The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-13

| mented and as an evidence of goodwill the appropriation was allowed. The bnl had been most carefully prepared ana the es. innate provided for only moderfte ana reasorable development of capacity and | effIciency, and a maintenance fund re- auiring a most economical administration I tc make 1t cover the next TOUT years. As If plant addition of new industries, bet | ter equipment of those already installed or foc increase of usefulness in the care | of a larger number of inmates.
 The Women, the Public and the Counties.
 After the failure of efforts, covering period of some fifteen or twenty years, one woman, in 1899, with the publicly given encoura agement and moral support of about 300 others secured ,sis the charter and reform schol for the white boys of Ala bama. Since that time the small band of women pledged especially to this cause have appea.ed to generous citizens, to cities and counties, to public and henevo- lent organizations, through thu press, bv correspondence and fi personal inter- views. with the result that they have been able to buy 40 acres of good valley land at East Lake and to put up a house com prising offices. employees apartments. shops and dormitory for fifty boys. They solicited live stock, poultry. fruit trees. grape vines, furniture-but they did not have to solicit boys; they put some of them in before the house was
 
 need of care that it mace the hearts or these women ache to see them. A small printing press came next and then some books for a library, then two crudely furnished shops-a carpenter shop and a shoe shop, and then some more boys. Tho superintendents wife had a small green house built and stocked and when a machine came sewing room was opened. Schooling began as soon as possible and gardening and farming were undertaken as money and tools came to hand, Finally a furnace, water plant. sewers, p pumbing prety wedding occurred Wednesday eveD- a kitchen range and other necessities were provided for and with the help of the second State appropriation and con- sources. % the force of employees was M slight ly augmented salaries were paid and the school was maintained for two and a half years with a , roll of from fifty to ming of the present year the State Was presented with property which at pres ent valuation is worth at least 80, ,0O0, and which has cost it nothing, for the $1S,000 contributed by the State has not been more than enough to pay for mainten- ance.
 sponded to the appeal of the directors and contributed according to their means, some even going So far in appreciation as to make appropriations when borrowing money to run the county. Only the oth- CT day Autauga County gave $50 and generous farmers of the same county pre- sented several head of fine live stock, some new building. Jefferson. Mobile, Mont gomery, Madison, Butler, Greene, FL more. Calhoun. Shelby, Lauderdale and some once and others annually. Jefferson County and the Birmingham City Coun- ell have been and will continue to be regular contributors There is really no good reason why all the counties should not appropriate money annually for this institution even if the State makes pro- vision, from this time on, up to the full measure of its ability. for the crop of bad boys, like weeds in early summer. is large. and the more help given the soon CT the crop may be extirpated. and better one take its place. Contributions etc.. from many different sources have come in from the start and continue to do so. Two months ago, when the will of Mobile. was probated, 1t was found that among other benevolent bequests made by this estlmable and generous lady was one of $500 to this reform school. Ali this goes to show in what estimation this work is held by the far seeing and public Extension Imperative Cannot Stand
 Still.
 It is simply impossible for this work to stand still--the demand for shelter within its walls is too great-more than fifty boys were turned away last year and these, together With others who must be refused admission in the next four years if no more room is added, will by the end of that time be past the age of admission. reformation or formation. Be- sides 1t is too expensive to keep open, for small number of boys, an institution of kind which necessitates a certain amount of machinery and number of em- ployes. whether the number of inmates be large or small. After buildings are boys is greatly reduced per capita when large number is taken.
 One of the most imperative reasons for more room is found in the advisability of separating the older boys from the younger, the more experienced in misde- meanor from the more innocent and pli- able. Then. again. feeling sure of the approval of the present Legislature, and having on hand quantity of donated building material in danger of deteriora- tion from exposure. the directors have begun to erect the much needed addition al building. and they have every confi- dence that, now the end of the fiscal year is so near at hand and the showing for the next four years is so good the hon. orable legislators. with due sense of the superior claims of this work, will sustain them in their course.
 The farm calls for more and better i'm plements, the carpenter and shoe shops need more up-to-date furnishings a set of tools for sloyde work is greatly to be desired. as several boys have shown de- cided talent for fine wood work and carv- ing; a tailoring shop, we'll set up. would ena ble the boys to make their own clothes while learning a good trade, and i as there are many chances open, near at hand. to workers in iron and steel, d small blacksmith shop and foundry would be an admirable addition.
 Boys from all over the State are knock ing at the doors of this crowded institu- tion-boys whose only chance for an hcn- est manly manhood is to be found in its sound, solid, uplifting training. For the State. for mankind. for God, let the powers that be deny the less pressing less worthy claims on the State and do their utmost to build up a juvenile re- form school of a size and efficiency that will make it suitable monument to the humanity. progressiVeness and intelli- gence of Alabama.
 L. H. Craighead, V, P. A B. l. S.