The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-05-19
]. M. DEVINE CITES His RECORD
AT STATE TRAINING SCHOOL
Editor of the Independent

ANV uOuDG Sou udfC lColICu CHlOuS
the press that have been bumped
off,, but which act l had had every
reason to anticipate at any time dur
ing the past two years. / want you.
and the people of Minot, to know that
| have made creditable record dur
ing the period Of time ! have been
the head of this institution, and shall
go out with no regrets so far as my
work here has been concerned, unless
it would be the fact that cannot now
, complete the larger program ! had
carefully planned, but for which | had
! been denied the means to carry on to
full completion.
At the Legislative Session two years
ago last winter | managed to secure
100000, as you probably know, but
at the Special Session following this
amount was cut down to SIT, 800. The
appropriation had been secured to
remedy the numerous and criminal
material evils, which had existed at
the institution practically since it's be
ginning. With even that amount re
naming | had hopes of accomplishing
much, but up to date | have been un-
able to even secure single dollar Of
it with which to begin these import
ant and far-reaching improvements.
! Every dollar of it, no doubt, illegally
transferred to public utilities. Ny
work here has always been under ser
ious, financial difficulties and yet,
whenever the dollars and cents pro
position did not enter too largely,
have managed to accomplish much.
! The schools of the institution have
been reconstructed and placed on q
higher level; the state course Of study
introduced, with graduation, com
mencement and diplomas yearly oc-
curence. National holidays have al
ways been observed with appropriate
exercises; baseball, foot ball and bas-
ket ball were introduced and carried
out successfully in their proper sea
sons; moving picture show introduced;
religious services regularly conduct
ed by the various denominations; the
name Of the school changed, through
legislative enactment, from Reform
SCHOOL,, to estate Training School,;
bill written by myself introduced and
its successful passage secured, grant
ing minimum wage of 1Oc or maxi
mum of 15c per day to the inmates
who do the work Of the institution
This money to be paid out of the sur
plus earnings Of the garden and farm
production, thus bringing no addition
al expense to the state The plan was
introduced of carefully and wisely
placing inmates, on their going out
from the institution, in good positions
where fair wages would be secured,
these wages returned to the Office
where they were credited to the in
mate earning them. The personal
needs of the inmate on parole We're
taken care Of, through the institution,
and spending money sent them on re-
quest; close personal touch was kepJ
up with them through constant cor
respondence and, when conditions nee
essitated, personal visits made. AbouJ
$4,000 is today on deposit in local
banks in the names of inmates, as our
books will show; this amount to be
later turned over, after a reasonable
length Of time, if justified by their
record.
Out Of three hundred and three boys
sent out from the institution in the
past six years only eleven have been
returned to the school ,and of seven
ty-four girls, two were returned for
violation Of parole. Of this latter
number forty are now married and liv-
ing in homes of their own. For the
past four years these girls have beer,
sent only to relatives living out Of
the state, and never to their former
home if it still remained within the
state. To this method we credit,
very largely, the gratifying result OBJ
tanned. The physical condition Of in
mates was always promptly and ef~
ficiently cared for, through the medi-.
um of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Spe-
cialist, Surgeon, Physician and Den
tist. AS an evidence of the activity
and necessity Of this particular and
important field $3,760 has been paid
, to these men during the past two
years, covering work for an average
enrolment Of eighty.
Forty-three Of our boys have gone
into the direct service Of their coun-
try, either from the school or their
places of parole. Four of these laid
down their lives on the fields of France
in the summer of 1918, while three
others Of the number returned home
with 33 1/3 percent disability, while
all were honorably discharged Two
reached the grade of sergeant while
three were corporals.
When I came here the surplus earn
ings of the farm, garden and stocl,
had been in the previous fourteen
years $700. During my period of of
fee it reached $4,000. This does
not cover all the results, but is suf-
fcient to indicate to you something
of the record made.
The pronounced and always evident
loyalty of the inmates to me was al
ways the one big source Of gratifca-
tion, and at no time was it more mani
fest in outward expression than when
, they learned that had been deposed
The brief summary given you here
in of my record while here will serve
to show that I have not fallen down
on the job, but have fought a good
} fight and kept the faith, and l wish
my many friends in Minot to know
, this.
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