Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-01-27

provision for teaching trades to the pupils.
Various occupations are open to deafmutes,
in which they attain proficiency little. II any.
inferior to that acquired by persons blessed
with full use Of all the senses, and at which, OF
course, they readily obtain livelihood.
!. table published in recent report Of an Eastern
l Institution Of this Kind gives list OF Occupa-
tions, mum bering forty -four, that have been
successfully followed by male deaf-mutcs; and
| Of eight which female mutes have pursued.
OF these occupations some thirty were distinct
mocha meal trades.
The total receipts from all sources for the bien-
NAL period, including $50, 1906 from this State
and 1851 25 from the State of Nebraska, were,
up to November LIST, 1869, $34, 065S and the
total expenditures for same time, $29, 7.s2,
leaves balance on hand on November LIST,
1860, of $44,sls.76.
On the tenth day of August, 1868, contract
was entered into, by the Commissioners in
charge, for the erection Of the proposed build
ing at Council Bluffs for the sum of $l2l 500.
The total sum expended in the work up to
Nov LIST, last, was SIT, 223S. 72-the balance Of
the appropriation of $125, 600 remaining un.
drawn. The building is of substantial char.
acter, and its erection is superin tended by
| competent architect.
The location of the editce on the ten acres
added To the grounds, Us required by the acts
Of the |, st General Assembly, necessitated
much heavy grading, which has been done,
part of the grounds fenced, and some shade
trees set out. The expenditures for these objects
exhausted the margin of the appropriation
over and above the contract price for the build
ing and caused a small deficiency To meet
this, to pay the Supcrin tendent's salary, and to
improve the grounds and other work, the Com
missioners ask an appropriation of $4,000,
which recommend be made.
The General Assembly, at its last session,
adopted plan for this cdifce, and directed the
construction of the main building and one
wing, but limited the cost to 1925, coo, much
more than one half the work to be done for
much less than half the lowest estimate of the
cost of the structure, according to the original
plan, viz, $500 900. 1t is not surprising, there
fore, that the present contractor should antici-
pate a loss. Some changes and restrictions in
the plan, combined with serious accident to
, himself, increased the difficulties under which
he labored The granting Of increased pay
after the performance Of work, when fair
contract has been made, is not in general to be
+ commended. Its tendency is to prevent fair
0 competition in public works, bidders being in
, duced to calculate on gratuity from the legis-
lature to help them out in case Of ruinous
U contract. Yet, in view OF the attending circum-
!, stances, of the good character OF the work, and
q of the fact that, with the amount now asked
to make up the deficiency, the building will
have cost az, 52S. 10 less than the next lowest
n bidder offered to do it for, | am induced TO ask
the General Assembly to appropriate $4,000,
To be placed al the disposal Of the Commits
u sioners to be paid, in their discretion, to the
J. contractor, II 1t be found in equity due him,
q or to be otherwise used to complete the edihce.
Since the last legislative session. one OF the
= commissioners, DIR. T.. Honn, has been removed
l. by death. ! appointed Gen. Grenville M.
= Dodge to fill the position thus made vacant.
q, would remind the General Assembly that,
" unlike the Trustees and Commissioners OF
i other institutions, the Commissioners having
- charge Of this undertaking receive no com
n pensalion whatever for their services. The
distinction is the more observable from the
fact that an unusually heavy bond, namely,
e 800 600, Is required OF these ofcers-ten times
,r Ms much Ms 10 demanded of officers who per-
:, form similar services, and receive per dien, and
- expenses. | therefore suggest that the Com.
X missioners be allowed compensation In some
If manner adequate TO their labor.
4 AS il known, these institutions for the blind
and the deaf and dumb are not for the cure or
>, treatment OF disease, but only for educational
a purposes; yet, In view Of the want of any es-
"a tablished charities, at which INDECENT persons
=. threatened with loss of either sense may be
70 treated, and of the injuries to which such indi-
, vduals are peculiarly exposed by the NAL
;. treatment of charlatans, would suggest, US a
proper subject for legislative inquiry, whether
some provision might not be judiciously made
y for the treatment OF such needy ones in con
!. nection with the medical department Of the
, State University.
(. HOSPITAL PoK THE INSANE.
Z As In the other institutions, 80 in the Hospi
n tai for the Insane, the health Of the inmates
y patients. however, has largely exceeded the
d proper capacity of the buildings and during
= the past two years, for want of room, seventy
six applicants have been refused admis.
sion, and forty-hv harmless but incura-
II bic patients have been removed or discharged
"a from the Hospital, which contained on the LIST
Of November last, three hundred and ninety
; eight inmates. Persons needing treatment are
n now more promptly sent to the Hospital than
formerly, and II Is doubtless owing partially to
. this fact, that the rccOveries exceed those Of
any previous term. One hundred and twenty
g acres have been added to the farm, and consid-
y cradle improvements have been made in the
:. buildings and equipments. The expenditures
Of the Hospital for the two years amounted to
$2l4 COS. ~; distributed as follows: $1S7 74. "a
i. tor general support, $500 for the purchase of
q lands, and $l6,37l.45 for furniture, etc. To
meet these expenses the Hospital received
& $3.50, 437. so, as follows for general support
:, from the State Treasury $l53,5OO, from private
patients go 1856 49, from articles sold, 3654.77,
. from balance at beginning of term, $3,24O, "a in
all, -; for lands and Improvements
! from State, &25,750. For the latter object, the
f amount Of the appropriation was $2S, $50. The
estimated value Of the supplies on hand is $751;
355.47.
would invite your attention to the draft of
: a law concerning the insane, as recommended
by the national convention of superintendent
OF insane hospitals, and appended to the report
Of this institution and l would commend the
: observations of the Trustees thereon TO your
! consideration.
. ADDITIONAL INSTITUTION AT INDEPENDENCE.
The Commissioners for the Additional In
: stitution for the insane" at Independence,
s having decided, after mature deliberation on
plan for the structure, awarded the contract
for the erection Of the portion now to be built,
the price to be paid being SS8, ia. The unfa-
vOrable character Of the past season has ma
terially retarded the work, yet the Commits
B sioners hope to finish the building now under
G contract within the time allowed by law. The
expenditures up to the first Of December last
were &35, 7749O. The entire amount appropri.
: ated by the Commissioners out OF the sum al
9 lowed by the General Assembly for various OBJ
jects connected with their work, including con-
tract price Of building, Is &lOO, 800 SO. The
; Commissioners ask an appropriation for the
D purpose of improvements and the building Of
r a horse railroad to the track Of the Dubuque
81 Sioux City Railroad, which, the Superin-
.A.v~H .