The San Francisco call., 1897-11-17

DO not be IN hurry, seALie mrH, 4e
piled the Governor.
We'll / don't see anything to stay
for" said another.
Nor do l." repl ed the executive.
So the meeting, which had promised to
De such q ho. one, broke up. and every
body wondered why il bad osen called
This ends he affair so far as tie Gov
ernor Is concerned, and the only thing
hat can b. done now is some action py
he board. Some weeks ago the Board OF
Examiners through its secretary aud MI
Brown went TO lone. and upon It's return
made the following report:
SACRAMENTO Gel. Oct. l.. 1897.
To tie Honorable the STATE B0Grd Of ExGHiHes 8,
Sacramento, Cal ESTLENgS: l. comps zee
win your Instruction, Oh October s. 1897.
We visited and i spec.ed the Preston Scnooi
Of Industry. and respectfully sub nit the TO-
lowing as repert thereof:
The Preston School OF Industry, AZ the time
OF said laspee ion, had 1S5 male l. mates.
mere were boys ranging III ages from 10 Il
years commiiged for al The Gffenses n crime
with the exceplicn o. taking human liie) rom
felony 10 petty larceny, toge; her with num-
Der sent 10 said institution for vsgrency,
tFuancy and incorrigibihy. Bsca use tie boo Ks
Eept and posted, We weT- unable 10 secure the
data for making suitable, up-tC-date statisti-
Cal repori OF the school.
In KAN ming the biennial report OF the
trustees iOr the years lS94lS96 We find fnaI
OF 234 boys received dur.ng two years l3S,
or % Der cent, were committed for either
Ourglary, grand larceny, Larceny. felony or
robbery; seyenty-thTee for yagrsncy or
81 per cent One OF the boys was 8
years old. two were 10 years, fifteen
were IL years. nine were u years, making
ty-seven II years anG younger or II per
cent Of the tots! number; IS per cent we G II
years old and he rema. nder were between 13
and l6 years Nearly 30 per cent of the boys'
paTen were OF foreign Dlrth. All but I'VE
cou resd and write.
Farm-With The add tion OF the 240 acres of
land, lie purchase OF which was proviled for
By tae las gis.stGr OF 1887, there IS plenty
OF suiiab land and also wafer 10 raise aH the
hay yege taSles, etc, needed on the p.sce.
Much Of the land Is under cultivation and nay
and yegetE bles are raised.
Da.ry-The dairy herd is fIe-lOoking lot
of Cattle. apparently vel cared ioT, aud CIV
lng ali the milk USED in The ms tuition.
Brickyard-A; the brickyard We found
Kiln OF brick containing between 100 600 and
200 600 brick, almost ready 10 be osed IN
and fr g. These bricks are made by boys.
under the direction OF fore ana q n assist
aut. We were informed tina: there Is plenty Of
ella OIL IN grounds, and think it well TO con-
tinue the manufacture OF bricks. a. they vii!
be found very useful, even II the bni ding pro-
yided for by The Legislature OF 1897 should
not be built.
Day school-The school is graded and d.
vided into two departments. and every boy in
the institution attends school half OF eaeh
school day, unless some 'e porary detail or
emergency might prevent his attendance ior
day or two. Every boy can, al least, read ana
write The school appears 10 be well man
sged. The general testimony of the foremen
OF the various mechanical departments was
l. h Il the boys are generally o1edient, cheeTf i
and At. t.entive, ana III every department some
are quite skiilful and could, with proper ap-
plisnces, learn useful trades.
The spec occupies by most OF these depart
men is sma4., in some instances very small
and cramped the machinery and toos are
oan ly n de
gretted that these rooms are not larger, and
are not supplied with power, proper ma
chinery too s, etc, thereby TO enable ne
boys working therein 10 do fhcient work Tor
this and other State institutions and learn
useful trades.
Military de partment-Thc military depart
mint is under military instruction. TAe
boys are divided into three companies, each
under the command OF q captain.
Dormitories The dofmijor es we're clean,
well lighted and ventilated, furnished with
irop bedsteads and covered with clean and
sufficient bedciothe-.
In our journey in and about the premises we
observed that whenever the superintendent ut
came n contact with any of the BAT in our
presence he treated them kindly the boys
treated him respectfully, leaving the I'M
preston that the relations existing between
Them were mu uaNy p easant 1t did not
leave the Jmpr ssion that the boys considered
the superintendent hateful lyrant
In the manual department of the school
there are shops for tai oring, shoe making and
carpen tering, in which some thirty boys were
EMPLOYED, with the purpose in view of teach
ing them trade. The clothing for the school
is made in the tailoring shop and the same is
there repaired. The shoes, with the exception
of brogans worn by the boys, a'e made In he
shoeshops, together with tie repairs of the
same The necessary repairs in woodwork in
and about the building are cut out In the car
penter shop. The blanks, circulars. etc, used
in the scnool are printed in the printing office
cond ueted by the boys. Several of the inmates
are taught engineering, laundrying, baking,
cooking and farming. Tnes; are more syste-
ma aIcsllv and completely taught than any OF
the mechanical trades.
The power machinery and implements for
the mechanical departments are wholly in
adequate for the purposes Tor, which
the school was organized, and SO lar the
institution has been a school OF Industry
in name only. The number OF boys EN- Dloyed
in learning trade has been very limited,
owing 10 the lack of proper facilities,
and il see ms 10 Us until an additional bui!d-
ing is erected and equipped with a full COM
plement OF tools aud machinery, that the
trades schools are farce and The boys in
most cases are sent out OF the institution with
out the proper training of livelihood. AT
least $4,000 should be appropriated for ma
chinery aud tools.
The school eau accommodate $40 boys, and
had that numbe at one time. AT pr-seut
there are 1S5. which is les number by fifty
five than formerly. The Legislature of 1897
appropriated 500 600 for the construction OF
q 'tdining-roOm, assem oly-room, new Kitchen,
two double cottages, and 10 furnish the same"
II Il portion of the sum could be utilized in
the erection of two-story building, equipped
with machinery and tools the upper floor
for the trades schools, and the lower used for
an assembly hail. the State would be getting
what was needed, and the results would fol-
low tn at up TO date have been unsatisfactory.
Cottages should be erected for the habita-
ton of the younger boys, who should be kept
en- tirely separate from the larger and criminal
ones. The school should have a frst-class
gymnasium for the development of those of
its inmates who are defective physically, as
well as all the boys, that they may become
the better morally through proper physical
training
The school is very backward in every depart
ment in comparison with similar schoo In
other STATES and for the good o. the State /
behooves those in charge to exert themselves
to their utmost in improving present condi-
tions by placing the school upon the right
In ins titution of this kind 1t is absolu ely
necessary to maintain order and discipline
The superintendent should have the full ana
trusted backing of the trustees. and he should
have full power to suspend or q discharge in
competent or insubord mate employees
In this institut ton we do not think the pres.
enL superintendent has the support of the
entire board of trus tees, or that he has ample
power 10 maintain order; therefore he should
not be held respon sib!e Tor the management.
We believe, IRON the best of information we
could obtain, that some OF the EN- rloyes are
insubordinate, and some are incom ne ten I.
Respectfully submitted, L. H. BROWN