Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-18
OF STATE IN
STITUTIONS.

u
our state, that scarcely year elapses
now, that scandal, with its blighting
breath does not for a time overshadow one
or more of our noble charitable or reforma-
tory institutions Scandals embracing
nearly every shade of moral delinquency
and official mismanagement, usually hav-
ing some basis in truth, and whose effects
are naturally destructive of confidence
among the people and therefore necess
arly hurtful to the fair fame and eff
cheney of the institution involved. A
few of the more prominent may be readily
recalled, in the loss to the state a few
years ago, through an officer of the state
prison, of considerable sum of money:
the probable loss of another large amount
by former treasurer of the hospital for
insane, at Madison, which case, however,
is now before the courts; the recent fin
ancial difficulties in the industrial school
for boys, at Waukesha; the unfortunate
affair of the deaf and dumb asylum, at
Delavan, not long since, wherein the char
acter of superintendent and pupils was
brought into question; the official investi-
cation of the affairs of the Madison hos
pital for insane which is even now in pro-
gress: ard the still more recent illegal
delinquences charged against the auth
critics of the Oshkosh hospital for insane,
which at this time is exciting the people
of the eastern portion of the state.
That all these charges and scandalous in
situations are true is not to be presumed,
that many of them which may have a
foundation in fact, are the result of bad
motives or acts Of responsible heads of
these institutions, it may be uncharit-
able to presume. But they do exist, nev-
ertheless, to the injury of the institutions,
and to the sorrow and Indignation of
good citizens all over the state,
If these unfortunate affairs continue to
develop, in spite of good intentions on
the part of officials and notwithstanding
the safeguards erected by law, it may be
well to 60 deeper in looking for remedy.
and inquire whether the management of
the state institutions mentioned above,
are not all organized upon wrong ba-
sis. As now operated, each institution
has separate and Independent organi-
zation with perhaps, superintendent in
immediate charge and board of trustees
as advisory committee, composed of emil
nent citizens, who know little or nothing
and, if possible, care less for tiresome de-
tails. Whatever the theory may be, act
ual practice makes the superintendent
quite generally the highest authority, so
! that there results a heaping upon the
/ shoulders of one man vast amount of
responsibility, care and actual druigery,
which quite precludes him from exercis-
ing that careful supervision and perform
| ing those professional duties for which he
has specially been chosen and for which
his training has specially fitted him.
Take, for instance, the superintendent
/ of one of the hospitals for insane In eff
! feet his authority is almost that of an au.
tocrar. Manager of large farming inter-
ests, controlling extensive and compli-
Gated details surrounding hospital and
farm, overseer of a small army of en-
ployes, and yet guardian over the health
of four or five hundred unfortunate, de-
mented people, whose sad condition ought
surely to demand and require his indi-
vidual attention and deepest solicitude.
The difficulty of framing new and
successful law governing these varied in
terests, can not be disputed. But we
think it may be done, and a few general
ideas in that direction, may not here be
out of place.
AS money is supposed to be the root of
all evil, aud as the control and handling
by local treasurers and boards, of the
large sums appropriated by the state,
seems oftenest to result in trouble, we
would begin the reform by abolishing all
such officers and making the state treas
urer the custodian of the funds of the
state institutions, he paying them out up
on the warrant of the secretary of state
as other funds are now disbursed. Then
should follow the creation of a board hav-
ing general control over all these insti-
tutions; with powers to provide for inn
provements suggested by superintendent
if advisable; purchasing for all of them
the large quantities of fuel, provisions
and supplies of all kinds, which are an
nually consumed; having such other
functions as might be proper; and being
in all things responsible to the governor
or legislature for the faithful discharge of
its duties This would not only do away
with a large number ofpetty officials but,
relieving superintendents Of a great
amount Of responsibility and labor, would
thus give them opportunity to devote them
selves more fully to the performance of
those duties for which they are specially
| chosen.
Under some system thus roughly out
lined the state through the prison author
tiles would not have lost $40, 200 by the
failure of Waupun bank; would not
now be endeavoring to collect of a former
treasurer of the Madison insane hospital
& shortage in his accounts of $4,000;
would not last winter have been compel
led to order an investigation into the af
fairs of the Madison hospital; while DIR.
Kempster, with plenty Of time to devote
exclusively to the mental and physical
condition of his patients at the Oshkosh
hospital, would not now be troubled as
he is with serious charges effecting his
management.
Let the next legislature establish this
reform and it will not only save the state
thousands of dollars annually, but will
entitle itself to mortality as one of the
few such bodies in our history which has
existed for good purpose.-Dunn Conn