The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-10
MANDAN STATE
SCHOOL FOUND
TOO CROWDED
Increase in Number of De-
pendent and Delinquent
Boys Is Found Cause
THE COMMITTEE PROBES
Superintendent Defends Ming
ling of Delinquents and
Dependents y
THE COMMITTEE PROBES

A great increase in the number oil
dependent and delinquent boys and
girls sent to the State Training
school here during the last year and
a half is the primary cause Of over
crowded conditions there. which led
to the joint legislative committee i'm
vestigation Of the school yesterday
On June 80. 1921, there were SO
boys and IL girls in the school. To-
day there are 143 boys and 43 girls,
according to w. F. McClelland, who
is in charge of the school.
The dormitories in the two build
ines occupied by the boys are jammed
full of beds. One room about 45
by 25 feet contains 36 beds; one
room about 30 by Is, Is beds, and
another about as by 25, 81 beds {.
These are placed together in almost
solid rows with aisles about nine
inches wide between the rows. The
boys climb over the top-or the bot
tom-when they 60 to bed.
Some of the boys have been sleep
ing in school rooms, officers rooms
and in the basement of the main
building.
At the girls cottage each or nearly
each of the girls is provided with a
room-these are very narrow and
small-with the exception of one
room which contains five beds.
Are Too Crowded.
Both the main or administration
building and the cottage of the small
er boys has one "day room," where
the lads have to keep all their
clothes, toooth brushes, etc. These
too are crowded, according to Mr..
McClelland, one room of 20 by 22
feet holding all the belongings OF
about 80 boys.
Another criticism which has been
made against the training school as
now situated and constituted has
been lack of adequate land on which
the boys might farm.
The school has about 752 acres of
Ian, mostly in the hills which lie
just behind the school, Mr.. McClel-
land says, and of this only about 16O
acres are tillable an insufficient
amount. Some hay is grown on rent
ed land, twenty miles down the river
and this has to be baled and ship.
ped to the school. During the years
of drouth the problem of feed was
considerable one, the superintend-
ent adds.
Another criticism has been that,
due to cxowded conditions, delin-
quents and dependents, boys and
girls live in separ,te buildings. This
is especially bad, some Investigators
have said because the school is sup
posed to harbor subnormal Juveniles
among others.
With this Superintendent McClel.
land does not agree, however, Talk
of these boys and girls being sub
normal or abnormal is bunk" he de-
clared. The appearance of most o1
the boys and girls about the school
would seem to beur him out in this
for they were for the greater part
wholesome looking and intelligent
looking.
Two Kinds, He Says.
"Teddy Roosevelt never said truel
! word than that there are two kinds
of boys-tall and short" he added
"There aren't any good or bad boys
There has been dome criticism Of tn.
location of the school because of the
freshets which food the land about
the institution in the spring, ant
(which have flooded easements there
| in the past.
This condition could be remedies
by raising the buildings on higl
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