-
| toned, but deeper than all this is the
| fact that the com bined work and play
| of these two exercises furnish food for
| the boyish mind. and so far as boy
| is taught to think in a new direction so
| far is he a new boy
| one of our greatest improvements is
| in the arrangement regarding school
| hours, each boy now being in school
some part Of the day as well as dur
| ing the evening, for though the even
ing school has its place, it must be
looked upon mainly as opportunity for
oral teaching. sleepy boys finding lit
tie for themselves in a text book.
Some Of the books from the library
have been placed where they should
be, in the school rooms where they can
he used. Too much stress can scarce
| ~ be said upon this matter of reading.
II is not to he expected that the boys
wiz come 10 the school with a taste fo,'
reading anything but the poorest books
Many boys Of u are already half
ruined by what they read, and to re-
form taste and character is a double
task--t0 take out as well as to put in.
For this reason ! put instruction to
he aithful reading. the reading Of books
hy the hest authors. authors who have
1'44hf AiAltlS ~ anu hIpN NV " soy
lt--far ahead Of many things ordinarily
thought more important Whoever
heard of a man that was filled with
high and noble aims by the study of
denominate numbers? But when he is
taught To choose his books he is pro-
vided with safe companionship for life.
which is only another way of saying
forever. 1t is suggested that a part Of
the money spent each year for the
library TO put into magazines and
papers for supplementary reading in
the school. and that the use of such
reading be insisted upon. A book rep
resents a bulk of reading sufficient TO
discourage many an illiterate boy who
may he won to it by something less
formidable.
Life at the Cottage has proved to the
most skaptical that bolts and bars are
not needed by all our boys at least.
and though ii is a question with many
people if il is best to erect such ex-
pensive buildings still it is gratifying
to all interested in the school to see
the new house going forward. promis-
| ing a home to 80 more boys. But
| human nature will always sympathiZe
with those left outside the good
times" and the public is always ask
| ing if all the lads at the large house
must be closely confined in their high
walled yard. 1t is hard to see why
| when two and three hundred boys go
about unfenced grounds at the Lyman
| and Sockanosset schools our far
| smaller number must he so shut up
| Boys viii run away sometimes. Pretty
| homes occasionally. and it by no means
| follows that the best boy is the one
| who makes the least trouble: the real
! question is always and everywhere
what is best for the boy. Repression
never makes the character.
| In regard to the Wander Lust as
| Josiah Flynt, the authority on tramp
| life. calls the running away passion
! Mr. F'lynt says: Il look upon this
| fever as quite as much of a disease as
the craze to steal which is found now
and then in some child's character. and
it deserves the same careful treatment.
! Punishment only aggravates it. and
develops in the boy feeling of hatred
| for all about him. | firmly believe
that some day this trouble in so many
| boys lives will be pathologically
treated by medical men, and the sooner
that day comes the better it will be for
| many unfortunate children
| 1t is also a well established fact that
| the thing you forbid boy to do often
! Immediately becomes desirable in his
| eyes. He wants to see if he can do it.
and sometimes when a boy has largest
| liberty it is easiest to keep him within
bounds.
| The building of the cottages is bring
| ing about that great reform so much
needed. the classification of our boys,
but it is exceedingly desirable that
| there should be at the main building
which we hope with it's many incon-
veniences, it's lack of ventilation. and
| it's dark Easements will soon be a
thing of the past-separate play
grounds where the hopelessly bad-if
there are such-cannot influence COM
| paratively innocent children, and
| where those who do not abuse the priv
ilege can have large liberty.
Many of the inmates of our school
| are young men with the strength of
yo11np mon and thew need harder work