The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-11

knowledge. This Board of Women would, I am sure, be of great use to the Trus- tees. While the need for 1t is not acute, as long as the school Is under the pres ent management, such an institution should not depend upon the life of one man. This suggestion was voted down by the Board of Trustees, but I hope later when they have had time to think it over, they will approve of it. As sub stitute, I was asked to appoint a com mittee from the Fedora ton to visit the School. l have not yet made up my mind whether such a committee would be of value either to the Federation or to the Trustees
 The Boys Reform School at East Lake was originally as much our work as it was Mrs. Johnstons's; but, as she seem ed able to bear the brunt of the battle, we have all, with no intention, fallen away, and left her to bear 1t alone. She needs our support, publicly and privately.
 I would be over-stating the case if should say there seems to be in the Leg islature a prejudice against this School. I will put 1t in this way: It is a fact in Natural History that a mother loves a bad child better than a good one. This School may be too good to be the favor ite of the State. These good ladies of the Board of Control have done too well No other State Board has turned over $24, 900 worth of property for $15,000. No other Board has made little money so so far.
 Every cent that is given to the school Is well spent. There Is no bad house. keeping at East Lake. The place is spot less. Every scrap is used There is none of the shiftlessness which so often pre- vails in homes for orphan children. Their clothes are worn thin, but are clean. and every effort has been made to keep them mended. The Superintendent and wife are peculiarly fitted for this work, and the boys there receive what Wander bilt cannot buy for his children-the mother love and companionship of a Christian woman They are kept busy, but not so busy that they cannot enjoy boyish sports.
 There are countenances there which bear the stamp of criminology unknown to the new world. There are evidences that these children are not only the vic tins of heredity but of mans brutality as well.
 The land lies well for irrigation, and judicious cultivation would make a fine truck farm If there was money enough to provide fences sufficient to protect the growing crops. The school could be made almost self supporting. It Is now in a condition where no effort that we may make to help it financially would be of use. Our hopes for 1t are bound up in the present Legislature. We cannot pro- vide more beds because there is no floor space for them. We cannot board any more boys; there is no room for them When I was there last. sixty boys were sleeping in forty single beds with sixteen
 <I..A A, Fr,- AtA ta to appropriate sufficient money for an- other building.
 The ladies of the Board of Control will undertake to lodge, clothe and feed each boy for the sum which is allowed sheriffs for feeding prisoners in jails, and boy eats as much as man.
 I cannot see how we dare continue to allow schools for crime to flourish all over our State. I cannot see how we can with safety to ourselves allow the vicious training of this class of boys to go on. It costs the State less In actual money to keep these boys in this home, than 1t does to try and convict them of minor offences, for which they must serve a term in the penitentiary, and come out proficient in crime.
 There are two sides to every question and Child Labor Legislation has more
 
 President of this Fedora tion, and began to go into the details of the efforts to bring about a Child Labor Law and to find out that the Cotton Mill Blue Book was a muster roll of names well and fa- vorably known in this State, it began to dawn upon me that there must be more in this question than appeared on the outside, and that a peaceable settlement of 1t was possible. In pursuance of this hope, I held out a flag of truce to the millmen and opened the way for a barley with them.
 Personally. l am opposed to legisia- tion, as I believe that as the world grows better. there will be less law, and more mutual agreements. I do not believe there has been a time since the middle of last August when 1 could not have obtained an agreement between the mill men to take children out of the mills, but ] saw that a law would be better for all concerned. I have the honor to offer you now a law, which Is also a mutual agree ment.
 One thing which stood in my way In my negotiations with the cotton mill men. was that I could not give pledge to them that if they decided to accept the bill, it would not be burdened wlth amendments. The Child Labor Commit tee came to my rescue and gave me as- sllrances that their strength would be used in the Legislature to prevent such amendments.
 Men love to fight, but when we see men who have enjoyed so much fighting each other, settle down to an amicable adjustment of so warm a. question as this