Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-13

views in Maine, a peaceful river val
ley with cattle grazing on the rich
grassy banks, and peaceful slms az
fording shade, during midday heat;
but the view Of the institution Itself
II not yet beautiful, for the buildings
represent three kinds Of architecture
and two kinds Of construction, brick
and wood, and as yet there Is almost
no planting about the buildings 50
that they look naked. The grass
lands about the cottage TEEN with
bird houses would bring some inter-
bird life and the erection OF some
nesting neighbors close to the cot
tages.
Clothing. The dresses Of the in
mates are pretty, varied and taste
full and they are beautifully laun-
dered.
Cleanliness. Tho cleanliness and
order, of the institution are good and
the interiors would be quite attrac-
tive but for the deteriorated condi-
ton Of the plastering. Especially in
Stevens cottage, the Oldest house,
which has been in use about hve
years, the use Of pins and tacks and
pictures on the walls. and in some
cases the pocking of the plaster itself,
due to its not being properly mixed
or laid, makes the walls unsightly. 1t
IL desirable for the girls to have some
decorations in their rooms, and to
use their individuality to beautify
their abodes, but some provision for
suspending pictures should be made
other than lacking them to the walls,
and the girls evidently need training
i in what constitutes good taste in bed
room decoration. They are so 1nlta-
tive that il one or two could evolve
pretty rooms of the right type the
others would wish to copy them. The
| first step toward the change is to
repair the plastering and paint the
walls, getting a hard smooth finish,
and the paint mixed in light attrac-
tive colors. Either picture moulding
or hooks embedded in the walls, be-
| tween which taut cords can be
stretched will allow Of the suspension
Of the right kind Of pictures.
| The worse condition Of all exists in
the nursery where the babies spent
the day. They have picked off the
plaster they can reach, down to the
lathing, where the holes exist, and
portion Of it gets into their mouths.
This room should be repaired first
of all, and have such a hard, smooth,
shiny surface that it will offer no
purchase to their busy, prying fin
gers.
Health of inmates. The infants
look fat and happy, and the women
inmates rugged. They come in with
so much venereal disease that one
cottage is set apart for diseased
women, and is hardly adequate to the
needs. Treatment rooms and nurses
are provided.
Outdoor life. Second growth
woods in the rear of the institution
makes it easy to lose woman who
runs away. If a high fence were
built in front Of the woods women
Icould be given much more freedom to
remain out Of doors. The fence would
have to be long, high and costly. An
other alternative would be to cut
away the woods, and this work the
inmates themselves could do, little
at time. The location of the insti-
tuition is so pleasant that it is de-
sirable to arrange for as much out
of-door life as possible, both summer
and winter, and to this end it is sug-
gested that there be a baseball dia-
mond. basket ball goals, and some
sort OF arrangement for winter
sports. The object of such measures
, l.
are highly sexed, as many Of these
women are, must either use up their
physical energy, or it is likely to
show an unpleasant nervous condi-
ltions. like hysterias.
Mental detectives. 1t is inevitable
in the roundup of law breakers who
are sentenced to a reformatory, that
many women of defective mentality
are included. These women are often
quite docile under supervision but
fall back into their old ways soon
after they leave the institution. It is
now we'll known that this type of
women need permanent institutional
care to protect themselves and soci-
ETY.. To keep them in the reforma-
tory proper would mean to fill up the
institution with incurable cases
There should be a special unit of
state care for delinquent defective
women. They would be a disturbing
element in an institution like the
Maine School for Feeble Minded. and
they can be maintained by them
selves at lower per capita than in
the reformatory itself Now that the
reformatory has been in operation a
number OF years, enough women Of
this class have been committed to
serve as nucleus of a new custodial
unit. either at this institution or at
the Maine School for Feeble Minded.
Phychopaths. The worst group of
all to deal with are the psychopaths.
These unstable creatures are made
worse by confinement. yet when they
are having tantrums and are threat
ening TO destroy property or kill
others or themselves, it seems neces-
sary TO control them. Their strength
Is so great when in a rage that it
takes about six other people to regu-
late them. Every State which deals
with delinquent women meets this
type. No one knows as yet what is
best to do with them. The simpler
and quieter their mode Of life, the
less rules they must live up to, the
less dangerous they are. Hospitals
for the insane will not usually re-