The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-04-12

consistent with the financial condition Of
our state, still, we believe that such heavy
appropriations have been unnecessary, Dob
great measure, and should be stopped
Your committee believe that there 81 "a
gTsaeer humber OF employees about the in-
suCutlon than = absolutely necessary. and
J thas tile wages of most OF them sboffId ba
Ieuuceu at least twenty per cent. As &c is
now. the officers acd employees receive al
full wages as others employed bv mo -fst.
and are, Ia addition, furnished surn1rf b,'
the Institution, at the pcusc of the -fafs
/ which amount, In the aggregate. d. stOaI
or $1,000 per aunum. The treasurer OF fbD
I State could, with equal proprietv. claim nv
same. We do not mean o. say by tlfs. tI.ar
the officers and mploYcCs with their mmi-
| lies should not live and be supported Iu
those institutions, but we do say tbat taeIr
/ wages should De fixed accordingly: and
\ that all the members Of their respective
/ families should be given employment about
the institutions when consistent with tho
| public good. Now, as to suitable and proper
| persons TO direct the management Uf flu-s
Institutions, your committee earnestly fu.-
ommeLd that the trustees or Ire.f6rs hs
appointed or elected ftom our worry hp-t
men Of experience, honesty aud Integrity.
who have no favors 90 show AMY one. b1r
will and should be required 60 always looI,
TO the best interest OF the Institutions aud
the State. The Superinteudgufs should hn
men of professional skill aud capacity, and
of known worth and standing otherwise
men who will devote their time and atteu-
tion TO their profession aud The business
for which they are employed. They should
be of undOubted morality and sobripty,
otherwise our charitable Institutions Hre
prostituted and diverted from che sacred
purpose for which they We're founded and
which should be considered the nearest and
most sacred trust OF the citizens of the State.
The funds appropriated for the support OF
these institutions your Committee believe
might be. by far, more economically p,.-
pended. From the exam nation of vouchers
brought before us, we are couN need thlt
more favorable arrangements might nr1s
been made IN purchasing supplu--t though
one great disadvantage under which ilUse
institutions labor is the deprecated value
OF our St2te warrants, which have tu Doe
sold in the market at varying prices. and
are source ofsp4culation to bankers and
Others, with CORES pOndiug loss tO the
State. This, however was not Che case
with the Lunatic Asylum for the last year,
as most of the appropriation for Support
this had been taken, rs Ii should have been,
and supplies purchased i'm foreign markets.
and, at wholesale prices, much could
have been saved to the State. We Hud
that many things were bought iu The
home market, and in many instances
at heavy retail prices For Instance. the
drug bills were purchase ut one drug
storein jackson at full retail prices. We
are satisfied that itthere could have been
even In jackson, thew could
have been bought much cheaper, and could
have been bought in foreign market ut
prices, at least 30 per cent. ANA
in some Instances perhaps 5j per cent?
cheaper. Other facts connected with said
vouchers OF expenditures might Doe cited ion
Justification and proof of the statements
made above. But enough has been said.
lt is only necessary 10 refer tJ the reports
Of those institutions and The late report of
the Treasurer Of the State 10 satisfy thi5
Legislature Of the unnecessary rNtrava-
gauce of those Institutions and all others OF
the state. We earnestly recommend that
the laws be made more binding governing
tho &c institutions, and required TO bee more
strictly obeyed. There Is too much of % dis-
position on the part OF Legislative bodies
generally, to overlook i'm projections Ofoui-
,ers in trust which has brought UNFOLD evils
% the Treasury and reputation of our gov
BY Mr.. Blcunt: prohibit the salconlq-
lors in Pittsboro, Calhoun county; passed.
BY Mr.. Street: To regulate ialor-' fees;
pending its consideration. the House ad-
burned.