The Portland daily press., 1897-02-03
THE REFORM SCHOOL,
Mrs. Halves Points out Some of the Objec-
tions to MI. Hamilton's Bill
To the Editor of the Press:


The bill presented by Representative
Hamilton of Biddeford, now before the
judiciary committee and aiming ! to
change the time sof boys residence at
tine Reform school may prove serious
blow at the usefulness of our State school
if it is considered seriously. 1t is diff
cult, however, to see how it an be SO
considered by any ono who knows the
aims, purposes and work of the school.
To say that boy eight to 10 years old Is
sentenced for 10 or IL years to place OF
Imprisonment sounds like Middle Age
barbarism and Immediately rouses the
huma nitarian sentiment in every legis-
lator, hut let US look a little further. In
a majority of cases these boys are simply
rescued from the streets, or from home
which is no home, and placed IN the he
form school, not as punishment, but
that they may be cared for, taught and
saved from criminal life. I will speak
Of few particular cases. was brought
here when apparently seven years old.
Ths law forbids adm ission until eight.
ct seems incredible that some of these
children can be of that age but the sup
srintendsnt cannot question his mitti-
mus The officer who brought him
said, Whatever you do with him don't
lot him go to the place where Got him. :"
When he came to the school two or three
years ago he was subject to violent fits,
sometimes six or seven occurring In one
day. The care at the school has entirely
cured him. He says ne came here be-
cause he 'sfrowed stones" Truly a
trivial Offences but what shall we do with
him?
M was eight years old when he came.
His mLther could not shield him from
the fury of..asdrunken father and he was
sleeping in the street, getting scrap of
food where he could. We asked him one
day if his father beat him much, and l
have not forgotten the look in the little
creatures blue eyes as he whispered,
He had a strap"
Here is}a boy from an orphan asylum
reported sunmanageable there. He is a
pretty boy, but there is nothing for him
but the State school or the street. There
is boy from Biddef0fd who has no
home, and brother Is the only relative
he knows. The improvement he has
made since he has besn here is wonder.
full. but my sorrow for him ia that he
cannot always stay here, for while be is
not bad boy be is below the average in
| Intelligence and will. always need
guardian.
s Another little hoy Ia r. No mother and
deserted by his father. The first thing
done for him was for the surgeon to
| long neglect ne will probably never give
up his crutches. Shall we turn him
ontp One of the saddess eases was that OF
little Harry. / say was, for Harry Is
happy fellow now. He was thought to
be perhaps six years old when he came,
! though he was entered as nine. dc came
| from an almshouse charged with incen
dinrism! The bruises OH his little body
| told what place he had left. Shall we
send him bankp I might tell of home
sick boys who have run away from
homes where shey have been placed and
| begged to come back, of the poor boy,
who was discharged and went to his
home only to return in few hours say
| ing his father and mother both lay
drunk on tbs floor Of the hovel they
called home, and, knowing that he was
| in consumption, asked 20 stay at the
Reform school and die, but perhaps L
have said enough.
| AS matter Of fact our boys average
but three years at the Reform school, be-
| ing returned to their homes II these are
at all suitable, or going elsewhere IL good
homes can be found for them. But even
three years may be insufficient to teach
honesty to child whose mother has
trained him from babyhnod TO steal.
What does Mr.. Hamilton propose to do
with these boys IL they are sent away at
the end of six months or year? His
bill simply returns to the stntute Of forty
years ago, and Maine, now SO fer behind
many states in such matters. cannot
afford to throw away the advancement of
half century. 1t is easy TO critioise
1t is another thing TO do better.
Mr.. Hamilton seems to entirely mis-
conceive the plan of our school, but
points out to US plainly that we shonld
change at once it's name to Boys State
Home, and strike out from the statutes
such words as CRIMINAL" sentence, I"
"commit, - etc., which refer to prison
and not to home. We want, too, to
makeFour school mora and more a home
We own its faults and needs, but do not
let US add to them. We look@to our leRis-
lators for help. Thew Sonly have the
power. Will they use it for the real good
of the children and SO for ourselves and
the stateF
ANNIE NJ. L. HAYES.
MAINE HOTEL PRoPRlEToRS.