The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-03
Superintendent Weakley Tells Board What Has
 Been Done During Year
HIGH LIVING COST
 HAS BEEN HANDICAP
Needs of Institution Set Forth in Report-Suggestion Made That Individuals Provide Money
 for Developments

One hundred and seventy-slX adoillohaA boys were entered in the Alabama Boys Industrial school at East Lake durlns 1916, according to the report Of Superlh- tendent D. M. Weakley, submitted to the board of control at the annual meeting.
 The report of Mr. weakley covered practically all the work that has been donc at the school during the year ana was the only report submitted at the meeting. Mrs. R. D. Johnston, president of the board, presided over the meeting which was largely attended. Special com mittees from the Rotary club and the Community club, which have interested themselves in the operations of the school, were present.
 While the report of MT. Weakley indi- cates that much has been accomplished during the year, it shows that the school has worked under severe handicaps due to the high cost of food and clothing materials.
 In submitting his report, MT. Weak ley recommends a number of improve ments, including the addition of a teacher for primary classes, a record clerk and parole officer, materials for machine shop, new bedding, repairs on the build ings, new sewerage system. adequate means Of amusement for the boys, and a number of other features.
 MUCH SICKNESS
 Mention is made of Dr. Lester Dr. McLester, Dr. Hogan, Dr. Drennen, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Carl Fox for the services they have rendered the school, which has experienced an unusual amount of sick ness, according to the report The fol- lowing summary from the nurses re- port show: the amount of sickness: Pneu- monia, + cases; removal of tonsils, 22: broken limbs, 10; pink eye, IT; rheuma- tism, 5; operations, g.; typhoid serum ad- ministered 500 times and 150 vaccinated. One death occurred during the year, that of Willie Davis, who died from pneu- monia.
 MT. Weakey makes a plea for means to give more attention to the physical side of the boys training. Certain 1t is that we need fund to enable us to look after their eyes, teeth and the like in the right way" he says.
 The report shows that the military department has received 300 new Krag rifles during the year and thanks are extended to Representative George Huddleston and Col Robert Morris for the equipment.
 A word of praise is added for the boys band, which won fame on It's trip to Pensacola last August. It is said that the band Is badly in need of new instruments. One hundred and seven teen boys received band instruction during the year.
 Mir Weakley's report shows that ex- cellent work has been done in the re- pair shop, the shoe shop the tailor shop, the machine shop, the dairy, and on the farm. The following crops were raised: Five hundred bushels of pota- toes. 161 bushels of string beans, 16 tons of hay and AZ tons of sileage, and quantities of field peas, turnips, cab bage, radishes, beets, okra and such vegetables.
 A number of improvements were made during the year, including work on the superintendent's house, build ing of garage. road improvements, building of a silo and other minor im- provements.
 NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS
 Summarizing the larger needs of the school, Mir Weakley says: We need more land. new hospital. a cottage for the women employees and two cot tages for the smaller boys.
 For 12 years or more we have pied for this innovation and with each succeeding year the need grows more urgent, but the prospect for its full fillment does not seem to improve. Personally. have about despaired of getting these quarters for the young sters from the state, and have been wondering if. 1t would not prove prac- ticable to get them through individual effort and individual benevolence.
 Alabama has many wealthy men and women. and If some of them could be made to see this problem as 1t really exists here today believe the cottage problem would be very soon solved If they could realize the won derful importance of sort of home atmosphere for the younger boys a place where they could have individual care, individual training. where they scould be mothered to some extent dur ling their most impressionable years, I feel sure that following the realiza- ton would come the resolve to build one or more cottages at once. A me- morial cottage, erected at a very mod crate cost by school labor Ca roomy, commodious cottage could be built in this way at reduced cost, say for about $C0o0) would surely prove an outlay that would bring compensation to ths heart of the giver a thousandfold."