Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-07

riOr qualifications and valuable services ON the
part of their care-takers, who justly command
! adequate compensation, bat there is always q
large class of chronic and totally incurable
patients who should not be allowed to occupy
the room and costly appliances thus provided,
to the exclusion of those who can be cured.
more thorough classification seems to be
demanded to attain the last results, and it
would seem that the incurable patients
who are usually mild and tractable might be
taught to labor upon farms, and there be
made equally comfortable by cheaper class
OF keepers and less expensive cOntrivances. In
this connection and in justice to the trustees,
who serve the State without compensation, it
should be distinctly stated that no blame what
ever can be attached to them for the seeming
| neglect to insure the buildings burned. They
have repeatedly reported in favor of insrring
the buildings, and have urged upon the legis-
lature the necessity OF making an appropri-
alton for this purpose, without effect. The
question of policy respecting the insurance of
the public buildingsi belonging to the State,
which had at sundry times before been consid-
cred, is brought up anew by this calamity, and
it would be well to settle it finally and thus
definitely fix the responsibility upon the prin-
cipal, rather than the agents, in matters OF so
great moment. see no reason why the State
should not insure its property, in the same
| manner as cautious business men. The recent
loss at the st. Peter asylum will amount to .
larger sum than would be required to keep up
a reasonable amount of insurance on all pub
lie buildings for the next fifty years. With
out hesitation l recommend that such appro-
priation be made annually as will be suffi-
cient to cover the insurance on all public
buildings. Before leaving this subject, /
deem it an act OF simple justice to make pub
lie acknowledgment of the courage and zeal
displayed By the officers of the hospital and
citizens of st. Peter in their efforts to rescue
the unfortunate inmates and save the property
of the institution from destruction.
Your attention is directed to the ample re-
port of the directors and officers of the insti-
tuition for The deaf and dumb and the blind,
which shows that during the two years 40
pupils have been connected with the deaf-mute
department and thlrty-fiye with the blind de-
partment, making total of 175 inmates
cared for by the Institution since the date of
the last annual rsport The care and judg-
ment heretofore exercised in the conduct of
this institution continues to mark its manage
ment.
Under an act of the last legislature, the
trustees of the deaf, dumb and blind asylum
were authorized to provide accommodations
for the reception and care of such feeble
minded and idiotIc children as the medical
commission should select from the patients al
the several asylums for the insane. Such conn
mission, consisting of Drs. g. Weston, w. III
Leonard and c. III. BOardman, after having
made the required examinations, selected
twenty-five patients from the insane asylums
at st. Peter and Rochester, as proper subjects
for training under the law. The trustees hay
ing provided accommodations in the way OF
buildings, this number was transferred to the
custody Of the trustees, and on the oath OF
July last the school for their training and in
strIlction was opened under the efficient super
intcndcn, Prof. II. Ii. Knight.
IT is estimated that there are as many in
number of feeble minded and idiotic children
in our State as of insane persons. After hav-
ing witnessed the progress and Improvement
which these unfortunate children have made
in the short time that the school has been In
operation, am clearly of the opinion that It's
almost crime 10 send these children to the
asylum for the insane, where there is no hope
whatever of the least improvement in their
condition, and where they must certainly re-
main for life on expense to the State. Ii has
been clearly demonstrated in other States that
a large portion of these children, il taken into
schools in early youth can, by training and III
struction, become self-supporting. The trus-
tees recommend that this school be perIna-
nently established for the training and instric-
ton of feeble minded and idiOtic children,
which recommendation l most cordially en-
dorse
The expenses for the year 1879 were.S 3,2226 "a
The expenses for the year 1880 were. 6,314 %
uncXpcnueu Daliucc Ill tTcasury''''. ii"o0 70
S11, 900 90
Amount appropriated for. the years
1879 and 1881. Sll wv w
The thirteenth report of the officers OF the
State Reform school affords continued evidence
of the wise management of that excellent in
stitution. 1t shows that 1862 inmates have
been admitted since it's opening in 1868, of
which 1SG were held in charge during the past
two years, and that ia remained at the close
of the year. Strong reasons are given for