Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-31
imperative Need Nee Of State
Industrial School.
Increase and Adequate Water Ma e
Supply Needed.
Spirit Of Good Will Between Officers
and Inmates.

filed with the governor ana 1ouiitil
Wednesday, says in part: ,H4,,,t.5 /
I'VE have every reason, to, believe
that the social and moral, copditlons
surrounding the inmates Of the school
are good. for good results become ap-
parent, as the young women are finally
released and go out into siciety to take
care of themselves
| During the past year a plan has
been put in operation by which the
girls have been given more out of door
exercise and gainful employment upon
the land, Under the direction of the
assistant to the principal the girls have
been taken into the garden to work at
| planting, wedding and cultivating, and
particularly for gathering vegetables
and fruit. Hy way of statistical items
which we have preserved, it may be re-
ported that the girls nave gathered 214
quarts of cherries, "a bushels of corn. IL
Dushels'of shell beans, T. bushels of to-
nlatoes. 5, bushels of cucumbers. l3 bu-
shells of peas. seven and one-half BUSH
els of beetgreenS, three and one half
bushels of beets and other vegetables
| the total value of which is $130.4Q; but
| the greatest profit has been to tie
| +,
had this wholesome out-of- door work,
Hut have also received instruction
which will be of value. to them about
their own home later in life. /
| The most important fact standing
out prominently in the experience of
thu past year is the over-crowding Of
the school. The separate halls which.
are designed to accommodate 26 or 81
girls have been obliged to receive "a
and 80; and the whole school, which
should have within it's buildings nor
mally not more than SO girls, has at the
time of the making of this report 100
inmates, ali excess of II. These extra
girle are provided for in places like the
following: Two are in a 'coat-room;
four are in the guest chamber others
are in the rooms set apart for hospital
purposes. which. in case of sickness,
would be needed for the sick. The pol
| icy of the school to give each girl a
single bed, in a separate room has been
defeated by this crowded condition
while the number within the school
| is so great, at the same time the prin-
| cipal has placed out in homes as many
as could be safely put out; the trustees
have released as many as wisely could
| be discharged; and the admission tOf
other girls who would. have the beIfefit
| of the school, has of necessity been re-
| fused. There is what may be termed a
waiting list of II girls; and it has also
| come to the attention of the trustees
that several of the municipalities in the
State. knowing that girls would be re-
fused admission, haye refrained from
sending those who ought to be commit
ted to its cure
ut is obvious that the opening of the
Maine School for Feeble Minded will
afford some relief to this crowded cor-
dition OF the Industrial school, as there
are several Of it's inmates who ought to
he transferred to the School for Feeble
Minded; but the conditions which have.
induced the overcrowding of the school
during the past year appear to be per-
manent. During the past year the
number Of girls committed and admit
led to the school was "a; last year it
was 81; the year before it was 26 the
year before that %; and still one year
further back. H. Within the space of
five years, therefore, the number of
commitments have exactly doubled.
This increase may be expected to con-
tinue and sveH become accelerated.
| "As our cities grow larger the num-
ber Of girls in them exposed to peril
viii multiply and as the moral safe
guards in society, bothtrural and urban
which were the riNscharacterists of
New England grow weaker. the number
of the delinquent and defective classes
is sure to increase. The action Of the
Seventy-Second Legislature in taking
| from the towns the last trace Of the
burden OF supporting the girls commit
ted to- the school will tend also to swell
the number of the commitments Many
a town, priding itself on it's frugality.
has hcsitated to assume of the expense
| OF 40 cents per week previously in
| VOWED III sending a girl to the school
and has preferred to let her stay upon
the streets or become an inmate of the
town poor farm. Now that the last
particle of expense to the town has
tbcen taken away, almost the last obsta-
Gle in the way of easy commitment has
been removed.
The general health of the girls con-
tinues remarkably good, and we repeat,
as applicable to the last year. state
ments mad. in previous years. There
of the years is strengthening that: the
conditions surrounding the girls inf the
Industrial School are. conducive to
health. Good air.. gooasfood good wa
ter, and a proper zroutine of life pro
mote and'preserve the ,Aysical welfare.
'"The total number of'Eirls in the Gus
tody of the school is 163, 63 of whom
many are in outside homes under some
! form of probation, The real estate,
which at the time the school was adop-
ted by the State, was valued at so oah
would now be conservatively appraised
ut $4,000. An inventory of the person.
al property, including household iurni-
ture. farming tools, live stock of all
kinds, provisions on hand and equip
mept. foots up s13,344.32. as against $12,-
101 year ago. an increase of 81, 143 23.
Among the needs which appear i'm
perative the greatest considered from
the point of view of the objects for
which the institution was established,
is new building, in order that the
girls who require the custody and con-
listructon of the schools. when commit
L.. H.