The suburban citizen., 1902-08-23

IL was IN the NnlteQ states ludI lue
principle of combining reformation and
education with the punishment in
hlcted upon juvenile criminals for
their offenses were first recognized
and first carried into practice. Nearly
all civilized countries have now adopt
ed this principle.
One OF the most remarkable of the
foreign institutions in which it is fol-
lowed is the so-called Agricultural
| Colony of Mettray in France. Meuray
is in a beautiful spot in the Loire coun'
ty a few miles from Tours and here
with ten inmates there began in 1889
the great institution which has since
served as moCel for at least five of its
kind in France alone. In the Human
itarian, \. Black gives an account of
it.
"On leaving the station he says, "a
| road decending at first ard then as
cending, fianked by luXuriant meadows,
leads to a hill, where lovely view OF
rural landscape may be obtained. y
little lower down at your feet lies
well-wooded park.
You enter through the gates and
passing along a shady avenue with
leafy trees and beds of flowers in full
bloom, you reach n large square, in
the centre of which is a fountain sur
rounded by grass plots Around are
from twenty to twenty-five houses,
built in the style of chalets, each of
them inscribed with the name of the
donor who has made the largest con-
tribution to its erection
"At the further end facing the basin,
are the church and the schools, the
former a plain building with an unpre-
tentious tower, though its walls, over
| grown with ivy, present a pleasing ap-
pearance. Inside are tablets bearing
the names of prominent givers.
Beyond and lying to the back are
the extensive farm buildings, stables,
! dairy, COW sheds, the bakery and
| pretty little houses with small gardens
for the staff. For Mettray is a large
! farming establishment of from 1900
to 1900 acres, where every kind of
agricultural produce, including the
vine. is cultivated.
Every requisite for the colony is
grown and manufactured on the prem
! ises. Any surplus is sold for the ben
! eft Of the institution. Being a model
farm, its products are much sought
after and readily command a good
price"
This is the general aspect of Mettray
the superintendent of which now is
Professor CLUE, who formerly was an
officer in the French Navy.
In one of its features at least Not
tray has no parallel in any correspond
ing institution, in this country at
least. This is the Paternal Home, a
section of the institution entirely
apart from the rest in which the chill
dren of well-to-do people who are not
criminals, but plain idle, insubordin-
ate bad boys are brought to their
senses by system peculiar to Mettray.
The French law permits the father
to send his child to a place of deten-
tion for a period not TO exceed three
months. The Paternal Home consists
of thirty or forty rooms, or rather cells,
grouped around a circular gallery.
The system is one of complete isola-
tion.
The pupil, who is designated by a
number during his sojourn in the
house, is not permitted to see any one
except the director and his teachers
He never by any chance sees any of
the other boys undergoing the same
treatment as himself Even two
brothers may be in the house together
and neither know of the others pres
ence.
The reason Of this rigorous seclu.
sion is the desire that no disgrace OF
any kind should attach to the naule
of any boy temporarily an inmate. as
these boys in many cases rise in after
life to eminence
On his arrival the boy is taken to
his room and the programme laid
down for his instruction explained to
him. He is then locked in and has
time TO reflect on the course that he
intends to take.
Sometimes he remains cbdurate for
several days; but as a general rule
sheer ennui causes him to give in and
he asks permission to study and work
Excellent masters are then provided
for him. the choice Of subjects being
left to his parents
Twice day the tutor takes him
out for n walk or recreation. A faith
er can put away an unruly son in this
manner in France and have an excel
lent education forced into him all for
a cost Of about $50 a month.
But Of course this Is a mere side issue
at Mettray, and has nothing to do
with the serious work Of the iLstitu-
uon, which is to educate and reform
the thousands Of children of the poor.
many Of whom have no parents and
no home, who have started in, many
OF them below the age Of sixteen. on
criminal career The life for these
Is one continuous round of study.
work, clock-llke regularity of habits
and attention m 1ntv,