Evening star., 1900-10-06
REFORM SCHOOL FOR BOYS
OF TRUSTEES SUBMITS
HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
Average Number of Inmates Diminish
ed-Age for Admission Raised
to Seventeen Years.

Sot. SeSi NidS, piSSuS VI ehS Dot~AN -
| trustees of the District reform school for
| boys has submitted to the Commissioners
the boards report Of the operations of the
| school during the fiscal year ended June 30,
| 1900, together with report Of the superin-
| tendent of the school, Mr.. G. A. Shallen-
! berger.
| "The average number of boys in the
! school, says Col Clay, during the fiscal
year which in 1887 was 151, was In 1870
| 1885, in 1892, 201; in 1896, 219; in 1897, 223;
in 1885, 236; in 1899. 224 dropped in 1900 to
| 1877. These figures show that in the eleven
years from 1887 to 1898 the average number
| of boys increased from 157 to 236 falling
off In the last two years to 224 and then to
| 1877. There are several reasons for this
| First, the multiplication of agencies FOR the
| care of boys. The board of children S
guardians. intended primarily for charita-
| BILE work obtains through the courts con-
troll of many boys who should more prop
! erly, perhaps, be sent to the reform school,
| the reasons for their commitment being
! based upon acts committed or a general
| condition of behavior calling for reforma-
| ton rather than charitable support, the OBJ
| ject Of the school being the reformation
| and supplemental carrying out of control
| where the parents are no longer able 10 ex-
! ercise it. The courts frequently commit
! boys to jail or the workhOuse because the
| parents relatives in charge prefer their
| serving a short term In one of these places
| to what may be much longer one In the
| reform school. The school has at present
/ a capacity of $50 boys, and 1t would seem,
! as a mere question of economy, to be much
| wiser to utilize it to the limits of its ca
pacty rather than to distribute boys to
| farms and other private places, where the
! boys themselves get little or no instruction,
| the persons to whom they are committed
! getting not only their services, but COM
| pensation making additional expense
| to be paid from the public treasury.
The Necessary Repairs.
During the year covered by the report
| the necessary repairs for the proper care
and preservation Of the building and per-
sonal property belonging to the school
have been made. including those to the
work shops, family buildings. barns, sta
bles, fencing, sewers roadway. steam plant,
| ETC. in all Of which work the boys have
| been employed wherever practicable. Spe-
| cial mention may be made or the repairs
| to the boiler house and coal vaults, which
were thoroughly overhauled, walls repaired
| and the vaults cement lined, SO as to ex-
! clude dampness. The greenhouses were in
great measure rebuilt and are now In eX-
| cellent condition. The old bathing pools,
| one of which was located in each family
| building, have been replaced by shower
| baths thus avoiding the necessity for
number Of boys bathing In the same water,
a measure conducive to good health and
| cleanliness.
|
| struction given in the various shops, as well
| as in outdoor work, has been perhaps better
than usual.
| Raising Age for Admission.
! "At it's last session Congress passed
! act raising the age for admission to the
! school from sixteen years to under seven
| teen years, and gave the board OF trustees
| authority to make such rules and regula-
tions as should be necessary to give parole
| olt,to ha hnc xin
| the school the right to reclaim and return
| to it boys who after discharge on parole
| lapse into vicious ways, and who If abso-
| lutely discharged could not be returned be-
! cause of being over age. This legislation
| ought to have influence with the courts in
| doing away with the commitment of boys
| to the 1ail and wOrkhouse where they are
| brought in contact with criminals, and caus-
ing commitments to the reform school to
"The health of the school has been excel
| lent. and the general condition or the entire
| property is good,
Rate of Mortality.
| The report of the superintendent of the
| school shows that since it's opening there
| have been received 1859 boys, and that of
! that number but thirteen have died. the
! rate Of mortality being about one-half Of 1
| per cent. The average age of these boys
| was 1873 years. The number of boys in the
| school June 30, ls99 was 2O6. During the
|
| school by the Police Court, two by the Dis
| trict Supreme Court. fourteen by other
| United States courts, and three by the
president of the board Of trustees, a total
| Of 1O3 making the number during the year
| 800. During this period III were discharged
| as follows: Eighty-one by order Of the
| board Of trustees, honor" twelve by spe-
cial order of the board of trustees; seven
| teen by expiration of sentence imposed by
| United States courts. and by escape and
| still absent fifty-six. leaving 1872 boys in
| the institution June 30. 1900. The maxi
| mum number during the year was 215 and
| the minimum 179. The average age of the
| boys received during the year was 1879.
| The number received on first commit
ment was ninety-five, and on second COM
! mitment eight. The record Of the boys as
| to personal habits before commitment
| shows that the number having kept bad
| company and used tobacco was fifty-four;
| the number having a doubtful record. thir-
| ty-four and the number having doubtful
| record but coming from a good home. fif-
| teen. Forty-fve of the boys had not been
| employed prior to commitment in any way;
! thirty had been employed part of the time;
| eleven attended school regularly, and sew
| enteen attended school only part of the
| time The greatest number of boys, forty
| five, was committed for larceny; twenty
L