The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-22
REFORM MEASURE
What is BEING Done in Reform
School.
INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS ADOPTED
Boys Learning Principals
of Self Support.
superintendent Needham Salts
fled With Experiment-One
Result Noted.

For the past nine years, or ever since
l have been connected with this insti-
tuition as its head" said Superinten-
dent Needham TO a reporter of the Ad-
vertiser in conversation with him at
the Reformatory School yesterday aft
ernoon, Il have tried TO get some kind
I of a workshop here for the boys. but
not until within the past two months
eminent to give us what we have 50
long needed.
Il realize the fact that funds for
such purposes are very short, and we
must put up with what is given us.
cannot tell you how thankful / am IN
behalf of the boys under my care, that
We have at last a place. small indeed.
where we can give them an insight IN
/ TO the use of tools which must needs
/ be of use to them when they sever their
connection with this institution"
With this Mr.. Needham took a bunch
of keys from a large drawer in his Of
flee and walked over to the workshop,
a small one-story frame building Ii
rectly makai of the main building.
This is composed of two rooms, each
2Ox20.
The mauka of the two was the first
entered. This" continued Mr.. Need
ham, lis the Timing room, where the
boys are now being taught by Mr.. ID.
F. Sanford how TO cut tin.
THE main object, you understand.
is not TO teach the boys the timers
Of tools. When they leave this in
stitution they are more apt to get 90
sitions if they are handy.
ut is just a beginning that we are
making. but we are trying to make this
beginning as strong as possible.
THE short term boys are, of course,
not included in those who work in the
shops. for obvious reasons. The long
term boys who come in here when they
are very young and leave when they
are practically men, are the ones after
whose interests we are looking. 1t is
not fair to turn them loose upon the
world with no prospects of making
living. Yet that is what has already
happened and what we hope to obvi
ate in the future.
Just now we have only three or
four of the long term boys employed
lnt DthNls a 6iCa-ti
number would not give such favorable
results. The time of the instructor
must be given to a few if good is ex
pected.
Here, you see, we are rigging up a
harness bench, where we expect soon
to place some of the boys. It's pur-
pose, OF course, is the same as the tin
ner's bench"
The makai room. connected with the
mauka one by two doors, was next
entered. and in speaking of this Mr..
Needham said:
previously the boys have had no
special place set apart for doing their |
They have had to put up |
in the best manner possible with the
dining room. the school room or even |
outside under the trees when the
weather happened to be good.
Now il is a different matter. Ev- |
cry Friday the boys congregate here
and wash their clothes and bedding.
On Saturday they iron them, and then |
everything is ready for the new week. |
At present we have no stove to heat
the irons in here, but that l shall soon
arrange for"
Over against the wall were two lock-
ers where, Mr.. Needham explained, the
boys kept their Sunday clothes and any
other articles which they wished to be
careful of. A space of Is
inches square was set apart for each
of the 40 boys belonging to the institu-
ton.
One thing was particularly noticeable
about the two rooms which constitute
the work building. Each is supplied
with two very large sliding windows,
which admit a large amount of light
ole - |
for people at work indoors.
The carpenter shop in one of the old
buildings was the next visited. AL
though this is an old thing at the Re-
School, still additions in the
way of tools and improvements IN
other small ways are being made for
the benefit of the boys.
There are two young Hawaiian fell
lows. one from Oahu and the other
from Kau." said Mr.. Needham. who
show special aptitude in carpenter
ng. They are both long term boys.
md one has been here for four years.
Whenever any repairs have been made
lere they have been called in TO as
iist. and in this way have learned a
treat deal more than they could have
~ simply remaining in the shop and
loing work by themselves. 7
There is another Hawaiian boy,
loses Victor, of whom | wish to speak
\ short time ago, Mr.. CANCEL was out
lere doing some carpentering work, !
nd the native 1 speak of, was sent out
o assist. He showed such readiness
hat Mr. Cancel was moved TO do
Omething for him. Through efforts
n this young mans behalf he was let
ut on parole, and is now making his 1
1. so a day. L
THAT is what we want TO do with
II the long term boys We send away E