In its work for humanity Maine has aimed at the fountain-head of crime and misery,-the drink problem. Not many years ago there were 35 distilleries and 2 breweries running night and day,— to-day not one. There are boys and girls in Maine who have never seen a drunken person. There are towns in Maine without a single pauper.

A very beautiful charity not mentioned in the report is largely carried on in Maine,- summer outings to children and overworked and invalid women. Nearly every town in Maine entertains in summer more or less of these from the cities of the United States.

MARYLAND.

BY MISS KATE M. MCLANE, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

Maryland has biennial sessions of the legislature. Therefore, our legislature, fortunately, has not been in session since the last Conference; but the most important legacy of correctional legislation from the session of 1894, "The Suspension of Sentence for Juvenile Offenders Bill," has proven in the nine cases under its operation most valuable. The experienced and able secretary of the Maryland Prisoners' Aid Association considers this Parole before Sentence Act the only means of saving boys convicted of petty crimes from the moral infection inseparable from juvenile prison life, and has asked me to hand to the Secretary of this Conference the full text of the act, for incorporation in our Proceedings.

The law of 1894, authorizing certain counties to employ prisoners and tramps on public highways and improvements, has not been enforced, and will not be until public opinion demands it.

It has been practically decided to build the new insane asylum (for which the last legislature appropriated $75,000) on a farm adjoining the present House of Correction in Baltimore County. This location will reduce the current expenses of the asylum, as excellent water, fresh vegetables, dairy produce, and all necessary outside labor can be supplied by the House of Correction.

Charity Organization Societies were organized in February at Annapolis and Hagerstown, Frederick County, and Chestertown, Kent County. Both formed Relief Committees last winter, whose aim was to prevent duplication and assure efficacy of relief during

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a winter of exceptional distress. These temporary associations will, it is hoped, become permanent ones. So much for the State.

In Baltimore City a beginning has been made, through a small city appropriation of $500, for two successive summers toward free baths. On the other hand, an ordinance to incorporate into the city school system the cooking school for public school girls (carried on for three years by private subscription) was defeated, as also an ordinance authorizing the appointment of women on the school board; but the agitation in connection with both these measures will bear fruit in the future.

Real growth is shown in the line of care for children. The House of the Good Shepherd, under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, has added a department for colored girls, with some 50 inmates. The Catholics have also opened a new country home, "Hopewell," for children. The Children's Playground Association this month christened in South Baltimore its first playground; and after many heroic and unsuccessful efforts the Charity Organization Society has prevailed upon a police justice, under an existing ordinance, to commit three children for begging on the streets to the Home of the Friendless for thirty days. St. Paul's Orphan Asylum for Female Children, in a large new house, proposes to give the girls some industrial training; while the Baltimore Orphan Asylum has provided an isolating ward, and sends its boys and girls to the public schools. This example of separating orphan children during school hours from the abnormal atmosphere of institutional life will certainly influence other Baltimore orphanages.

The most mortifying fact which I have to report is that during the past winter $17,566 in cash and large quantities of food and clothing were sent to the Baltimore police stations, and distributed to the poor by the uniformed officers of the law. This mass of emotional relief not only cut down the receipts of established agencies of relief, but sowed seeds of vice and pauperism which no amount of intelligent almsgiving was able to neutralize.

AN ACT to add an additional section to Article 27 of the Code of Public General Laws, title "Crimes and Punishments," sub-title "Sentence," to be dared as Section 304 A.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryl

ditional section, to be designated as Section 304 A, be, and the

added to Article 27 of the Code of Public General Laws, title "Crimes and Punishments," sub-title "Sentence," to follow Section 304, and to read as follows: — 304 A. In any case in which a person is convicted, before any court, of larceny, or false pretences, or any other offence not capital, and no previous conviction is proved against him, if it appears to the court before whom he is so convicted, that, regard being had to the youth, character, and antecedents of the offender, to the nature of the offence, and to any extenuating circumstances under which the offence was committed, it is expedient that the offender be released on probation of good conduct, the court may, instead of sentencing him at once to any punishment, direct that he be released on his entering into a recognizance, with or without sureties; and, during such period as the court may direct, to appear and receive judgment when called upon, and in the mean time to keep the peace and be of good behavior. And the court may, if it thinks fit, direct that the offender shall pay the costs of the prosecution, or some portion of the same, within such period and in such instalments as may be directed by the court; and at any time within such period, but not afterwards, the court may, upon being satisfied by information on oath that the offender has failed to observe any of the conditions of his recognizance, issue process for his apprehension, and thereupon, without any further proceedings, impose sentence upon him.

Approved April 6, 1894.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Whatever progress has been made in carrying on the charitable and correctional work of Massachusetts during the last two years has been chiefly in efforts toward a better administration of long-tried and approved methods rather than in the introduction of any new modes of action. The Hospital for Dipsomaniacs and Inebriates was opened on the 6th of February, 1893. From that date to Sept. 30, 1894, there were committed 324 persons, and there remained at the close of the year 110. The workings of this institution have not as yet fully met the hopes expressed at the time of its establishment. Over 40 per cent. of those who had been inmates were reported as doing well, and 14 per cent. more had improved in their habits. There was at first a manifest carelessness on the part of committing magistrates in sending to the hospital persons unfit for its treatment, but latterly greater care has been used in that respect.

The Asylum for Chronic Insane, authorized in 1892, is approaching completion, and will be ready for patients during the current year. Its opening will greatly relieve the overcrowded hospitals.

Considerable progress has been made in the matter of Training Schools for Nurses in connection with the insane hospitals of the

State.

Such schools are now an established part of various hospitals, and are found of great value.

The necessity of a hospital for epileptics has been urged upon the legislature for several years; and favorable action is at last likely to be speedily taken, and thus a long-needed want will be supplied.

The State Primary School for Indigent and Neglected Children, established in 1866, and at one time having an average of 537 pupils, will probably cease to exist as such before the close of the present year. For some years, in consequence of the action of the State Board of Lunacy and Charity in placing such children as formerly were sent to that institution at board in families, the number has been steadily diminishing. Arrangements have been made to place all such children at once in families instead of collecting them in considerable numbers in the school. The new method has thus far worked very satisfactorily, and promises to be not merely useful, but economical as well.

The only laws of importance of the last two years affecting penal institutions are the acts relating to the release of prisoners from the State farm, under which special deduction of time may be made, and the act for the release of prisoners from the State prison on parole. Some other laws affecting the details of administration have been enacted, but they do not change the general policy of the State. Last year a special report upon a new State prison, which should combine the congregate and separate systems of imprisonment under one management, was presented to the legislature. The report was referred to the General Court of 1895, but no action has yet been taken on the matter.

MICHIGAN.

BY DR. JAMES A. POST, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

The following are the most important changes made and being made by the legislature of Michigan during the present session and since our last report:

A bill providing for the paroling of convicts has been introduce with a fair prospect of becoming a law. This bill auth governor to issue a permit to go at large to any prisoner or may hereafter be placed in confinement, except the

serving life sentences or those who have served two previous sentences for felony. No prisoner can be paroled except by recommendation of the Board of Control of the prison where the prisoner is confined. The prisoner remains in theory always in custody, his parole not acting as a release. He may be taken back to the prison at any time on the warrant of the governor. Incidentally to the bill, clerks of all Courts of Record are to send to the Board of Control of the prison to which the prisoner is sentenced a statement of the case, with names and residences of witnesses and jurors, character of evidence, and previous character of the prisoner, and the circumstances of aggravation or mitigation of the offence, this record to be prepared within ninety days of the sentencing of any person to confinement for a year or more in State prison, the object of this provision being to give the Board of Control full information about prisoners in their charge, so far as may be developed on the trial.

Private asylums which because of the crowded condition of the State asylums are maintaining State patients are to receive pay for the maintenance of such patients only on the certificate of the State Board of Charities that they are properly cared for.

A law has been enacted providing for the State inspection and certification of all homes where children are indentured, whether placed in such homes from State or private institutions. Provision has also been made whereby persons placing children in homes in Michigan from other States are required to file a bond of $1,000 with the probate judge in the county where the child is placed, providing that such child shall never become a charge either upon the county or upon the State.

An effort is being made to do away with contract prison labor and to provide again for capital punishment in Michigan. It still remains to be demonstrated how many friends these evil propositions have in the State legislature, as these bills have neither of them yet come before either House.

The two new institutions provided for by the preceding legislature, and which were mentioned in our last year's report to the Conference,— namely, a new asylum for insane at Newbury (in the Upper Peninsula) and a Home for the Feeble-minded and Epileptic at Lapeer, will soon be ready for a limited number of inmates, probably by May 15 or June 1. Both of the institutions are constructed