Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-23
SCHOOLS OF REFORM
Reports on the District Institutions
for Boys and Girls.
SUBMITTED TO ATTORNEY GENERAL
Presidents Clay and Hoyt Point
Out Respective Needs.
RFCOMMENDAT NJ \ ID Z

RECOMMENDATIONS NJ A d Z
Attorney General Griggs has received the
reports of Col. Cecil Clay. president of the
reform school for boys and of Mr. Henry
NJ Hoyt assistant attorney general and
president of the board of trustees of tht
reform school for girls. both of the Dis
trict of Columbia, for the fiscal year ending
June ~. 1900.
In the course of Col. Clay's report, which
is dated November Z. he states that there
were POO boys in the school at the begin
ming of the year and JOB received, 81 being
committed by the Police Court. by the
District Supreme Court IA by United States
courts outside of the District and :; by the
president of the board of trustees. There
was total Of aG9 boys at the school dur
ing the year. as against 3l3 for the preced-
5ng year During the year 93 were dis
charged by the trustees: II by expiration
of sentence . by pardon by President Nc
Ninley. while : escaped and are Stil absent,
leaving 1872 in the school June 30 There
We're deaths during the year and the
general health of the inmates was ana Is
good
Regarding the estimates of appropriations
for the next fiscal year ending June 20,
1907 which have been submitted to the
District Commissioners. Col Clay says:
The amount appropriated for salaries for
the present fiscal year was S1ti'2 The
amount of the present estimate for salaries
ia the same. Til. amount estimated as
necessary for til" support of the inmates IL
the same was appropriated for the
present fiscal year. and has been apPro-
priated for number of years past. l ne
estimate of $4,000 for an additional boiler,
including all cxpe nses If installation, foun-
dation. brick work. connections, etc. Is for
th,. purpose OF 50 sing the heating
,l.,r,r a ron dor
inGrppnd-nt of 90. iGlcnt. The present boiler
capacity barely SuificeS for the needs of
the school and is taxed to its utmost ca
paCity during cold winter weather. and
should an accident. or any other cause,
prevent the use of one of the present boil
erS there would not be left enough I" do
thu, work required The putting in of this
additional boiler Is simply matter or wise
economy. which is recommended as a SEN
sihl. business proposition.
Conditional Discharges.
congress AT its last session passed an
act changing the age OF admission to the
school from under sixteen years to under
seventeen wears. and authorizing the board
OF trustees to grant temporary or conditional
discharges. thereby making it possible for
thu. board to exercise supervision over the
boys after discharge. and to return to the
school those who. after discharge on parole.
lapSed into vicious ways. This legislation
ought To reduce the number of commit
ments of boys TO the jail and workhouse.
wher- they are frequently sent now be-
cause their parents prefer a short sentence
there to the possibility of long stay at
the reform school.
Congress at its last session made
additional appropriation for assembly
hall at the school. the appropriation made
at the previous session having turned out
to be too small because of the rise in the
cost of building material, etc. A contract
for the erection of the building made,
and work begun upon it September IA. and
at tEa date of this report. the brick work
of the lower story has been completed and
the ra tiers are now being put in pace upon
the superstructure. 1t is expected that the
building Will ne under roof before bad
weather sets in and completed for use by
the middle of the winter.
During the year the necessary repairs
for the proper cara and preservation Of the
buildings and personal property belonging
10 the school have been made. including
those 10 the workshops, family buildings
barns. stables fencing. sewers. roadway.
steam plant. etc, in all Of which work the
boys have been employed whenever practi-
cable The boiler house and coal vaults
were thoroughly ove-hauied. the walls re-
paired and III" vaults lined with cement
TO exclude dampness. The green houses
We're almost entirely rebuilt. and are now
IN excellent condition. The use of the old
bathing pools. one nf which was located in
each family building. has been discontinued
AMI their place has been taken by shower
baths. thus avoiding the necessity of a
number Of boys bathing in the same water,
a measure conducive Ia good health and
cleanliness. The character of the work in
the school room. the manual training
school and the Instruction given in the
various shops. well as in the outdoor
work, mas perhaps been better than usual.
owing to the season the farm crops were
not as good usual
Fire-Fighting Faci!itie.
on the day before. the dale Of mis- re
port a fire broke uut in the lower STORY, Of
NE principal shop building which DESTROYED
some hundreds OF dollars worth Of paper
boxes IN storage awaiting delivery and III
Iuied the building /" the amount of poss.-
bly, 500. The fire was controlled by me
school authorities without assistance from
The District fire department. The school Is
supplied with water by a steam pump TO-
Gated at the power house There is A brick
water tower in which are Two II ,rs-galIou
wrought iron tanks. the base of the lower
tank being 90 feet above the ground level
inere l. a system of pipes running through
me Sfoundh connected with the tanks IN
ire water tower and with fire plugs TO-
Gated al points best suited for use There
are two hose reels. suitably housed and a
nook and Ladder truck all ready Tor imme-
date service. The height Of the water tank
makes II possible 10 throw a stream unon
the roof OF any Of the buildings by gravity
alone With this apparatus 1t was possible
lof the employees of the school to handle the
iir" without outside assistance and to con-
me II 10 the room IL which II started The
!" the boys and other inmates of the schonI
from fire to Il minimum.
Reasons for Reduced AVERAGE
] ne superintendent. in his report which
accompanies this as an exhibit, suggests
the erection Of another family building
Inc present maximum capacity of the
-chou! il 80 boys. II the number OF white
aud co!ored boys is such as to utilize the
provision made FOR each. In 1885 the aver
Hee number In the school during the wear
was 80, IN 1872 -. and in the year COW
cred by this report, 49,. In the eleven
years from I'M to 1898 the average. num-
Der or boys Increased from 157 to 236