The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-05

| ~
you will reach a sound conclusion in
| this matter.
THE LAKEVILLE SCHOOL FOR I'M
Beetles.
| The state board of charities report
another year of satisfactory work in
the School for, Imbeciles at Lakeville.
In view of the excellent results shown
/ by this school the board recommends
! that increased facilities be given it for
| remedial and educational work and that
a separate cottage department be es- alb
| lished for the care of epileptics who
may need a special form of treatment.
| STATE PRISON.
| The average number of the inmates
| of the state prison, outside the insane
ward for the last year was 4S2, This
shows a large and steady increase for
several years past All the cells are
full and thirty criminals in the jails are
waiting for room in the prison. There
must be at once accommodations for a
! larger number of inmates at the state
prison, but the necessary and wise ex-
| tent of this enlargement will depend on
| your decision concerning a state re-
| formatory.
| The recent defalcation of the clerk of
the prison is well known to you all,
and it's sad history needs no repeating
! here. 1t is hoped that the loss to the
state will not be large. The warden has
resigned and those of you who have felt
the impulse of natural affection will be
slow to censure him.
Our penal and reformatory institut-
ions are so closely allied in their pur-
In, looi IL lNa
wise some time, to appoint one beard
of commissioners with large and well
defined powers to supervise them all.
But the people have grown weary Of
commissions that bring large expense
and small Improvement The expense
will be less and the work will be bet
ter when the state appoints one con-
trolling board and demands that in the
management of it's charitable, its pen
al and its reformatory institutions, pol
tiles shall have no right or place.
REFORMATORY
The last general assembly repealed all
previous legislation concerning state
reformatory and appointed commission
ers to sell the site, to investigate the
whole subject anew, and to report to
this legislature The site has not been
sold and the report is a matter of the
unknown future. The state faltered in
this work because she had tried to do
too much. After the sad and expensive
failure of two years ago it may be too
early to bring up the matter now But
the experience of other states proves
that reformatory wisely located, plan
ned on the right industrial lines and
caring for the right class of prisoners
is of material benefit to the state and
means of reformation to a considera-
bic part of it's criminals
AS the population of the state in
creases there must be a gradual en-
largement of the state prison, the jails
and the reform school, or you must
establish some institution which will
care for portion of their inmates.
Within the last ten years three hun
dred thousand dollars have been spent
in the repair and enlargement of jails,
a sum larger than would be required
to build a frst-class reformatory and
one ample for all the needs of the state
for a generation to come. Some of the
inmates of the state prison are not
confirmed criminals, and they would
not in any place abuse chance for
freedom. Some of the boys Of the re-
form schools should be moved to a
place of severer discipline, while many
Of the prisoners in the jails would find
in the atmosphere Of a reformatory an
inspiration to a better life.
A reformatory large enough to do
fair amount of good work wifi cost a
hundred thousand dollars. 1t is for you
to decide whether this sum can now be
spared from the ordinary sources of
revenue. If you lay down these two
lines, that there must be no increase
in the debt Of the state and no increase
in the burden Of taxation, you can
safely and wisely plan, within these
lines all the beneficent work that can
reasonably be asked.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
For the last two years the general
health of the people of this state has
been good, and that too in spite of
many outbreaks of epidemics. These
epidemics were prevented in all cases
from becoming widespread by prompt
report and strict isolation. The law Of
two years ago, frightening the term of
office Of the local board of health, has
increased their experience, their influ-
ence and their efficiency. Both state
and local boards are working harmo-
niously along the lines of compulsory
report of contagious disease, of it's iso-
lation, and the removal of local nuis-
ances. Under the statute they can do
little more.
Closely connected with this subject of
public health are the water supply and
the sewage systems of the state. The
last legislature appointed a committee
to investigate these matters and their !
report to you will doubtless give much I
interests are involved in these matters, I
and though these interests should al |
ways be subordinate to the public I
health, no radical change should be
made from impulse or upon light con-
But all the sewage legisla-
ton of the future should be had in the
light of the fact, that the rivers of Con-
necticut should do the work for which
they were created and that they should |
run unpolluted to the SEA.
LABOR BUREAU.
The labor commissioner reports that |
the work of his bureau for 1897 was
largely in the line of ascertaining the
wages, cost of living and possible saw
ngs of the mechanics in the factories
and of the clerks in the stores. In the |
last year there has been collection of |
statistics to show the condition of the |