Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-01-13

the Canal Fund of $l3,3 .72-balance brough
forward last year, $52,875.58-thus placing
in the Treasury during the two and one
half years under State management S65,22l.SS
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The act Of April IA, 1880, required Q reorgan
izatiOn Of the several charitable institutions O
the State. Under the authority therein con
ferred, new Boards Of Trustees have been ap
pointed and changes have been made In the
Superintendents of a number of them, III
obedience to the understood wishes of the
General Assembly, and of the better public
sentiment of all parties, J. have sought to eX
olude mere partisan reasons from the admin
tstratiOn of the great charities OF the State
While it is true that most of the new officials
selected are in political accord with the party
III power, yet the changes have been made,
probably without exception, because 1t was
believed by the Trustees that improved admin
istratiOn would result therefrOm. The several
Boards, with single exception, are made up
of three of the dominant and two OF the mi
| nOrity party In the practical administration
OF their duties, as a rule, the several Boards
have acted without reference to their party
predictions.
In an examination Of the financial manage
ment of our public institutions the lack OF a
uniform system of bookkeeping renders IL
| next to impossible to institute correct COM
parisOns between the management OF the diff
| ferent institutions Nearly all OF them nave
connected with their management, agricultural
| and manufacturing industries. No attempt
has been made to keep the ACCOUNTS in man
ner that shows what the financial results OF
| these industries are whether profitable or un-
profitable. The cost in some cases is paid
out Of the General Expense Fund, and the
| proceeds paid into it; and in other cases the
money is received and paid out without
| any account being kept OF its receipt and
disbursement. The present system Of audit
| ing, accounting and paying for the supplies
and expenses OF the public institutions Is not
as thorough as good administration de-
mands; and this remark applies as well to all
oloauna Of aynnnditIIrnq VOnT attention
is earnestly invited to Il consideration OF the
subject An attempt has been made, and is
still under consideration, to secure uniform
system Of bookkeeping through the VOlun-
tary action of the Superin endents and Stew
ards, assisted by the Auditor Of State and the
Secretary of the Board of State Charities. AS
there is grave doubt as to whether satistaC-
tory result can be reached in the way proposed,
/ recommend that the General Assembly, with
the Auditor Of State and the Secretary of the
Board of State Charities devise system Of
uniform bookkeeping and require its adop-
tion and use in all the public institutions, thus
giving 1t the dignity and authority of law.
The Governor Is authorized to transfer juVe-
nile cOnyiCts from the Penitentiary to the Re.
form School; but he can only transfer them
for the uneXpired time OF sentence. The
Trustees and Superintendent of the Reform
School protest against such transfer for the
reason that the boys thus transferred, hay
ing but a short time to serve, cannot readily
be brought under proper discipline and thus
the ulSClpllne OF bnO DlLlfD SCHOOL lB lnJur6u'
Either the authority of the Courts should be
enlarged so as to give them jurisdiction over
juvenile offenders, as well as those under six
teen years of age or authority should be given
to lengthen the term in such cases where
transfer is thought to be judicious.
RgFORMATOBIES.
The Reform School and the Girls Industrial
School are penal institutions, designed eXclu-
siyely for ino0rrigible, vicious or criminal lliI
boys and girls and 1t is wrong to admit others
into them. | am satisfied however, that this
is done, and that a considerable number of
boys and girls who are neither vicious nor
criminal are to be found In these institutions.
/ recommend that ii be provided by law that
any Court or Judge sending boy or girl to
other Of these Institutions shall find and en-
ter of record the facts upon which his action
is based with his judicial decision, that
upon such facts the case comes Within the
intent and meaning of the law, and that
certified copy Of such finding be attached in
all cases TO his order OF commitment of n boy
or girl to either Of said schools. In addition
to the facts in each case, 1t might be well to
have such facts submitted to the Governor
before ordering the transfer Of a boy or girl to
the State RefOrmatOres. This would relieve
Judges from local influences Of sympathy or
prejudice often presenttn the trial otJuVenile
offenders.
INSANE AsYLUMs.
IL is deemed proper to call attention to Sec
tiOn 70l Revised Statutes. relating to the
transfer OF patients from one Asylum District
such transfers can only be made for want OF
room in the proper Asylum. There are Cir
CumstanCGS OF convenience to friends, or
mental conditions Of the patient which
would Justify discretion upon the part of
tho Executive where the Superlntondents of
both Asyums affected by such transfer would
concur IN recommending, upon facts to be
stated such transfer. Section roo, relates
to the discharge Of patients upon the APP
plCaiOn Of the superintendent to one OF the
Trustees, and upon the order of the Trustees.
Such orders must depend upon the recon-
m0ndatlon Of the superintendent, and the au-
thOrlty to discharge might safely lodge with
the superintendent, his action ON eAch case to
be reported on with tho facts to tho Board of
Trustees. The Board of State Charities, in
thor admirable report, which Is commended
to your careful consideration, calls special ut
tentiOn to the subject of tho epileptiO insane.
Their recommendations, reviewing as they
do the whole subject of the insane OF the State,
are worthy Of the fullest consideration, and
action upon tho basis they suggest is reoom-
mended.
PENITENTIARY.
Agreeably to the requirements of the act Of
April 8, 1880, u new Board OF Directors has
been appointed, and u thorough reOrgHniza-
tion OF the penitentiary is accomplished. The
management hQs been percoptlbly improved
the discipline Is exceptionally good; severe
punishments are almost wholly discarded,
with gratifying results; the food Is of the best
quality; the sanitary condition Is excellent
and the financial condition is better than for
several years past. 1t Is confidently expected |
that the current year will show a handsome
surplus over the expenditures. respectfully |
renew the recommendation in my inaugural |
address for the establishment of an advisory |
Board of PardOns. A years experience in |
dealing with the subject has materially |
theoOnVotiOn then entertained. |
The law does not permit the Governor to re-
store the rights of citizenship forfeited by |
reason of conviction except for good conduct |
while serving out the sentence OF the Court,
/ recommend that tho Governor be authorized |
to grant restoration Of Citi2 nship after one
year hns elapsed from the date Of the expira-
tiOn of the term Of service In the Pententary,
and upon proof of good behavior.
ONO STATE UNIVERSITY.
A marked increase in the number of students
in attendance a wider range in the course of
instruction in the industrial and useful arts, a
more popular basis of the terms Of admission,
and u fuller presentation of its agricultural
progress. The proceeding OF the Board show
.ho fact that preliminary steps have been taken
for the establishment Of separate Chair of
and Botany thus anticipating the
demands 80 urgently expressed for such a Pro-
in the State Convention of the Horei-
cultural Society, Grangers and other similar
bodies The establishment Of an experimental
station in connection with the University is be
ng urged by the agricultural portion OF our OOm-
nunity, and would doubtless contribute much
. the interest already oentoring around the
Jnivorsty. l.i.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
The educational interests of the state are OF
,he first Importance and should demand the
,nreful attention of the General Assembly.
Whatever other enterprises may promise, the
)nly foundation of continued well-Eelng lies
N the growing intelligence ana virtue or the
people, Like all other great results this is
)nly to be secured by good systems, carried
tut ON the most thorough ana business-like