The University of Alabama, like all other institutions of higher learning throughout the country, has been seriously interfered with in its curriculum during the past and present year. The demands of war are exacting and all must contribute to its requirements. A large part of the young men who attend and make up its enrollment, are of military age and were quick to take upon themselves, this first duty of citizenship. The places of those who were attending this institution at the outbreak of the war have been taken by others who were drafted for military service and transferred to the University for special training in branches that will be directly useful to the government in pursuing its war program.

DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS

As is well known, these schools are located in the seven congressional districts. It has been doubted whether the work done justified the money appropriated to them. The truth is, the appropriation was not sufficient to enable the schools to do the work expected of them and they naturally drifted into local high school work. Many of them, as well as other classes of schools, had fallen into the habit set for them by the State, that of running behind in their finances. They are now practically all in good financial condition and are more nearly coming up to the purpose for which they were intended. The appropriation to each of these schools is $4,500 annually. Under the Smith-Hughes Act they receive additional support amounting to about $800.00 each, to encourage vocational work. With this assistance better training will be given in courses of vocational agriculture and home economics. In addition to the amount received from the State other funds are received from matriculations.

The agricultural schools should become more closely allied and co-ordinated with the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. If this were done and their efforts in vocational agriculture were limited to demonstrating the ideas advanced at the A. P. I., the different sections would receive greater benefit from the discoveries of science as it relates to agriculture.

The enrollment of the agricultural schools for the year 191718 was 1,585 of whom 1,139 were in the agricultural classes. The number of enrollment shows a slight decrease from the previous year. Similar to that of all the schools, the decrease is found to be with the boys.

ALABAMA GIRLS TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

This institution has shown wonderful growth. No school in the State has been received with greater popular favor than the girls institute at Montevallo. Its enrollment is limited to the capacity of its accommodations. Being a girls' school, its enroll

ment has not been seriously interfered with by war conditions. The institute was established and is conducted on a broad basis. More than 1,000 girls annually are receiving instruction within its walls. The accommodations are sufficient to take care of only about 500 girls, but the school is maintained for twelve months of the year. The summer school for 1918 enrolled 296 girls and the training school 289, making the total enrollment for the year 1917-18 1,076 girls in which 63 counties of the State were represented.

ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

This is the State institution of higher education that has long been popular with the masses. Its purpose and its work have brought it in close touch with the material things of life. One is not only trained for life, but is supposed to practically live the life with which he expects to come in contact after school days have been left behind. The direct influence of the A. P. I. is felt in every home, on the farm, and in all the vocations of life. The character of its instruction and training is best told by the rank assumed in every field of the busy world, by those who have here been favored by having received instructions at the Polytechnic Institute of Alabama.

This institution is a land grant college and it is through this institution that the trust funds created by Congress for encouraging and aiding special vocational work are administered in Alabama. In carrying out these trusts it is made to appear that the funds which have been appropriated by Congress and turned over to the State for the College, are funds to be used by it in the ordinary conduct of its affairs. The opposite effect, however, is often the result, insofar as the college finances are concerned. The greater the trust funds placed under its care, the greater the drain upon its own finances.

The experiences of the A. P. I., in respect to the effects of the war, have not been different from that of other male colleges. Its capacity has been strained, however, in giving accommodations to the large number of the student army training corps, assigned to it. In this work it has been of material benefit to the government. Conditions will soon become normal and the schools and colleges of the State will assume their usual work without interference.

ELEEMOSYNARY INSTITUTIONS

INSANE HOSPITAL

Alabama has just pride of the rank which its hospitals for the insane have taken when compared with similar institutions throughout the States. The expense to the State has been small when consideration is given to what has been returned. The two

hospitals are under the direct control of one superintendent and a board of trustees, which is self-perpetuating. No department or institution of the State has had better management. Out of the maintenance fund provided by the Legislature, the properties have been built up and extended. While the buildings and the facilities are not so elaborate as we would like for them to be, they are much better than we should have a right to expect from the allowance which has been made. The appropriation is $15.00 per month for each patient, which has taken care of every expense. This amount, however, has not all been drawn by the management until the past few years, when the prices of the necessities of life began to advance. At the present time the appropriation is wholly inadequate to satisfy the actual needs.

Besides the smallness of the appropriation to defray the expense incident to the high cost of living occasioned by the war, the hospitals have suffered materially otherwise. Many male nurses were drafted for military service, while others sought more lucrative employment.

The records show a decrease of patients at the close of the year ending September 30, 1918, as compared with the previous year of 24% for the Bryce Hospital at Tuscaloosa, and 18% for the Mount Vernon Hospital. This is a noteworthy fact, while the result, showing a marked decrease in the number of inmates, is in keeping with that presented by other institutions which are on a per capita basis, additional significance should be attached other than that the expenses to the State for the current year, will be less than it has been for many recent years.

There are quite a number of feeble minded in the Bryce Hospital. This is only a small part of the total number of such unfortunates within the State. There should be an institution devoted entirely to this class of defectives. Many of them would be reclaimed under proper care and instruction, to the extent, that under the direction of an instructor many of them would contribute largely to their own support, and besides, there is a consideration due to the humanitarian side of the problem.

INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND

These institutions inspire in the visitor a sympathetic interest. The instruction is proficient, the management is good, and the results obtained are surprisingly responsive and gratifying. From information, there are quite a number of children in the State who should receive the benefits to be had at this school, whose parents have not seen fit to accept the advantages which the State has thus provided. The instructions in the various schools are separate, but the buildings are in convenient proximity and are under the same general management. These institutions should be supported liberally, so that these unfortunate

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children may continue to have the best opportunities that science and training can bestow.

DELINQUENTS

BOYS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL

The Boys Industrial School, located at East Lake, was the first institution of this character to be established by the State. This was accomplished through the persistent efforts of some good ladies of Birmingham who, realizing the needs of the boys of the State, gave their time and energy, without remuneration, to the building of this institution to its present efficient and highly creditable status. It is a monument to the devotion of woman in the cause of humanity and the people of the State should ever be grateful to those who worked so incessantly to place the industrial school for boys on such a permanent foundation. It has grown in usefulness and influence as the years have gone by and as the State has developed. The school had on September 30, 1918, 333 boys in charge, an increase of 9 as compared with the same dates four years ago. The number in charge on March 2, 1918, was 383, which was the greatest number that has been on the rolls at any time. It is maintained on a per capita basis, $12.50 having been appropriated per month for each boy committed to the school, so long as he remains in its charge. The amount paid by the State to this institution during the past four years was $219,912.53 as compared to $154,237.50 for the four years previous. From a comparison of the four year periods, better ideas can be gotten of its growth and of its future requirements. In addition to the per capita appropriation, relief had to be granted to this institution during the four years to the extent of $4,600.03. Practically all of this additional sum used would be classed as maintenance for its plant.

STATE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

This school, while inaugurated in a modest way at the insistence of the good women of Birmingham, became a State institution in 1911 when the Legislature made an appropriation for the purchase of a home and for its maintenance. This appropriation for maintenance was $12.50 per month for each inmate. In addition to this there was an appropriation of $50,000 made for buildings in 1915, subject to release by the Governor. The buildings originally occupied by the school were very inadequate for its needs and unsuited in every way for its purpose. During the late summer a new location was secured, with ample land and with splendid buildings. These required, however, considerable alterations to properly fit them for use by the school. The land and buildings were secured by an outlay of $25,000. By agreement

with representative citizens of Birmingham, that city was to raise the sum required for the purchase of the property and the State was to take it over and make whatever additional expenditures, from time to time, as became necessary to meet the needs of the institution. The city of Birmingham, however, only succeeded in securing $18,000. The State advanced the balance of the purchase money and has expended about an equal amount, so far, in the rearrangement of the buildings. This institution now has a splendid location and gives promise of greater usefulness. On September 30 there were 63 girls in the school. The amount which the State has paid during the four years for maintenance is $34,350.23. The old location has not been disposed of, but should be, as it is of no service to the State.

REFORM SCHOOL FOR JUVENILE NEGRO LAW BREAKERS

The beginning of this institution, like the two preceding ones, was begun in a modest way. Its inception was from the minds and through the acts of some beneficent negro women who had the vision and the earnest desire to benefit the boys of their race. One woman gave twenty acres of land and, by united effort, a sufficient sum was raised for small buildings, which became the nucleus of the present well ordered establishment. It was established as a State institution in 1911, when the Legislature accepted the lands with the buildings upon it, and made an appropriation of $7.50 per capita per month for maintenance and an appropriation of $8,000 for buildings and equipment. Out of the maintenance fund and with the appropriation for buildings, the management has increased the land holdings to 500 acres, erected several substantial buildings and acquired stock, cattle and machinery. They have made of this a model training school for negro boys. The total appropriation for the past four years has been $97,137.10. The number of boys in the institution on September 30, 1914, 131; in 1918, 290. The highest number in the school at any time was 371, in December, 1917. his shows the rapid decline in numbers taking place under the influence of present conditions. The management of this institution has been one amongst the best in the State.

PENAL SYSTEM

Before undertaking any particular work, it becomes necessary to have a clear idea of what is sought to be done, if progress is to be made. Some are possessed with the idea that the purpose in the administration of the criminal law is avenging of society on the wrong-doer, or the infliction of punishment for the purpose of getting even with the criminal. It must be generally conceded, however, that the real purpose in the administration of the criminal law, is to protect society against the commission of crime. In