The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-06
State Hospital.

State Hospital.
The increased production of farm PROD,
uctS at the state institutions has resulted
in keeping the per capita cost OF main
tenance very low in comparison with the
general increase in the cost or hVlng'
donbt if the people of Vermont realize the
magnitude of the task of providing Tor
these institutions; for instance, the state
hospital at Waterbury consumes oOO
Ioayps of bread and 900 quarts of milk
every dav in the year, the bread being
baked in the hospital kitchen and the
milk being produced on the farm. At the
hosOital we are taking care of from 900 TO
500 patients all Of the time. 1t viii thus
be seen that considerable expenditure Is
necessary in properly maintaining ana
providing for so large an institution.
Under conditions which have existed dur
ing the past four years, It has not Deen
feasible to undertake any much-needed
construction or substantial repairs; ana
the amount of money required now Tor
absolutely necessary new construction to
meet the needs of this large population
constitutes a large item as compared with
construction costs OF few years ago
Yet when you examine the report OF the
director of state institutions and see what
is necessary to take care of the natural
growth and development of the hospital,
you will recognize that the amount re
uuested for this institution is modest
figure to meet its requirements.
State School for Feeble Minded.
At the state school for predetermined at
Brandon remarkable work has been ac-
complished; but the need for new build
ings is greatest at this institution. y
day school has achieved excellent results
in teaching many children who had not
previously learned to read and write.
The war interrupted the nor
NAL construction program of the school
at Brandon so that admission has been
denied to many children Who would re
uuire residence of only a few years at the
school to make them self-supporting. and
for accommodations for the cases that
already are a menace to their cOmmuni-
ties The necessity for in
creased housing accommodations il press
ing. and this legislature should provide
for the construction of a new dormitory
and the completion of the one now in
process of construction.
Vermont Industrial School.
Some of the pleasantest days during
my administration were spent at the state
institutions / am particularly fond of
the industrial school at Nergennes. That
institution is doing a fine work for the
state of Vermont. No Nermonter can
visit it without feeling proud of the work
that is there being done to train boys and
girls, through the formative period Of their
lives, for useful citizenship.
Women's ReformatOry at Windsor.
The. legislature of 1917 authorized the
construction of wOmen's refOrmatOry at
Windsor but on account of conditions
incident to the war, nothing was done
during that biennial period. The legisla-
tuTe of 1919 renewed the appropriation
for this purpose. The building has been
erected in connection with the state
prison; the appropriation has been used
but, owing to the high cost of labor and
material, the building is not entirely fin
ished. A small additional appropriation
will be necessary for its completion.
Farm Produce at Institutions.
Every taxpayer should be interested and
pleased to examine the figures with refer
enCe to the crop production of all state
institutions. There is a farm in cOnnec-
ton with each institution which has pro-
duced large quantities of the food con-
sumed, thereby saving many thousands
of dollars in cost of maintenance. This
farm produce, from November, 1919. to
November 1920. at market prices, was
valued at over $127,00
States Relations to Prisoners.
Splendid success has attended the con-
tinued policy of employing prisoners on
various work outside the prison walls.
Many prisoners are employed at all times,
summer and winter, by private parties in
and around the village of Windsor. For
the past two years. there has been camp
of about 30 prisoners at Sherburne. en-
ployed on state highway construction.
These men work there under the honor
system, which they respect, improve in
physical condition and are enabled to
send home something of their earnings to
their dependents. The men receive mar
ket wages for their work, One-third of
which goes to the prisoners themselves.
The mems share of the earnings amounted
to several thousand dollars for each sea
sons work.
The parole method of handling prison
ers seems to me to be the best. 1t should
. be understood that. when a prisoner is
on parole he is not fully pardOned. He
is allowed his liberty in charge of the
state probation officer and may be re-
turned by executive warrant, to com
plete his maximum sentence, at any. time
prior to the expiration of the parole pc
Rod, when it appears that he has violated
any of the conditions of his parole.
-am.s however, of the opinion that a person
sentenced for felony should not be paroled
until he can speak, read, write and under
stand Eng l!3 OF EVERYDAY use; l recon-
mend consideration of the indeterminate
sentence, so-called. If the indeterminate
sentence is not provided for, | would urge
a modification of certain laws which will
give the courts a wider latitude in sen
fencing persons for felony, so that there
IN a longer time between the minimum anC
maximum sentence. This procedure, wher
person is released on parole at the ter
minatiOn of the minimum sentence, pro
videS a longer parole period and what Ii
more important longer unexpired maxi
mum sentence, which serves as greate
incentive against breach of parole. .
Highways.
The construction of roads in connection
with the federal government is the larges
proposition taken up by the highway de
partment The legislature of 1919 amend
ed the State Federal Aid Road act by pro
gitiing that the location of the work an,
the kind of construction should be ap