The Ronan pioneer., 1917-02-09
SCHOOL REQUIRED
FOR DELlNQuENTS
MRS. INGALLS, BILL FALLS
SHORT OF IDEALS, BUT
MEETS IMMEDIATE NEED.
Institution for Girls Who Have Made
Mistakes Demanded by State Fed
Grafton of WOmen's Clubs and
Good Government Organization;
Farm to Be Feature.

Farm to Be Feature.
The bill introduced by Mrs. Emma
Ingalls, of Flathead county, provid-
ing for state girls reform school
probably falls short of the ideal
which has existed in the minds of
many women of the state who have
been interested in this project. In
this bill an appropriation of $4,000
is asked for to cover the purchase Of
100 acres of land for a site and other
expenses
The founding of this school or farm
mas been an end to which the state
Federation of Clubs and the Good
Government organization have work.
ed for some years. Last summer at
the regular meetings of the two
above named ganizations, Mrs. Fal-
coner of Sleighton Farm, Pennsyl-
vania, was induced to come to Helena
and tell the women of her experience
as head of this most unique and sue
cessful institution for the care and
training of delinquent girls.
Unlike other like institutions, no
bolts or bars confine unwilling in
mates. Girls are housed in series
of cottages under the direction of
young college women and so great is
the desire to become a member of an
"honor" cottage that even the first
house in which delinquents are re-
ce1ved, witnesses but few infrine,-
ments of the simple rules.
Work of All Varieties.
The farm provides work of all va
r1eties and if one stops to consider
he will appreciate that work on a
farm is constructive, creative and
vitalizing in it's influence. There is
no work too difficult for the girls to
tackle providing proper tools are sup
piled and short hours of labor re-
quired. Donkeys take the place of
horses on this farm to a large extent
because they are easily managed by
the girls and the expense of their
keep is small. The girls raise gar
den, cultivate small fruits, potatoes,
corn, etc., and help gather in the
bay and grain. They are also taught
from books and to do all kinds of
housework and are encouraged not
only to sew but to design and cut
their own clothing, which is not uni
form but selected by the girls them
selves.
When they leave the home, in case
their record justifies their leaving
it, their services are much in demand.
There is a place for them to 20
where they can continue to be self
supporting. If their low mentality
precludes their being sent out into
the world, they can also be taught to
be practically self supporting on the
farm.
Proper Environment Required.
To establish a farm home which
shall become in time some such insti-
tuition as this, is the object of the
sponsors of the bill just introduced |
into the legislature Statistics show
that 80 per cent of delinquent girls
make good in the right environment
But unfortunately, in all the state of
Montana there is no permanent ref
uge for girls of this kind.
Last spring when committees from
the women's organizations visited
the reform school for boys at Miles
City they reported it badly crowded
with 100 boys and 80 girls. Today
t has 10 boys and 40 girls.
How much more serious, therefore,
8 the situation when one reflects
hat the reform school at Miles City
vas never intended for girls and it
vas only due to pressure of conditions
hat girls were ever admitted. These
,irls have little opportunity for prop
II exercise to say nothing Of being
aught and given proper occupational
raining. Worse than that, the room
hat they now occupy should be
urned over to about 80 little boys
Who should be removed from the in
luence and restrictions of older and
lore incorrigible inmates. These
title boys, says Mrs. j. N. Kelly,
hartman of the legislative committee ,
f the Federation of Clubs, need =
lothering more than reforming.
The bill introduced by Mrs. ingalls, j.,
arries with it provision that the !
iris school shall be governed by h
committee largely composed of C
omen and have a woman superin-
endent. 4