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THE BRIDGEWATER WORKHOUSE.

Warden avers, and with some reason, that pardons are granted without his being consulted, and without sufficient discrimination, by availing himself of the power conferred by this provision, he would have the matter for the most part in his own hands.

Beside those of the Report of the Inspectors and the Warden, further statistics will be found in the Tables of the Appendix to this Report.

2. The State Workhouse at Bridgwater.

While the plan of this establishment continues to give satisfaction, as appears elsewhere, its statistics also continue to give pleasing evidence of its practical economy.

The whole number received there during the year ending October 1, 1868, has been 252, of whom 84 were males and 168 females. Of this number 140 have escaped or been discharged, nine of whom died. The number remaining on the 30th of September was 328-79 males and 249 females. The average number during the year was 267, and the average weekly cost about $1.82, or considerably less than the average cost in the county prisons, though greater than the cost at the State Prison. When the shops and work-rooms are all occupied, the earnings of the prisoners should further diminish the cost of their support, which hereafter ought not to exceed $1.50 a week, and may perhaps fall, as prices fall, to $1.00. A corresponding reduction of cost in the county prisons would save the people of the State at least $100,000 a year.

But this presupposes, perhaps, the experience and ability of its judicious superintendent. Of the character and working of this important establishment, I have spoken elsewhere, and its financial statistics will be found tabulated with those of the State Institutions, further on.

Application has been made, and repeated, to all the other State Prisons in the country for statistics, and a table presenting them, so far as the courtesy of their officers allows, will be found in the Appendix to this Report.

PART III.]

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

[CHAP. II.

CHAPTER II. THE REFORMATORIES.

These interesting establishments continue to enlist the sympathy and engage attention, in an increasing degree, both here and elsewhere-and this is natural as well as most desirable; for, if it is true that the reformation of the wrong-doer is the first object of all prison discipline, the principle would seem to apply with its greatest force to the care and treatment of offenders at an age when they can be most easily impressed, when we may hope not only to transmute, for the State, a horde of incipient criminals into useful citizens, but also to save those thus early inclined to evil through ignorance, neglect, example or even inherited propensity, from themselves.

The standard of discipline, as of instruction, varies in the different schools, somewhat according to their circumstances and conditions. In all a high standard is sought; and a larger experience, an increasing devotion and a zeal for the welfare of these pupils, will yet raise it and keep it to a still higher and better plane. An almost intractable material requires almost inexhaustible patience; but no one undertakes the responsible duties of these philanthropic enterprises, without taking this also into the account, and finding, in the work itself, a higher compensation than that received from the treasury.

The average number, for the past year, in the three reformatories, has been 737, (against 752 the year before,) and adding those at the kindred institution for boys, and that for girls, at Deer Island-the Boston House of Reformation-we have a total of 977.

It is still to be regretted that the annual cost of a pupil in our Massachusetts Reformatories is considerably greater than in most such establishments in other States. This is due to various causes, the principal of which is the comparatively small revenue derived from the labor of the pupils in Massachusetts. The 300 boys of our School Ships earn little or nothing, while costing us upwards of $3.70 a week; the girls at Lancaster, though they do better and cost less, do not earn much, and the boys at Westborough are still far behind the pupils of some such establishments in the revenue derived from their labor.

REFORMATORIES.

Various considerations, however, are urged in this connection, some of which should perhaps find place here. In some other like institutions-as at Meridan, Conn.-they have a class of larger boys, it is said, than at our Reform School, and more hours of work. With us, at Westborough, we work but six hours, to their eight, and with a weaker force at that,-inasmuch as our older and more productive laborers, it is claimed, -or what should be such,-are in general drawn off to the Nautical School.

It is to be hoped that a larger return than ten cents may be had from the six hours of well conducted and supervised labor at Westborough, by some judicious arrangement; and it is the opinion of those of most experience in these matters, that a well organized reformatory should meet one-half its expenses, at least. How this can be done on the School Ships, remains to be seen, where there would seem to be fewer advantages for its accomplishment than at the Reform School.

With regard to private reformatories, there is nothing further to report, beyond what was submitted last year, in response to the Resolve of the Legislature of 1867.

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These are ten in number, exclusive of the Charlestown Prison, and not reckoning as separate establishments the new State Primary School and State Workhouse. Tables III-IX. will show the financial condition of these ten establishments. They are derived from the Financial Statement annually made to your Board by the several Institutions, and will repay a careful examination. No special notice has been taken in these Tables of the two new Institutions, already mentioned,-the State Primary School, and the State Workhouse,-because the property and expenses of these are still in a common stock with those of the Monson and Bridgewater Almshouses respectively.

1. Valuation.-It will be seen that the total valuation of these ten establishments has reached the sum of over two million dollars. The number of acres has increased, by purchase, in the past year, to 1,526.

It must be remembered that this Valuation of Buildings does not represent with accuracy the cost of construction, etc., at the respective Institutions, which, generally speaking, is greater than the sums here given.

The Personal Estate at these establishments has increased during the past year, to the extent of near $38,000.

2. The Receipts from the State Treasury are classified so as to show in one sum all that has been drawn during the year for current expenses.

REMARKS ON TABLES III.-IX.

The receipts from Loans have largely decreased,-being only some $2,200, against near $20,000 last year; while the receipts from Towns, at the Reformatories, are reported still larger than last year. They will be larger yet, when the present termsfifty cents per week-are increased as they should be; though, as they are paid directly into the Treasury, they are, of course, only nominal.

Their receipts from Labor, however, have been less than last year by nearly $900.

At the three Lunatic Hospitals, the receipts from the State Treasury have risen above even the increase of last year, to the extent of near $11,500.

3. Expenditures in Detail.-These are given from the Financial Statements made by the several Superintendents, and are classified mainly according to their classification. And it is manifest that a different basis has been used in different Institutions. This is especially true in regard to Ordinary and Extraordinary Repairs, where there is room for much variance of opinion. What would be called Ordinary Repairs at one institution, would be Extraordinary Repairs at another. It is impossible to equalize these differences exactly, but they have their effect on the average weekly cost at the several institutions.

It is evident that the sum returned as the "Total Current Expenditures" may sometimes be too large. Indeed it is difficult to decide what shall be classed as current expenditures.

It is from this Table V. that Table VII. is computed, by means of the average number at each Institution. No deductions being made in this latter Table for increase in the appraisal, or other cause, the aggregate average cost often appears too large.

4. Different Estimates of the Annual Cost.-Statements of the Annual Cost of each establishment, according to several methods of computation, have been given each year. This is done because there are different opinions about computing it, which cannot well be reconciled one to another. For this reason I give the Total Receipts, the Receipts from the State

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