Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-16
SCHOOL FOR BOYS.
55th Report Of This
Statel Institution,
Detailed Account Of Practical
Work Done by Boys.
Commitments As Juvenile Del =.
quents Recommended.


o. the State School for Boys has been
filed With the Governor and Council.
The report gives Il detailed account of
the work done and the condition of the
institution and recommends that in ma
ny cases the lad be committed to the
school simply as a juvenile delinquent.
rather than a convicted criminal. The
trustees in their report say:
| The number of boys IN the school is
1873, and As BOYS are away from the
school On leave or indentured. During
the year the school has been graded as
far as practicable and the trustees be
iieve that better results will be OBJ
tanned. AS there are only four school,
rooms it is not possible to have bu.
one grade in a room. New boys are
added to the school at all times. Some
OF them 90 not know the alphabet; ma
ny are feeble minded and few have
had an opportunity to receive any reg
ular instruction. and almost without
exception it is trIe they have neglect
eG the opportunities they have had.
THE instructor of the mechanical
| department and his boys have done
some of the construction work abou.
the school. They have built the ice
house and have done work about the
| library. The amount of work done by
I the boys about the school is by nc
means inconsiderable as they do Q
large per centaSc of all kinds of work
about the farm. This practical work
is along much the same lines as that
| sought to be accomplished in manual
training departments and we believe
it's value is by no means to De ignored
At the same time we appreciate that
there is need FOR en1arglng the ia
| cilities in manual training. and We
| hope to he able to do more along
| these lines.
| During the year niggery has beei
| erected and needs only to be supplied
| with water to be ready for occuparcg
| The rolt cellar which was PARTIAL:
| erected has been completed and an ice
house erected. Plans We're drawn fol
Il Few horse barn. but it was found
that the cost of erection of a building
| such rs was called for i'll the plan
vas considerably in excess Of the APP
| preparation. On this account the pr4-
| jcct had to be DEFERRED
The treasurer's report shows tina
here was received from the Stat
treasury s31,334.9S; from farm anC
| stock, Si1",.2l; all other sources. 1922
IS: cash OH hand Dec. l, 1851, 81 50
| making total for the year of $50
| 1889.
The expenditures We're as fellows
salaries and labor $1l.633250; s,ltsis-
| tence. S6,02124 clothing, bedding, DIR!
gooGs and notions, s200s.3S: house ans
aundiy supplies. furniture etc, ST,
| l. aft Ia NJ
lrugs and supplies. $61912: fuel. lights
| and power. 81 03$.01; farm and farm
| machinery, grounds stock, feed an
:arriages So; mechanical school
e11S57. school books and supplies
| Sep 49,; Office supplies, $669.93
postage, $S24S; telephoning aud
lelegraphing, SHOPS; excursions and
| amusements $2I65O; steam and plumb
ing supplies, SPOIL; Sehago water.
sS47.74; returning boys, s17S.S0: travel
ling expenses, $116.44; miscellaneous
| .115. ID; balance on hand, SS19.26.
The superintendent report shows
| that there have been received into the
institution since it was opened, 2,71t
2oys: number of boys committed the
,ast year 60; number out on leave re
urned. il; number violated trust re-
turned. 6; whole number in school dur
ng the year, 221: number allowed e
70 on trial, SO; number delivered t,
'ourt. I: number violated trust, 3; nunl
Der remaining in school at close of the
year, LOS.
The commitments during the yea:
were made by the following courts
supreme judicial court, .: superior
,ourt, 8; Bangor municipal court. ,:
Bath. 2: Calais ): Dexter. /; Dover, |;
EllsW orth. /; Pennington. l; Halo
we'll. !: Newport, 2; Old Town. 5
Portland. 9: Saco. L. South Portland
II: Wcstbrook. ]: Western Hancock, ,
Belfast. ,: Trial justices. %.
The offences for which the boys
We're committed during the past yeil
We're as follows: Larceny. IS; tru
ancy, II; vagrancy. 3; assault and as
sault and battery, 6; vagabondage. :;
cruelty to animals. l. malicious mis-
chief. 8: breaking and entering. 3; idle
and disordery, 2: assault with intent
to kill. 1; sale Intoxicating liquor. !
| The average time of the boys who We're
discharged last year, was two years
and eight months in the institution.
or the s. boys committed to the in
stitution last year. % have Incorporate
parents: lost father. 20; lost mother.
IS: relatives in prison, Is; step
parents. 13: idle, As: much neglected
"a truants, A.: sabbath breakers, As;
untruthful. IS; profane, 81.
In his conclusions the superintendent
| says THE first law for the government
of the state reform school enacted in
1853 provided that the whole expense
of boys in the institution should be de-
frayed by the State. This law pre-
vailed until the winter OF 1858 when in
accordance with the recommendations
of the legislative committee appointed
to visit the institution. an amendment
was passed requiring cities and towns
to bear portion of the expense Of
| pupils in the school when committed
for certain offenseS specified in the
law. This change soon reduced the
number of boys in the school. but at
the same time limited the usefulness
of the institution. Boys who ought to
have been sent to the school were al
lowed to run at large, amid temptation
and vice and guilty of daring and