The New York herald., 1920-01-18
Inmates Making Their Own Clothing.

pocket in recent years $250,00o setting UP
a bureau of social hygiene. with psychi-
atrical department. alongside the reforIna-
tory to observe and classify the girls as to
their mental status.
The bureau. which did much good work,
some time ago ceased to function. The
state is now considering its purchase in
order to treat psychopathic cases. Mr..
Rockefeller recently wrote to John s. Ken
nedy, special commissioner investigating
reformatory punishments for Governor
Smith, stating he is willing to sell the
plant to the State at cost, plus the interest
on the investment.
Wealthy Women Interested.
Mrs. Edith Macy. wife Of v. Everit
Macy, philanthropist, served for awhile
on the board of managers. none of whom
receive any salary. So did Mrs. Henry
Marquand another wealthy woman. Both
of these prominent women. in letters made
public, have denied that cruelties were
practised on inmates. Mrs. Macy has
gone on record in defence of the present
management Of the reformatory.
The executive authority is vested in
Miss Helen Cobb, the superintendent She
is a graduate of Vassar College and for
merly taught wealthy children in a semi
nary in Yonkers. Before taking over the
reformatory superintendcy three years
ago, Miss Cobb had institutional expert
ence on the staff of the Syracuse State
School for Mental Detectives.
Miss Cobb has made special study of
sociology. young woman in her thirties.
she is progressive in her ideas and enthu-
siastic in her work. One investigator who
has studied her methods states she is
possessed of marked business ability
Often subjected to trying ordeals, Super
intendent Cobb neves loses her patience
or her sense OF humor.
The superintendent receives her appoint
ment from a board of managers appointed
by the Governor. Those constituting the
present board are William G.. Barrett, of
Port Chester, who is president; Daniel T.
Hays. OF Pleasantville; George 3. Robin
son. of Bedford Mills; DR.. Pierce Bailey,
of New York, and the Rev. Father Thomas
Kelly. of Mount kisco. They all give their
valuable services gratis. The managers
have warmly defended the reformatory
officials at the several hearings. which
the writer attended. in connection with
the recent investigation. Mr.. Hays, the
newest member of the board who the
present Governor himself appointed, was
the most active in defence of the reform
atorys methods. The most rabid critic
of these methods. therefore, could not
accuse him OF having become institu-
tionaliZed.
Mr.. Hays, who is lawyer. in his cross
examination of misbehaved prisoners who
alleged they were cruelty punished. wrung
from nearly every one of them the damag-
ing admission that they never were pun
ished unless they disobeyed rules or did
something to warrant disciplinary meas
ures.
Mss Cobb has as her first deputy Miss
Julia Minogue, who is assistant superin-
tendent ana disciplinary officer. She alone
determines the punishment that must be
meted out to prisoner who fractures the
rules and must be present when the cul-
prit is chastised.
There has been ample testimony lately
TO satisfy even sentimentalists that the
disciplinarian' duties arc always un-