The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-12-01
OPEN AIR REFORMATORlES.

The proposal to build new reform
atory for boys out In the country Is
impelled by considerations that have
already resulted elsewhere in success
full reform work. Miss Edith Sellers, a
student OF social questions, describes
in the National Review THE Open Air
Reformatory at Eggenburg," in Aus
tria, the facts about which have so i'm
portant bearing on the Hawaiian
project that we take the liberty Of
making brief excerpts. The writer
says:
According to DIR. Schoffel, the head
OF the Austrian Home Office, to treat
a child as n criminal is simply absurd;
II 1t has gone astray the fault lies not
with 1t, but with its surroundings. and
no matter how depraved 1t may seem.
he SCOTS at the idea OF its being ire
deemable. Let 1t be placed in whole
some surroundings. be well fed, kindly
treated, and have plenty Of work to do
and 1t will soon become a different be-
ing the doctor maintains. On one point
he holds very strong views-if waits
and strays are to be saved they must
be taken into the country; nothing
whatever can be done for them SO long
as they are in a town shut up within
four walls. They must be forced to
lead a healthy life in the open air all
day and they must be humanized by
having aroused, so far as in them lies,
a love OF country and country ways
Of animals, birds. flowers and trees, as
well as of their fellow-creatures. 1t
was not until 1856 that DR.. Schoffel had
an opportunity to reduce his theories
to practice. In that year, however, the
Landtag granted him the money where
with to build a reformatory and Egg
genburg Is the result"
There are now 300 boys in the insi-
tuition, drawn out from the submerged
classes. most of them what would have
been called hopeless degenerates. The
life they lead Is the quiet. healthfu
one Of the surrounding peasantry. In
summer they work in the fields ever,
day, barefooted and bareheaded aftel
the Austrian farmer fashion: In winte
they are taught bench-work and othe
! indoor occupations, receiving durini
both seasons military drill and com
mon school education. Discipline Il
patterned on that OF the family. Tn,
lads are separated inIo groups Of four
teen, each under head master who II
responsible for the conduct of thu
members. THE boys have plenty o
: excellent food and the cost per hea'
) per day is rather less than 30 cents
! There Is one wing sedulously KEEP
apart from the rest of the premise
) where SO girls are taught"
l Now as to the results. Miss Seller
e declares on the authority of DR.. Schof
4 fel that of all the children who hav
l been trained at Eggenburg S4.4 pc
g cent are now, so far as careful observ
ers can judge, leading useful lives an,
, doing honest work In the world. The.
e have been fitted to earn their own iiy
: ing and are earning II. ..-.....,..,
These details, though by no mean
= complete, are of a kind to create inter
= est in the plan to put the Hawaiian re
I form school in the rural districts an,
: ought to prompt further inquiry.
g certainly seems as IL the idea woul,
pay as heavy dividends in character a
. it would in money received for farm
| and garden products raised and mar
: keted
| .. -