Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-12-30

| been invested for the Hospital, during
the period covered by our examination,
the following, among many similar items
Tent and hammock .................. 81 bn
| Oars and row locks for boat.,............ IA IS
| ways to boat house, ............. ...... II Ui
| Attending circus 10. ....... ............ ~ "a
Fire works for 9Th OF July 80. ....,... l6S 81
! Attending state Falr,........,...,.,....., 100 20
A female dog OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. - ~ Al
1cNcu Gu CAehs -. ..'t''.,.+s,...s. 10 GA
Ftescotng ceilings bout,................12 0l "a
one Rogers italy, ...... .,.......... 10 0O
one Richter Observation-Disclosures. ... IN On
one otloy's Painters ,.........,,..... u Oh
! One Rosweins Aiuslce. ................... ~ 20
one National Gallery Observation-Disclosures. u Oh
These illustrations might be extended
to great length, but those given suffice Ia
show the tendency to which wee refer A
proper regard tor economy would Ger.
tsinly reject many or quite all OF these
| expend lures, ana greater watchtuluess In
this direction Is needed on the part OF the
officers of the Hospital,
ACCOUNTING FOR PROPERTY AND rNvEN-
TORIES.
We hsve found an entire lack of re-.
spoons ibliity and accountability Tor prop.
erty purchased for The State and paid for
out OF State funds. For instance: a bill
If goods is purchased IN Chicago, and the
Treasurer OF the Hospital pays the bill on
| the Superintcndent's certificate, with nb
| solutely no way TO tell whether the goods
! purchased ever came 10 the Hospital or
uoi, as taere is no system vi receiving or
| checking bills OF goods purchased Some
! person, other than the purchasing agent,
should receive goods, be required 10 keep
an accurate account thereof and check If
| on the bills all the articles received A
| regular inventory system should also be
| adopted, We do not fad that there ever
| WAS an Inventory OF the Hospital property
| until last fall, 1t was impossible To know
! what property the Hospital mad or ought
| TO have at any given TINE Large quaint.
| ties Of stock, fixtures and furniture have
| been bought and paid tor, and that is the
| end OF me record There is nothing to
! show what hiss become Of that which has
| been purchased but is not visible There
should be complete annual Inventories; 4
| register kept OF every article purchased,
snd, when broken, worn out or destroyed,
| II should b. go recorded Subordinate
| employees should be held strictly account.
able for the property under their control
aud compelled 10 show what becomes Of
| Of It, Under the present plan, the Hospi-
Ia! is general receiving house where
| things are emutled IN aud that is the last
Of them, 80 far AS accountability or Ger.
tainty IS concerned, It is needless to re.
mark that dishonest official might run
| of almost any quantity OF properly, and,
| unless caught in the ACT, no one would
| ever know IL or miss the property.
THE NEW BARN.
Your committee found on the Hospital
| farm large and excellent new barn, but
| its history is SO peculiar as To demaGd n
| special notice At tAe session OF the legla
| lature. In 1877, an appropriation OF 81 600
was made tor new barn The fret bill
| Of lumber for this barn amounted 10
! 81 $50 and WAS purchased by the super
! intendent three weeks prior TO any action,
on the part OF the Board, authorizing lis
construction or prov ding plans therefor.
No other appropriation wss ever made Tor
This barn II was built, sud your committee
were repeatedly Informed by the supcrn
tenGCnt and by members OF the board 8t
trustees that Is total cost was So OOO az a
matter of TACT, il cost over IS 900 and the
! superintendent 90 admitted IN MS testt-
mouy, when upon the WITNESS stand, and
the books and accounts were placed before
him These figures seem to have been
surprise both 10 the superintendent and 10
the board aud satisfied the committee thai
neither had any accurate knowledge no"
the money appropriated by the Legisla.
ture is expended. When We turn TO the
printed reports OF the Hospital, which are
! supposed to furnish the State with accu-
rate Information ~ 10 the condition and
expenditures Of the institution, the only
ltea any where appearing win regard 70
tbis new barn, is one charge OF Sl2I.5G.
| These facts In themselves presenl sur
prlsing commentary on the financial
management of the Hospital, the blame
for wnicn must rest alike oa the superin'
tendent and on the board.
THE CROSS WINGS,
In 1879, the Board authorized the con.
structiou OF four cross Niogs, or adj
tons 10 the Hospital, without any uuthori-
~ or appropriation from the Legislature.
These we're put up and DEBT OF some
s2O 900 Incurred on the part OF the Hos
| nltsl for construction and necessary iuf.
uishing snd equipments, which was pro
ylded Tor by tue last Legislature. These
additions greatly improved the Hospital
| building and Increased us capacity, and
it NAV, perhaps, be admitted that lhey
were needed and greatly relieved the
county iais ana hospitals which had deem
| crowded with insane. but your Commit
tee must unhesitstingy condemn INC
principle upon which Inc BOARD acleu
/ There can be no dnnhi mat thty lrahs