Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-15

expense attending the same. Tbs should be
corrected, as 1t can hardly be expected that the
men who are enlisted in the service Of the State
for three years should defray their own ex-
penses: 1 suggest that an appropriation be
made for this object It would seem but lust
that the State should furnish one uniform to
each soldier once in three yeors, which could
be done at small expense. If the men give
their time to drill 80 as to be of use in case Of
need, 1t is only just that the State should bear
the burden of the expense
The labor imposed upon the Adjutant Gen
eral by the Military Code is arduous and con
stantly increasing, and the compensation is too
small. 1t should be increased to 81, 500 per
year.
CLAIM OF W. r. CRAIG.
In August, 1868, W. H. Craig contracted with
the Commissioners of the Deaf and Dumb In
stitutiOn to erect the building for the sum of
$l2l. 500. Pending the construction Of the
building, changes were made by the Commits
sioners which materially enhanced the cost.
The appropriation being exhausted, the Com
missioners were unable to pay him the amount
of the contract, and Mr.. Craig brought suit
against them. The court decided that the
Commissioners were not personally liable. and
as Mr.. Craig could not cue the State he has not
been paid. Pending the suit, the matter was
referred to Messrs Finkbine, Dey and Robert
the claim was just one. Mr.. Craig has
petitioned the last two General Assemblies for
relief. The Committee on Claims of both the
Sixteenth and the Seventeenth General Assem-
blies reported favorably on the claim, and one
| house of the Seventeenth General Assembly
passed the bill making an appropr alton to pay
Mr.. Craig. The claim is, in my opinion, a just
one, and the State should pay it, and recon-
mend, If on examination the facts should be
found as above stated, that an appropriation
be made to pay the same. The State, in her
sovereign capacity, debars her people from
against her: 1t is, therefore, incumbent on her
that all claims, when ascertaine6 to be just,
should be promptly paid.
COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND.
OF the special appropriations for various pur-
poses made by the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
General Assemblies, amounting to $4,2szsS,
there has been expended s3,17l,2S, leaving
| 81, 1860 in the hands of the Treasurer The
| receipts for support funds, including balance
| on hand Nov. 6, 1877, of $8l507, from the State
and from all other sources amount to $50, 1855
There has been expended S47, AS n, leaving a
balance in the Treasurer's hands Of $5,27976.
The Trustees, in their report, ask for an ap-
preparation to renew the plastering This
should be done, as the ceilings are in dilapi-
| dated condition. I also recommend an appro-
| prlat on for barn, which is indispensable for
| the protection Of the stock
| The law creating this institution evidently in
tended it, as its name imports, college for
| the Blind" IL this is true, some law should be
enacted by the General Assembly regulating
| the age OF admission. There are at present in
| the institution, as shown by the report twenty
| persons whose ages are from 2 to 80, averag-
| ing little over 80 years. Doubtless the best
| thing to do would be to admit them between the
| ages Of and 81. If this is not done, in place
| OF being college where the blind are to be ed
| ucated to earn their own living, it will soon de-
| generate into an asylum. Some latitude should
| of course be given to the Trustees in regard to
those who seek admittance for the purpose of
learning SUCH trades as are taught in this insti-
| tuition.
ASYLUM FOR FEEBLE MINDED CHILDREN.
! The Seventeenth General Assembly appropri-
| ated for specific purposes 81, 1C0, Of which
there has been expended 81, OPS 81, leaving q
| balance in the hands of the local Treasurer of
| $71.63. The receipts of the institution for
support have been 500, PAT. %, and the disburse-
ments s2S, 708 "a, leaving balance on hand of
$3.50 "a, and of all funds of $611.07
In view of the fact that the State had no
| ground on which to erect the building author
| ICED by the Seventeenth General Assembly, with
| due regard to economy, in connection with the
main building, and the Board of Trustees not
| being authorized to divert the support-funds
| for this purpose the superintendent, DR.. Arch
| ibald, al my suggestion, advanced the amount
the title to the same was vested in the State l
recommend an appropriation for the amount to
reimburse him.
| The cooking stove at the institution having
| given out and become useless, and the floor be-
| ing worn out, and no funds other than support
| funds in the hands Of the Trustees, the Execu-
| tive Council, being satisfied of the necessity Of
repairing the same, appropriated from the prov
idential fund the sum Of $443.63 to cover the
expense.
The needs of this institution, in some re-
spects, are pressing, especially for sewerage
and proper water supply. 1t will be observed
that ma jority of the Trustees recommend a
for this the General Assembly must be the
judge. If it be done, what is now a valuable
| property, on which a large amount of money
has been expended, must go to waste.
| The management Of the institution is good,
and in my opinion economical. For the other
| wants of this institution you are referred to
| the report.
| HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE AT MOUNT PLEAS
| ANT.
! The amount of special appropriations by the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth General Assemblies,
including 1882. 81 on hand Oct. 1, 1877, is $685.
$50 95, of which there has been expended $24, =
Eos u, leaving balance in hands of the Treas
urer of S69l.23. The receipts of the hospital
during the biennial period Of support funds
including the balance on hand Oct. 1, 1877, Of
81 $3.50, have been from all sources, 1922, =
152 OF, and the disbursements have been $2ll, >
4804, leaving balance on hand OF support
funds of $l2,90397.
1 deem it my duty to call your attention 10
the fact that the Board of Trustees of this in
which forbids a diversion of support funds to
other purposes. This fact came to my notice
in examining the vouchers of expenditures
during visit in April, 1879 Soon afterward
wrote to the Superintendent, asking for in
formation on this subject Under date OF
| that, from Oct /, 1877, to April /, 1879, there
had been expended from the support funds,
for rock for walks, So, ESQ., for lumber 81, TAI,
| for marble tile 1868, and for iron for new
| boiler, and the wages Of an overseer during
the construction of the same, 81 $50, aggregat-
ing sS,66l. OF this amount, az, 324. "a was e1-
pended in building a road outside the limits Of
the property Of the State. In addition, there
has been nearly as much more expended for
labor, which, with 81 $685. 81 of the contingent
fund, aggregates the sum of $16, SUI. % expend-
ed in making the permanent improvements
| and repairs above referred to. On May Il. l
addressed letter to the President Of the
Board of Trustees, calling his attention to the
fact that the board was violating the law, q
| copy Of which, and of the Presidents reply,
| are on file in the executive Office.
While it is urged by the Trustees-and 1 do
not doubt with perhaps some justice-that the
expenditures for these purposes were, in their
opinion, necessity, and while it is true that a
Ger tain latitude in regard to needed repairs
for which no funds are provided-must Of ne
cessity be accorded to the Trustees, yet, as the
| General Assembly has in set terms declared
| that no funds should be used otherwise than as
| provided by law, Boards of Trustees of any Of
| the State institutions should not be permitted,
| without proper rebuke, to expend support
funds on permanent improvements in such
manner as their Judgment or whims may
dictate to be for the benefit of the institutions
over which they are placed in special charge
by the General Assembly. 1t is therefore de-
sirable that the General Assembly should leg
islate on this subject, in order to summarily
stop Boards of Trustees from the diversion Of
| support funds, otherwise the practice will
| soon grow into an abuse.
Two members Of the Board Of Trustees do