The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-08-18
slOS,s2S II.

ol,9oloo
3s,9is.76.
slOS, 92S IL.
This pyramid will gladden. the heart OF the
taxpayer, and Is so grand In its proportions
that the farmers of Indiana will see Ii and
congratulate themselves that no additional
hills of corn and potatoes or acres of wheat
and CAT need be raised his year 10 pay State
taxes 1 challenge orr Republican friends to
show such a record when they had control of
the State government, They used up every
appropriation made, although they were much
larger In many cases than those Of 1876.
STATE TAX.
The annual tax levy for State purposes in
Indiana is II cents on the $40 Of assessed prop.
erty. In consequence of the riged economy
practiced by the present administration In all
departments OF the public service, a surplus
accumulated in the treasury. In other words,
the II cent tax levy was more than enough to
meet al the current expenses OF tne state GOV
eminent, and the legislature wisely apprOpri
ated OOOO0 OF this surplus TO aid IN building
the State House. II Will thus be seen that the
savings of honest administration con.
tributes largely to the building of the Capitol,
and to q considerable extent relieves the tex
payers OF u special tax for that purpose.
This result is In striking contrast with the
management under Republican rule. The
Legislature which elected o. p. Morton to the
Senate, fixed the tax levy at is cents on the
s10O.
THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
The Hospital for the Insane, the institutions
for the education of the blind and the deaf and
dumb are known as the three benevolent IN
stitutions of the state. The people of our
State have contributed literally for building
up and supporting these noble charities, and
are Justly proud OF them, but at the same time
they demand that they shall be conducted
with proper economy. There is no more ex-
cuse for wasting public money under the pre-
tense of charity than there is for any oth-r
Boards controlling public Institutions can be
eXtravagant anu hope TO escape cenSure be-
cause they are administering a public charity.
lou II he ffF1rc
by the last Legislature provides that the Gov
ernor shall appoint the members of the
Boards, and he thus becomes responsible to
some extent for their proper management
This think is great Improvement, as the
administration in power should have the
privilege of selecting its own officers The in
creasing expenses of the benevolent tDstitu-
tions attracted the attention of Governor
Hendricks and IN his last message to the Leg
islature he made use of the following IAN
guage:
al call your particular attention to the
recommendations OF the Auditor o; State in
respect to the management OF the benevolent
Institutions. / agree with him that
they should be much more econ
should be reduced at least in proportion 10 the
reduced cost OF the supplies and TO correspond
somewhat to the habits of close economy
which the people have been compelled TO
adopt in their private expenditures"
The Governor argued the question at length,
vice But public attention had been called by
this message of the Governor to the extrsva-
gance IN the management of these inStitu-
some reforms should be Instituted, and the re-
suit was q law passed by the last Legislature
Ieorganizing the Boards, and now let us S. e
what has been the result in the way of
economy.
THE INSANE HOSPITAL
There was saved of the appropriation last
year the sum of S3O, 455.55, although the new
Jaw was only in force during the last seven
months. From a calculation made by the
President of the Board. 1 find that in former
years IL required an expenditure of 2,0j9 10
per month 10 maintain one Hospital with
an average population OF Jas persons. while
under the present law and new management
the old Hospital, which is now used exclusive
ly for men and the new Hospital for women,
the expenditure is only el3,TlSlS, with an
average population of 1854. In other words
the pre- sent law to run both Hospitals than it
cost TO run one under theO law.
IT would be unjust TO the Board, and the
officers In charge OF the Hospitals to attribute
this result exclusively to the passage OF the
Jaw, for they have aided, by their honest and
efficient management, to secure this large
saving to the taxpayers, and are entitled to
the thanks OF the people of the State.
II Will be the crownlng glory OF the present
Counties have been relieved of the care and
expense of many of their incurabe insane,
and that they have have been made comfort
able in our state Hospitals, and that this
noble work of humanity has been accom-
plished with very little additional cost TO the
people OF the State.
COST OF CLOTHING FOR INSANE.
But 1t is not alone In the current expenses of
the Hospital that large saving has been
made. The clothing purchased for patients
and charged up to the respective Counties cost
81 per cent. less than formerly, and this saving
interests the citizens of every County In pro-
from the County. Under the old law the
amounts derived from the Counties bee anne
part of the fund belonging to the Institution,
and was used by the Board in addition to regu-
lar ap oropriatiOn made by the Legislature. The
new law changes this, and the amounts paid
by the Coun ties for clothing goes directly In to
the State Treasury. This same provision Of
the law now applies TO all Institutions of the
State. The Legislature was urged by the Dem
ocratic State officers TO adopt IL, and thousands
of dollars are annually saved to the County
funds. This is only one of many ref rms that
have been made under a Democratic adminis-
tration OF the State Government.
THE DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION.
The uuexpended balance of the appropria-
ton for this Institution last year 81 793 81.
That this result was accom- Pllshed by the new
law and the change In management there can
be no doubt. for toe former Superintendent
estimated that 1t would require $500 more
than the appropriation to get through the
needed, and there was saved OF the appropria.
ton the amount before stated. In 1877 this ms
titution expended t65SSi 60, and this year the
expenditures will not reach $4,000, thus show
ing a saving of about $1,000. which can be
placed to the credit Of the new management.
The change tn.the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES severe
~ CA1tAC sc0 ny tnC IfipuDAhCdA papers az bnc
time IL was made, but the result has shown that
the taxpayers of the State have been greatly
benefited by 1t, aud the efficiency of the school
has not been impaired. The ablest teachers
were retained and consulted by the Superin-
tendent in regard to the management, and
through their counsel theschoOl has steadily
improved.
Perfect harmony prevails between the su-
perintendeDt and teachers, and the Institution
was never in better working order or the chill
dren more coniented and happy.
INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND.
The Blind Asylum has been managed with
the same economy that has prevailed at the
Insane Hospital and Deaf and Dumb Institu.
ton. There was returned to the state Treas
ury last year S1,l96 40 OF the appropriation. AS
In the management OF the other Institutions,
so in this. The new law was not in force until
the latter part OF the year. The Trustees say
In their report that 1.-THE amount covered Into
the Treasury is quite large, and with the ex-
ception of a small amount covered into the
State Treasury one year ago, Is without pre-
cedent In the financial history OF the Institu-
tion." Nine months Of the present fiscal year
have passed, and, estimating from the ex-
penditures for that period, the savings this