Evening journal., 1917-01-13
SATURDAY, JANUARY 1s, 1917.
CALLS FOR LIBERAL TREATMENT.

y1~HAT is a convincing letter that Mrs Charles NJ
1 Curtis president Of the Board OF Managers Of the
Delaware Industrial School for Girls has sent to each
member General Assembly places the respon-
sbiliiy for tue future OF the admirable institution so
clearly up 10 our legislative body that It should not hes
the right thing for the school and its wards
Airs Curtis shows that this State reformatory FOR
girls has existence twenty-five years. In that
time courts and Justices OF the peace have committed
s2S girls recruited from all sections of the STATE to
It's care. It is the rules OF the institution that
no girl shall be admitted unless, after due hearing
which has shown the need for moral training she has
been formally committed to the Of the school.
With intelligent and characteristic directness. Mrs
Curtis iecites by gifts individuals interested
in the school the institution acquired and stll owns
a lot and building in Wilmington. Il is thought that
100000 will be derived from that real estate when is
sold Reference is made TO the purchase for $4,000,
Of eeventy-hve OF land in Brandywinc hundred
so that relief might be obtained from the congestion
in the Wilmington building. About $4,000 was spent
in making tho Brandywinc hundred tract suitable for
the schools uses. The Legislature had made In 1918,
appropriation OF s350OO for the buildings II is re-
cited in the letter that after the plan had been
ried out tile need OF money TO complete payments for
the buildings was laid before the Legislature OF 1915
Probably because tho old building had been sold,
appropriation was made that session for buildings
but appropriations then made OF S25O0 for 1915
and 1916 to pay interest debt Since then $4,000
was borrowed mortgage and $1,000 note, the
present Indebtedness S415O0 Against this the old
school is an asset worth SSOO0O though active efforts
to sell ct that price yet been unsuccessful.
One chief purpose OF moving TO farm land to
give the girls the moral and physical tonic OF out
door work. and to utilize their labor for producing
their food supply. This plan has been successful for
the girls do real farm work with real success. Last
fail they cut husked and hauled in the crop Of seven
hundred bushe Of fine corn trucked about five acres
and did other manual labor with eagerness and inter-
est But without farm buildings and equipment they
are handicapped. barn. chicken house. and such like
buildings live stock and implements needed badly
and probably some work must be done to make the
sewage disposal system effective
The matter be thus stated:
Indebtedness for buildings .S41 500
For farm buildings &c. stated above .....s $500
$4,000
Deduct value of city property ............. 10000
$4,000
interest for two years ON $4,000 ........... 5000
Appropriation needed In 1917 ............... $4,000
When the old property is sold for ssOOOO the School
will be o.; debt; and equipped to continue the re-
ornate orr which the State has imposed upon IT,
For mantenance as distinct from the property equip
ment The State appropriaes annuity SO 600 and tho
Levy Courts OF each county pay per diem foI
each girl In view Of the increased cost OF living and
requirements the State asked TO the
anuual appropriation to $4,000
Ia view OF the splendid reform work that this school
has done. largely upon funds privately contributed, il
seems that the Legislature should give seriou.
thought TO the financing OF the institution and exercis,
toward t the liberay OF treatment that Il deserves
The situation calls for IT,