The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-25

School, the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty 10 Children, and other pu blic and
semi i-public institutions, have been led To
consider the question whether tho varied
interests CT these children Go not demand
more specific attention than we have yet
given them.
Experience as shown by past reports
OF our own Board Of State Charities and
Corrections, as well as by those OF other
states, proves that not infrequently boys
Of quite tender age are sentenced TO the
reform school or even 10 JAIL solely for
lack OF proper presentation OF their
cases TO the court. Had they teen repre-
scnted by some responsi blo party, who
was acquainted with the facts and author
iz9d 10 speak for the boys "a very different
disposition would undoubtedly have been
made of them, 10 the decided advantage
OF both the boys and the state The same
thing Is uDquestionably true in some in
stances where children are committed 70
the State Home and School,
MASSACHUSETTS SYSTEM OF PhO.
BATON.
Many years ago gentleman Of Boston,
who had great interest In his fellow men,
was accustomed To go o the police courts
from time TO time, TO look into the cases
OF persons who had been arrested who
could properly he released without inn
prisonment He would assume a certain
court to look after them and see that they
were surrounded with good influences in
tho hope Of reclaiming them.
This work, begun by him and carried
on later by another pbilanthropist, was
SO successful and wise that In 1873 a law
was passed by the Legislature Of Massa-
chusetts, requiring the appointment of
probation officer by the city Of Boston.
This in turn was so successful that In
1880 law was passed authorizing the ap-
pointment OF probation officer in each Of
the cities and towns. With this brief
statement OF what hasibeea dons in Massa-
chusetts, leave the matter In your hands
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
The report OF the bureau of industrial
statistics, To be presented at the January
session of the General Assembly, will
contain valuable information concerning
the occupation OF the people OF tina entire
state for the census year 1895. ana the
relative condition Of the textile indus
tries in 1896 as com pared with 1895.
The growing work Of tire bureau is OF it.
self an evidence that there s an increasing
demand for statistical information con
cerning the people and the industries Of
the state. Its ciientage includes univer-
stiles. colleges, schools, boards OF trade,
mercantile associations, public II oraTies,
labor organizations, magazines and news
papers, public officials and many Others.
STATE CENSUS.
The work upon the state census Is
nearly completed, and it would have
been finished by this time II the approprI-
alton had not been exhausted. Nearly
all the table work is finished and portion
of the report has been printed. From
what has already been set in type, it Is
estimated that the report will contain
over 300 pages of closely printed statisti-
cal tables, and will probably make n vol
ume one-tbird larger than the report of
1885, 1t IL impossible to anticipate
definitely the cost or the time required To
peform specified acts In this class of
work. The leading statistlcians in this
country support this View. and there is
no doubt ms 10 its correctness as IL is
based upon practical experience.
The law under which the census is
taken makes the governor ex-ofhco a
mem Der of the census board. have, there
fore curing the past year been brought
ia close touch with the work Of the de-
partment. 4 do not. believe IL is neces-
snry for tho state TO enter every ten years
upon the work Of collecting such elabo-
rate statistics as are called for, by tho
present law. The United states census
covers practically the same ground every
ten years ami furnishes all that is neces-
sary TO Ineasure the growth OF the state.
PROVIDENCE ARMORY.
city of Providence becomes more and more
pressing each year There arc at present
located I'm the city one light battery or
four guns, one machine gun battery, four
guns, one troop Of cavalry, ono hospital
corps one division OF the naval batta-
ion, and nine companies of infantry at
tachsd to tho enlisted military force OF the
state. These organizations are quartered
In different places poorly adapted IN
many cases for mobili2lng the troops In
an emergency. and the military property
of the state constantly liable To loss from
fire. Whenever the state In It's wisdom
sees III 70 make the outlay necessary TO
erect tho building It will have taken
lun- step in tho direction Of bringing
our own militia up to the standard OF
other states
The building and stone work OH the
site are bsing removed and the lot made
y;aay for the erection Of the building
Mhenever the necessary appropriation is
kace. Tho sum of SliS0 obtained from
tho saIe OF the old mill bnilding and ma
teral has been paid over To the general
treasurer
NEW PoSTOFFICEI PROVIDENCE
The city Of Providence will soon come
into possession OF valuable tract OF
land In tho centre of. its business portion.
10 Is desired tn take advantage OF this OPP
portunity To set aside near this property
n tract sufficiently large for the accom-
mediation OF n new government building
10 be used az pcstoi1ce. i earnestly
trust that any legislation asked for by the
city To enable it tn deed the necessary
land and privileges TO the United States
may De promptly enacted.
FREE 1ENTILE SCHOOL
In my opinion. the time has arrived
when tho state can establish with the
gr,atst Oeneft 90 itself ana Its leading
Industries "a textile school the same 10 le
free % the people ~ the state. and TO he
cpen lruth day and evening We cannot
afford O. nsglsct ANYTHING that tends 60
ueptetuats the supremacy of OuI textile
industries in hhods islapd. ana 10 m.
cr,i - the wage arning capacity of our
people.
] consider that ut this time the state Is