“The Reformatory can take that which has worth, even though it may be bent, twisted and corroded with sin, and making it plastic, it may form it over again, reform it; but that which is useless, which is only dross, it can do little with. The Reformatory can reform, but it cannot re-create. We may as well be candid about it. The idea has been created in the public mind that every reformatory is a miracle-working machine; that no matter what is run into it, it will return all material, no matter how good or bad, back into the world, made over into first-class men. The word HOPE in big letters has been written over the doorway of our reformatory institutions, and so it ought to be. There is no charitable or correctional institution of which society expects so much, and there is no kind of institution that has a greater desire to meet that expectation, but honesty and fairness demand that it shall be stated that the quality of human material given to it is of such a character as to, of necessity, greatly limit its results.” * * * * * _Other Items From the Reformatory._--During the year 456 inmates of the New Jersey State Reformatory worked outside of the enclosure. There have been only two escapes, one from those working inside the wall, who was returned by the police, and one from the details working outside, who was captured and returned to the institution by other inmates. The physical condition of the inmates now present in the institution is as follows: Those who have increased in weight, 67 per cent. No change in weight, 19 per cent. Loss of weight, 14 per cent. The reduction in the number losing weight is explained as follows: A larger number of the inmates have been assigned to the outdoor work, gardening and farming, than ever before. The amount of food served in the dining room has been increased, and its quality much improved. Many low places in the grounds where mosquitoes breeded and from which malaria emanated have been filled. During the year more inmates have been paroled, and with better results than ever before in the history of the Reformatory. Number placed on parole 413 Returned for crime 8 Returned, or not returned, being declared delinquent because of committing new crime or breaking other conditions of parole 84 Percentage failing to keep parole 20 * * * * * _Contracts in Iowa._--The Fort Madison Farming Tool company will make a fight to retain its business of manufacturing tools at the Fort Madison penitentiary. It will ask that its contract to employ 150 prisoners be continued for at least a year from the expiration of the present contract on November 1, 1914.