PUBLIC DOCUMENT .... .... No. 18. SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT THE TRUSTEES Lyman and Industrial Schools (Formerly known as Trustees of the State Primary and Reform Schools), Year ending September 30, 1901, BOSTON : WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 18 Post Office Square. 1902. CONTENTS PAGB Trustees' Report on Lyman School, 5 Trustees' Report on State Industrial School, 15 Report of Treasurer of Trust Funds, 23 Report of Superintendent of Lyman School, 31 Statistics of Lyman School, 35 Report of Principal of Schools of Lyman School, 46 Report of Instructors of Sloyd, Lyman School, 49 Report of Instructor of Advanced Manual Training, 51 Report of Instructor in Drawing and Wood Carving, 53 Report of Instructor of Physical Training, Lyman School, 55 Report of Physician, Lyman School, 57 Report of Manager of Berlin Farmhouse, 58 Financial Statement, Lyman School, 60 Report of the Farmer, Lyman School, 74 Report of Berlin Farmer, 76 Farm Account, Lyman School, 78 Valuation of Property, Lyman School, 82 Schedule of Salaried Officers, Lyman School, 86 List of Superintendents, Lyman School, 89 List of Trustees, Lyman School, 90 Report of Superintendent of Visitation of Lyman School Probationers, . 92 Report of Superintendent of State Industrial School, 101 Statistics of State Industrial School, , 103 Financial Statement of State Industrial School, 115 Supervisor of Schools of State Industrial School, 127 Report of Physician of State Industrial School, 128 Commonhxealtfy ai lltassaxfrnaeite REPORT OF TRUSTEES LYMAN AND INDUSTEIAL SCHOOLS. To His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable Council. The undersigned, trustees of the Lyman and Industrial Schools, respectfully present the appended report for the year ending Sept. 30, 1901, for the two reform schools under their control. Respectfully submitted, M. H. WALKER, Westborough, Chairman. ELIZABETH G. EVANS, Boston, Secretary. H. C. GREELEY, Clinton, Treasurer. M. J. SULLIVAN, Chicopee. ELIZABETH C. PUTNAM, Boston. EDMUND C. SANFORD, Worcester. GEORGE H. CARLETON, Haverhill. TRUSTEES' REPORT ON THE LYMAN SCHOOL FOE BOYS, At WESTBOROUGH. The Lyman School receives boys under fifteen years of age who are sentenced by the courts for offences against the law. To control these boys while they are under the discipline of an institution is no very difficult matter ; but, since the function of a reform school is to fit young people who are growing up a public nuisance to take their part in the community as free and law-abiding citizens, mere routine obedience while under a strong controlling hand does not go far to bring about the de- sired results. It is a vantage point that the law gives the Lyman School control over all its boys until they are twenty- one, for the attention of those in authority is thus fastened upon the critical years while the boy is growing into manhood and adjusting himself to normal social relations. By the very terms under which the school receives the boy the period of institution training must be regarded as a preparation for life, and the conduct of probationers stands out as the crucial test of the school's success. Against the 327 boys within the Lyman School at the close of the last year there were 752* others who have been released from the school but for whom it is still responsible, and it is upon the conduct and condition of this whole number that the trustees must now report. Of these 752 boys, 365 are with their own people, 132 are self-supporting in places selected by the trustees, 27 are boarded, 49 who are over eighteen years of age are in situations of their own choosing, 59 are in the army or navy, 53 are or have been in some penal institution,! 2 are * Twenty-five runaways from the school and 1 boy in the George Junior Republic are excluded from this list. t Boys transferred from the Lyman School to the Massachusetts Reformatory are not included in this list, as under a decision of the Attorney-General they are no longer subject to the care of the school. 6 TRUSTEES' REPORT LYMAN SCHOOL. [Oct. in other institutions, 10 have left the State and the whereabouts of 55 are unknown. The statistical table most anxiously scanned each year by the trustees is that which gives the conduct of the boys as they pass out of the care of the school upon the attainment of their majority. The comparative figures below show in percentages the records of boys as they have come of age for each year since such a table was first computed : — 1893. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. Doing well, . 42* 46* 61* 60* Not doing well, m 2* 2* 2* 2* Have been in other penal institu- 35$ 35* 30* 31* 22* 22* 24* tiona.* Out of the State h* 4* 2* 8$ 1* 7* Lost track of, ... 23* Doing well at last accounts, 4§* 6* 14* n* 6* 7* 7* Not doing well at last accounts, 2|* Some part of the improved showing of recent years above indicated is certainly due to the system, inaugurated in 1895, whereby each probationer is under a certain degree of super- vision by a visitor of the school during the remainder of his minority, thus bridging the critical period between institution life and independent manhood. The report of the superintend- ent of visitation, page 92, gives many interesting facts con- cerning the probation work. A percentage computed upon the conduct of the whole number outside the school gives 76f per cent, doing well. But figures computed upon this group are considered of less significance than those based upon the smaller group who are passing out of the care of the school by attainment of their majority, all of whom have been tested by a long term of probation. The table on page 36 gives further figures regarding the whereabouts and the conduct of all the boys under twenty-one years of age whose names are upon its books, dividing them according to various lines of classification. Such tables are * Boys who have been in penal institutions in former years are classed under this heading, even though they are now at large and doing well. t The report of the superintendent of visitation, on page 92, gives 89 per cent, as visitation, doing well ; but this figure, dealing only with the list who are subject to his counts out boys who have left the State or been lost sight of. — 1901.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 18. 7 not common in reformatory institutions, but they are believed to be of the greatest importance in enabling those in control to under- stand their work and to adapt means to ends with intelligence. The number of new commitments within the year was 185, the largest number received since the school was remodelled in 1884. Of the new-comers, 31 who were under thirteen years of age were transferred at once to the primary depart- ment, situated in the town of Berlin, seven miles from West- borough. The remoteness of the Berlin branch from the main institution is considered an advantage, as it wholly pro- tects the younger boys from such objectionable influences as are inevitable in a large institution, and it also allows an in- formality of method which works admirably with a small group of little boys (the Berlin family averages 19 in number), but which would be impossible with older boys brought together in large numbers. The three officers in charge at Berlin are excel- lently qualified for the work in hand, and a happier group of children it would be hard to find in the State. The report on page 58 gives further details in regard to this branch of the school's work. As all that many of these little boys need is a good home under authority which they have not fallen into the habit of defying, it is customary to send them soon to board in care- fully selected families ; and here the majority of them behave as well as the average child. Those who do well at their boarding place are allowed, after a year or so, to go back to their parents, provided their homes are respectable, while those who misbehave are placed in the school at Westborough to receive a period of more systematic training. This method of dealing with younger boys has been in vogue since 1895, since which date 230 boys have been received at Berlin. As none have yet attained their majority, no figures are yet avail- able as to the proportion of cases with which these methods succeed or fail. At Westborough much attention is given to the school teach- ing. The courses are planned upon modern lines, and include singing, drawing and wood work. Gymnastics and manual training are emphasized with a view to developing an all-round boy, and making good so far as possible the deficiencies of pupils who in too many cases have played truant, bunked in the streets and smoked cigarettes to excess, and who as a whole 8 TRUSTEES' REPORT LYMAN SCHOOL. [Oct. are decidedly behind the average boy. Except as boys are detailed to the manual training classes, the morning hours are devoted to work about the houses or on the farm, or in the various shops. Many boys acquire efficiency in skilled trades, and much of the construction and repair of buildings is done by boy labor. Fifteen years ago, when the trustees were dis- cussing the advisability of introducing manual training, the school carpenter scouted the idea that such boys could learn to use the tools. It would have seemed like a fairy tale then to have imagined the boys building a barn, the material of which cost not far from $10,000, or making substantial pieces of furniture, — desks, chamber sets, etc.