The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-18
REFORM THAT REFORMS
Governor Hoch Greatly Pleased With
Girls Industrial School.

Governor E. w. Hoch and State
Bank Commissioner John Q. Royce Of
PhiiIlpsburg, returned Monday after
noon from Beloit. where. with Mrs.
FIcch and Mrs. Royce. they made an
inspection of the Be1oit Industrial
School for girls. of which Mrs. Julia A.
Perry is superintendent.
Governor Hoch expressed himself as
greatly pleased with the way in which
the school is conducted. and praised
without stint the excellent manage
inert Of Mrs. Perry.
Mr.. Royce said CT the trip: I'VE ar
rived at Beloit Saturday afternoon,
and went at once to the institution.
We put in Saturday night there, and
all day Sunday, and I want to say that
in my opinion, it would be hard to i'm
prove on the present management OF
the Beloit industrial school. 1 regard
Mrs. Perry as a wonder. and so does
Governor Hoch. She is likely to get
nything she asks for in behalf of her
institution, so far as Governor Hoch is
able to give it to her.
Mrs. Perry has made the school
there a home for the girls. It is a
place that they like to live in. 1t Is
rot regarded by them as a penal In
stitution. Mrs. Perry finds it her chief
trouble to get the girls to leave when
they arrive at the time for their re-
lease. There are no barred windows;
the school is like a home. Music is
the strong. feature of the place. There
fstudies music. They have one of the
best music teachers in the state, who
IS devoted to her work. Saturday
evening Mrs. Perry had the girls glee
club sing to US, and expect they sang
for a couple of hours. Sunday after
noon. the girls orchestra of 81 pieces
sdThey have splendid domestic
science department, where the girls
learn scientific housekeeping This
department is so strong that the school
has a good many applications from
outsiders for permission to take the
course of study offered. The work Of
the institution is done by the girls.
even down to tending the gardens
where the vegetables for the institu-
ton are raised.
certain girls sent to the institution that
the work done there is of the right
sort. There have been three girls sent
to the school from Phillipsburg. One of
these girls went through all the courses
of study pl divided at the school, and
is nov, employed as a teacher there.
Another girl gained sufficient educa-
ton there so that she took the teach
ers' examination after leaving the
school, and taught school for two years
after which she married a railroad con-
ductor, and is living happily in the
western part of the state. A third girl
who was sent there a year and a nall
ago, for stealing some spoons and other
articles while working for family IN
cur town, is now playing hrSt Vlohn IN
the orchestra, and is getting a. COOS.
education. When she went there,
think she knew nothing whatever Of
music. Music is one of the greatest
refining influences which the school can
offer.
Sunday afternoon we attended
church at the chapel. The sermon was
preached by one Of the Beloit clergy
men, and was of q character which the
girls could understand. Governor Hoch
also made a short address to the girls
After church was over they had Sun
day school conducted by Mrs. Perry,
and the teachers in the school each had
q class of a dozen or more girls. The
discipline of the school is excellent.
There was no confusion at the Sunday
services, and all the girls seemed great
" interested in their work.
TT is one of the rules of the institu-
ton that the door of whatever room the
girls may be in shall be locked. Some
times when the attendant fails to lock
the door, the girls knock on it unit:
si1neone comes and locks it. They don't
open the door. but simply knock to at
tract attention. That's pretty good dis
cipline, 1t seems to me-"