The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-13
Ths peat, parnb and blind seheols.

The biennial report Of the board OF re-
gents of the West Virginia school for the
deaf, dumb and blind, at Romney, just
issued, gives an account Of faithful stew
ardship on the part of those entrusted
with the management Of the institution.
It shows that the whole number enrolled
at the time the report was submitted,
October. is, was 176, of whom 125 were
deaf and 81 were blind. The report says
that the financial condition OF the
schools has been greatly straitened dur
Ing the past two years, owing to the linn
tied appropriations, and greater liberal
ity is required to bring the institution
up to a proper standard.
In the line OF this suggestion Is the
important recommendation, referred to
heretofore in these columns, concerning
division of the schools. which has come
to be necessity. There are two rea-
sons urged in behalf of this move, and
both deserve the Immediate consIdera-
ton of the legislature One is the crowd
ed condition OF the present quarters. The
maximum limit OF the accommodations
is $50, so that It may be said that the en-
tire capacity Of the buildings is practi-
cally occupied. According to the prlncl-
pals report. there is a total of thirty
deaf and blind, entitled To the privileges
of the schools. and knocking for admis-
sion, that cannot possibly be accommo-
dated-"besides a larger. unknown num-
Der, which statistics warrant us in be-
lleving are in the state, and for whom
sume provision should be made, IL they
are to be fitted for intelligent citizen
ship" and thus saved. many of them.
from becoming permanent public
charges.
Another reason given for the proposed
separation of the blind from the deaf, is
that each gohpol interferes with the eff
cheney OF the other ard there is no com
munlty Of interest between them. THE
methods of instruction" says the re-
port, ARE totally different and the
sources of amusement and recreation Of
the two classes entirely dIssimilar."
In this connection It has been prevl-
ously suggested, and bill will doubtless
be introduced to the legislature to the
effect, that separate institution be ere
ated for either the blind or the deaf at
some other point in the state, leaving
the Romney institution for the exclusive
use of the remaining class. In circu-
lar, issued by Principal Hill, he esti-
mates that there are at least S75 totally
blind children OF school age In the state
who ahouIl now be receiving the bene-
fits of the state institution, but who can
not be provided for under the present cir
cumstances, while there are no less than
800 deaf children of school age who are in
like manner prevented from acquiring
an education. In case Of separation, 1t
has been suggested that the deaf school
be removed to the vicinity of one of the
larger towns, where the pupils can have
opportunities for observing practical in-
dustrial life in connection with their own
industrial training.
1t Is not to the credit Of the state that
this matter has been neglected so long.
No false ideas of economy should be al
lowed to interfere with the clear duty of
the present legislature. It is a high and
benevolent duty which the state owes to
It's unfortunates.