Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-29
STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS
TURN OUT MANY EXCELLENT
cirizENs.
OTHERS WHO GO WRONG
ARE MENTALLY DEFECTIVE
State Authorities Seeking System
Whereby Special Training May b
Provided for the Weak Who Como to
State Institutions for Juvsniles-1wo
Schools Not Criminal Factories.

DeS Mo1neS, Oct. 29.-The held LOT
development Of thoroughly modern
system for the two state industrial
schools in Iowa and for adoption Of
methods that will go far toward solv-
ing the problem Of the delinquent and
defective classes, is quite az large as
that relating to the penal institutions;
and the present board Of control and
heads of the institutions will devote
themselves to that work as well as
other things. The mere fact that
everything is running along SO smooth
ly both at Eldora and Mitchellville that
there has been no occasion for many
months of any mention Of either insti-
tuition Is not to be taken as proof that
all the problems have been solved and
the last word has been said in institu-
ton work.
Iowa has been doing in recent years
great deal more in the way of making
complete records Of the cases brought
under observation Of the heads of the
various institutions than before, but
in the matter Of scientific inquiry into
mental phases 1t is far behind some
other states. The best work being
done in this way is at vineland, N. j.,
where the head Of Industrial school is
making investigations into delinquency
and it's causes and cure that will
prove of immense value some time.
Thus far Iowa is treating all the boys
and girls committed to industrial
schools as on a par and all equally
responsible for their conduct.
Not Criminal Factories.
hn for TIC thof 1or of,np ,H
these who go from the state industrial
schools are certain to go wrong later,
and this fact Is we'll known and under
stood, hence there is not the least sur
prise at the schools when this one or
that one, after being discharged, turns
up headed for the reformatory or
prison. The theory entertained by
the police departments of the cities
that these schools are making GRIM
tnals, doesn't stand the test; they
simply do not succeed in making good
citizens out Of material hopelessly de-
fcient.
Seventy Per Cent Make Good.
Perhaps 20 per cent of all the boys
and girls who pass thru the Iowa in
dustrial schools make good. Another
small percentage neither do very well
nor very badly. The others are impos-
sible. Superintendent Kuser of the in.
dustrial school at Eldora, declares there
are per cent Of the children of school
age that are mentally deficient. Fully 25
per cent Of the industrial schools and
reformatories are similarly deficient
and more than 25 per cent Of the adult
criminals are feeble minded.
Many Mentally Defective.
cat least 25 per cent of. the children
who come before the Juvenile courts
are mentally defective" Mr.. Kuser said
recently, "yet in how many instances
does their feeble mindedness enter into
the case as far as the legal proceedings
are concerned? And suppose this all
important element did enter into the
case to the extent Of having made
whether the child is bad because he
can not help it, what would be done
then? 1t wouldn't do to send the de-
fective child to the orphans home and
he wouldn't fit the school for the feeble
minded. If the child has been in
trouble several times there seems to be
but one way out and that is to send
him to the industrial school. And at
the school the normal children and the
subnormal are all together"
Superintendent Kuser is making good
use Of the we'll developed tests of men,
tai capacity which have come into
vogue in recent years. but Iowa
has made no provision whatever for
any treatment of one class different
from another The result Is that very
many of those who are sent to the In
dustrial schools reach the time when
because Of age they are entitled to be
discharged and they are sent out again
with the knowledge that the chances
are greatly that they will ultimately SO
wrong.