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The free Labor System shows a greater variety, as follows:

Shoemaking.

Cane-seating chairs.

Chair-making.

Brush-making.

Dress-making.

Tailoring.

Sewing-machine work.

Box-making.

Hat-making.

Knitting (by hand).

Manufacture of tinware.

Wood-work.

Printing.

Seed-growing.

Flower culture.

Shirt-making.

Brick-making.

Hosiery-making.

Blacksmithing.

Crocheting.

Fancy work.

Stock raising. Besides, it must be remembered, that, under the Free Labor System, a full trade is frequently, if not generally, taught, and the boys become expert workmen in their particular line; while under the Contract System no such opportunity is afforded, and but one operation or process inculcated.

"While seeking information on this subject of industrial training when abroad, I found that in England, Scotland, and Ireland,, the following industries were systematically taught: Farming, vegetable gardening and flower culture, match-box making, tailoring, shoemaking, carpentering, baking, engineering, gas-fitting, cabinet-making, stock raising, wheelwright-work, saddle and harness making, stone cutting, wood carving, baking, etc.

On the Continent, I was particularly struck with the thoroughness of the instruction and the skill attained by the pupils in every department. In summer, the principal occupations are farming and gardening, and such other work as keeps the children out of doors and tends to make them strong and robust, while the inclement weather and winter months are selected for such industrial and intellectual education as may be afforded indoors. In this way greater variety of occupation is secured, greater skill attained, with health, contentment, and the best results. At the Bduhe Haus, near Hamburg, established by Immanuel Wichern, of revered memory, the following trades were being carried on: Blacksmithing, carpentering, tailoring, shoemaking,

I)rinting, wagon-making, gardening, etc. At the Netherands Mettray, farming, gardening and dairying on an extensive scale, blacksmithing, carpentering, tailoring, shoemaking, tinsmithing and painting. At the French Mettray, near Tours, agriculture on an extensive scale, blacksmithing, cart and wagon making, painting, tailoring, shoemaking, etc. The contract system of labor is peculiar to America. I have not found that it exists in any juvenile reformatory either on the Continent or in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The objections to it are obvious, and mainly the following:

It subordinates the reformation and improvement of the child to the interest- of the contractor; introduces a foreign element into the institution in the person of the contractor's employes, who have no sympathy with the cause of reform, but, on the contrary, exercise a vicious influence.

It also interferes with opportunities for intellectual instruction and recreation; imposes long hours of work,and makes.the boy believe that he is part of a scheme for making money for the institution. He works grudgingly, and is encouraged to steal and misrepresent his labor in order to satisfy demands upon him.

The system is at faijlt as an industrial education, inasmuch as by its plan of teaching but one process in the operation, the boy does not learn a complete trade.

It is strictly a system adapted to adult convicts in a penal institution, and wholly unsuited to a reformatory for children, where a home atmosphere should prevail, and where, by association with disinterested teachers, self-respect and love for honorable industry are inculcated.

An attempt has been made to defend it on the ground of economy, but this has failed; for, with the exception of the Baltimore Reform School, under the Xavierian Brothers, the per capita cost is found to be lowest in an institution under the Free Labor System.

The exception even does not afford a fair basis of comparison; for the institution, being under the contrdl of a religious brotherhood, that give their services almost gratuitously, the heavy item for salaries is not included. It therefore holds good that the Free Labor System, which exhibits its most perfect financial results in New Jersey, stands at the head, even from a financial point of view, though moral considerations ought to be of more importance than isolated pecuniary figures.

There is an aspect of this question which is apt to be overlooked. It is this: The Contract System tends to induce the committal to and retention in these reformatories, of a class of children who ought never to have been sent there, and who might advantageously be disposed of by indenturing at trades and useful occupations, without the brand of criminal commitment.

This economic result of doing right finds a ready illustration in England, where it was found that the expense of reformatories was increased by retaining in them a class of children unsuited to such a place, and who could be restored to the family with slight correctional treatment. On this point Mr. Justice Baker remarks, thaff reformatories should be used onlv for serious cases, and not filled with those who, from childish thoughtlessness, may have committed some petty offense.

Although it is time that I should close, I desire to dwell for a moment upon the encouraging aspects of this important subject.

In my efforts to help on the work of reforming children, it has been gratifying to find that there is something in the public heart, which, when appealed to properly, responds bravely, and always in the right. My work in life, so far from being discouraging has been quite hopeful; and the more extended my intercourse with my fellow men, the higher rises my estimate of the nobility of the human character. However little we may see of the better part of men's nature, there is, behind what seems to us cold and calculating, a warm and generous impulse.

Shortly after entering upon my work as State Commissioner of Charities in New York, more than a decade since, I gave my attention to the pitiable condition of the children in the poorhouses and almshouses of New York State, resolving that if God would spare my life, I would not rest until those children were removed from that poisoned moral atmosphere. My hopes were happily realized by the passage of a law, in 1875, with which you are doubtless familiar.

I remember among the initiatory steps of that difficult undertaking, when attempting to secure the removal of a large number of children from one of the city almshouses, it became necessary to appeal to the governing body of the county—the Board of Supervisors. It seemed at one time as though I had awakened but little sympathy. Still I persevered. Finally, it reached a point when it seemed, that, unless the presiding officer of the Board could be influenced, the case was lost. But he appeared like a cold-hearted, unfeeling man, in whose.face I could not trace the least line of sympathy for this movement on behalf of these unfortunate little ones. It was almost a hopeless task, yet I finished my earnest plea before the Board. Judge of my surprise after leaving the hall and coming hack later, to find that this apparently coldhearted, stubborn man had left the chair, ahd, on the floor of the house, with his hair disordered, his face purple with the warmth of his feelings, was denouncing in unmeasured terms the system which I had all along supposed he was defending. It is needless to add, that this unexpected demonstration rendered the triumph complete.

* The great interest manifested in this widely extended field, by those whose lives have been devoted to this humanitarian work, inspires fresh confidence that the evils of defective classification and wrongly directed industries here enumerated as among the faults of our system will eventually be set aside.

With the growing intelligence of statesmen, and the diffusion of light through the pervading influence of the Press, we f eelbuoyed up and inspired with the hope that these great wrongs inflicted upon helpless children, partially through ignorance, partially through the hyperconservatism of the age, which, happily, is fast passing away, will be remedied, and the spirit of the Divine Master will prevail, who pleads, "Suffer Little ChilDren, AND FORBID THEM NOT, TO COME UNTO ME; FOR OF

Such is The Kingdom Of Heaven."

A communication was •presented from C. F. Coffin, of Indiana. (See appendix.) The Conference then took a recess until afternoon.

NINTH SESSION.

Thursday Afternoon, September 27,1883.

The conference met at 3 P. M. in the chapel of the Louisville House of Refuge, with the officers and inmates of that institution.

The conference was welcomed to the institution by ex-Governor L. P. Blackburn, and the children were addressed by the following'gentlemen:

Hon. Fred. H. Wines, of Illinois, President of the Conference.

J. H. Mills, of North Carolina, Superintendent of the Masonic Orphan Asylum.

C. H. Bond, of* Connecticut, Superintendent of the Industrial School for Girls.

Gen. John Eaton, U. S. Commissioner of Education.

F. B. Sanborn, of Massachusetts, a former President of the Conference.

Frederick Collins, one of the Managers of the Philadelphia House of Refuge.

Judge John C. Ferris, of Tennessee.

Hon. Andrew E. Elmore, President of the previous Conference.

The conference was then provided with a lunch in the dining hall of the institution and took a recess until evening.

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