The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-04-30
Provisions of the

Not Deiinquents

1
near Helena is operated in manner
which gives it many of the aspects OF
correctional institution, none of the
girls who have come and gone could
be said to have any taints of delin-
quency in their character. All of the
girls have been investigated, inter
viewed and recommended by super
ton before being accepted in the per-
sonnet. 1t is the policy, and undoubt.
eddy acted upon in good faith by SUI
pervisors throughout the state to Sc
lect girls for admission to the camp
who are in need of employment and
who would benefit from vocational
training.
Manual Labor
According to stories told by some OF
the girls to a representative of The
Voice and substantiated, without any
coaching" or questions by others in
terviewed, with the exception of a
course i'll Home Economics, uniforms
lly described by all those interviewed
as conducted in a dead" and unin-
Iteresting manner, no Institutional
program has been or is being carried
out at the camp. The girls have been
required to do four hours of work in
the shop, consisting mainly, in the
past, of sanding by hand, old paint
from boards to be used for street
signs and markers. In this con-
nection it has been related to
the representative of The Voice
that a "speed-up" program was in
augurated by the superintendent, and
quota standard established by the
stronger and more efficient group of
hand-workers among the girls and
this volume of work urged upon the
groups of girls not so physically able
and efficient.
This shop work was not especially
criticized by any of the girls inter-
viewed except for the "speed-up" and
because nothing of value was learned
in the work. This appears reasonable
inasmuch as probably few or none of
the girls had any ambitions to learn
carpentry and that the work was re-
quired to be done by hand though a
machine sander was available. and
the girls would, most of them, have
enjoyed instruction in it's use and
practice with it. Scraping the finish
from old furniture with a piece of
glass, which they were required to
do, was considered by the girls unes-
sential and hazardous work.
Lack of interest
The lack of interest in the welfare
of the girls on the part of the super
intendent and state administrator is
evidenced by instances discovered by
The Voice, where girls having become
discontinued with conditions at the
camp have been summarily released
without any funds or means to reach
their homes and without any acquaint-
ances in Helena to whom they could
turn for help. Last week, one girl
stated that she was intending to apply
for a nights lodging at the Helena
police station when her plight was
discovered.
Labor Interested
The case of a supervisor, a resident
of Butte, who was summarily dis
charged a short time ago without
notice and without cause, reached the
attention of organized labor in Butte,
and according to a story in the Mon
tana Labor News of last week. the
circumstance came up for discussion
in a meeting of the Silver Bow Trades
and Labor Assembly and an investi-
eating committee was appointed. At
that time, according to definite in
formation, the labor organizations did
not have information in regard to vio-
iations at the girls resident camp, as
set forth herein from statements made
by past and present personnel. This
is, OF course, circumstance directly
affecting labor's interests.
While the girls accepted at the
camp are supposed to receive $50
per month as wages for the work
they do in addition to the instruction
they are supposed to receive, 1920 is
deducted. from their monthly wages
by the administration in payment of
board and room, leaving them $1,000
per month for clothing and other per-
sonal needs.
Inexcusabe
While other resident camps which
have failed have generally been To-
Gated at some distance from the office
of the state administrator, the girls
resident camp is located only five
miles from his office and personal
visits made by him to the camp and
complaints which have reached him
of it's administration and management
should demonstrate that the ineffi-
cheney of its management has been
and is condoned by him, or that he
lacks totally an understanding of the
purposes of the program under which
these camps are established. This
may or may not have been true of
the five camps that are listed as fail
ures, due to their distance from the
state office. However, one must be
justified in assuming that these fail
ures should have shown him that his
methods of administration should be