The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-24
Committees Report On The
Condition of the Industrial School
School For Boys at Mariana

Tallahassee, Fla. May 81
The following is the majrity re-
port of the committee appointed to
visit the Industrial School for Boys
at Mariana:
Tallahassee, Fla, May 20, 1915.
Hon. C. E. Davis,
President of the Senate, and
Hon. Cary A. Hardee,
Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives.
Gentlemen: We, the undersigned
Joint Legislative Committee APP
pointed to visit the Florida Indus
trail School for Boys. beg leave to re-
port that we visited the said school,
inspected it as carefully as possible,
and submit the following report:
The Farm
The farm comprises six hundred
(6O0) acres of land of fair quality,
about four hundred cleared and two
hundred in timber. There are now
pldUleu anu btlIiS CulllN dlCu III w
hundred acres in corn, twenty-five
acres in cotton, fifteen acres in pea
nuts, ten acres in cane and twenty
acres in truck. The stock consists
of seventeen mules, four horses, ten
mich COWS, and about one hundred
lizer, costing s1,446.50, will be used
on the crop this season. The farm
last year lost money. 1t was not
self-sustaining No complete record
ord of farm expenses or yields is
kept We recommend that a COM
plete record of expenses and yields
be kept. We believe that this farm,
properly operated, should not only
be self-sustaining, but should pay at
least half the expenses of maintain
ing School No. 2.
Brick Plant
The Brick Plant seems to be in
good condition. There are only a
small quantity Of brick on hand,
from the best figures we could OBJ
tain. Brick should be made at this
place at cost of not over $500 per
thousand.
School No. White
The White School is composed of
sixty-three boys, ranging in age
from seven years to eighteen, with
one middle-aged lady as matron and
one man as teacher. The boys are
given four hours daily instruction
in books, but the school room is
poorly equipped and all the educa-
tional facilities are of the poorest
grade There is nothing connected
with the school that will stimulate
any desire or inclination of the boys
in the matter of education. The
matron has only been connected
with the school about two months
not long enough to bring many
chang es-but has helped to develop
and improve the general conditions
and is keeping the food and dining
room in a clean and sanitary condi
ton.
There are no bathing facilities
The white boys have to go over t.
the negro school and battle in thu
same place the negroes use. Mos
of the farm work is done by thu
negro boys, and the white boys arr
not kept as busy as they should be
but are allowed too much time TO
loafing. There should be some ar
rangement made by which the small
boys could be separate Especially a
night from the boys of more ma
ture years. The food in School No
is plain, but we'll cooked and is il
as sufficient quantity and variety a
the funds allowed will permit.
School No. 2-Colored
The Colored School is composed o
one hundred and sixty-three GIGS
boys. On account of crowded con
ditions of buildings there is no room
that can be used as school room
and no school is being taught a
present The matron, who is
white woman, SENS to be very capa
BILE and the boys are being laugh
cleanliness, house work, cooking
baking, tailoring, and farm work
This school is in as good condition
as the limited space will permit
The general welfare of the colore
boys is being looked after in excel
lent manner. They have a wing 0
the dormitory for a hospital build
ing and have capable colore
nurse to attend to the sick. The
also have a shower bath and are re