The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-05
PLEA FOR BOYSSCHOOL
MRS. R. D. JOHNSTON ADDRESS
 ED JOINT COMMITTEES.
Lieutenant Governor Cunningham Dr. Rice and Judge Carmichael Also Spoke for Appropriation
 for East Lake Institution.

The bill now pending in the Legislature calling for an appropriation of $2o, 800 out of the convict fund of the State to pro- vide for improvements at the Alabama Industrial School for Boys at East Lake was ably championed by friends of the measure at joint meeting of the Peni- tertiary Committees of both houses in the Senate chamber yesterday afternoon.
 Mrs. R. D. Johnston. President of the Board of Trustees of the school, was pres ent and pleaded in telling way for the upbuilding of the institution she repre- sents.
 Mrs. Johnston has the work of the In- dustrial School thoroughly at heart. and her statements of what the institution is doing for the wayward youth of the State, of what the school needs for the proper expansion of it's influence, and of the support it justly expects at the hands of the Legislature. were most convincing.
 She spoke at some length describing how the boys and girls at the formative pe- riod of their lives. whose environment had been unfortunate, and who were on the road to a life of lawlessness, could be rescued and through the influence of school as the Alabama Industrial School, made worthy and law-abiding citizens.
 She detailed at length the needs of the school. telling how. at present. 1t Is cramped as to accommodation for those who should be cared for there. and de- claring that no better or worthier use of the money asked could be made by the State than in the salvation of the helpless young.
 Her address was heard with interest by all and was applauded as she closed.
 The first speaker to address the commit tees was Rev. J. A. Rice. pastor of the Court Street Methodist Church of Mont- gomery. Dr. Rice called attention to the close relation existing between the physi- cal mental and moral nature, and the means by which the reformat tion of char acter could be accomplished through cor rection of the physical well-being. The home and it's influence, he declared, the basic feature of civilization, and declared that for the helpless and homeless young about to enter careers of crime who had perhaps inherited tendencies to crime and whose environment had been conducive to that end. a home and home surroundings should be provided at the hands of the State.
 As business proposition for the State, he declared 1t better to take these boys and girls. place them in such a school as this, and there care for them as they should have been cared for but were not,
 
 them later In the courts. Save the un- fortunates. the submerged tenth was the tenor of his address.
 Leutenant-Governor Cunningham also addressed the assembly. He spoke from the point of view of the physician and the observer of the laws that govern human life in all it's activities, The work done by women in this direction he lauded, declaring that what they had done for the unfortunate ones who had no other friends only the Recording Angel knows. He dwelt strongly on what can be &C., complished in reformation of character by studied and well-directed effort, illustrat- ing his arguments by reference to the results that have been attained through culture and intelligent selection with the lower animals. He contended that the unfortunate boys of the State should be placed in an environment that was cal culated to dra " out all that is good in them. and that in doing this the State would be making for better citizenship
 Money spent in preventing crime. he said. Is better thar money spent in pun ishing 1t. He urged the Legislature to establish the fact that it believes in the principle of reform
 Judge J. NJ. Carmichael, President of the State Convict Board. read an able paper on the subject under discussion, recounting the rise and development with In the past century of the various benev- olent and reformative institutions, until now every civilized State and country is in a manner caring for it's unfortunates He urged the necessity also of doing something for the negro boys of the State who are on the downward path to crime
 An executive session of the two com mittees was held at the close of the open session to go more fully into the matter under discussion.