The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-01-17

| lnc.ln school districts 31l,420 06
-- 1,2lO,O31 SO
! Leaving net decrease as above. $2,31S, ,255 T2
1t will be seen by this table that gratifying
| decrease in the debt of the cities has taken
| place during the past year, while the counties,
| townships, villages and school districts have
| largely increased their Indebtedness. The re-
| sponsibility for this increase of local indebt-
| edness is largely with the General Assembly.
| cannot too strongly urge you to put every
| possible restraint upon the alarming tendency
| towards an increase of local Indebtedness,
| which will be, If permitted to go on un-
| checked, utterly ruinOHS to the communities
that too freely permit it.
| PENITENTIARY.
| The continued superior management of
| this institution manfests itself in the largest
| and best pecuniary results ever achieved.
| The cash profit turned into the treasury for
| the year ending November l. 1885, reaches
nearly fifty-three thousand dollars, much the
| largest profit in its history. The profits for
| December and January exceed those of the
corresponding months last year by ten thou
| sand dollars, and the indications now point to
| profit of eighty or ninety thousand dollars
| for the current year, if the present excellent
| mary results are so gratifying, the discipline.
care, and treatment of convicts are all that
can reasonably be expected under the present
system OF prison management.
| ADJUTANT GENERAL.
| The report of the Adiutant General shows
| that the present force of the Ohio National
Guard consists of eighty-two companies of in
| fantry, and seven batteries of light artillery,
| and a total number of 5.457 men, including
officers. being reduction during the year of
| AIS The inlDrovement in disciDline and SOL
dierly bearing of the officers and men contin-
| ues 10 be gratifying feature of the condition
| of the National Guard. Your attention is
respectfully referred to the report of the
| AdJutant General; the suggestions and re-
| concentrations therein made are worthy of
careful consideration. The sum of S70,94396
was collected during the year and paid into
| the state Treasury on claims against the
General Government adjusted by Mr.. w. o.
| Toford, State Agent. This sum. with the
collection, makes collection
| on account of claims of the State against the
United States of Sl36,6l7.96. The agent re-
| ports that he has secured a further allowance
| of about $4,000, which will be paid to the
State when Congress makes the appropria-
ton. ,.Ssa
PUBLIC WORKS.
I discussed quite fully in my last annual
message the future relation of the State to
| the public works, to which your careful at
tention is respectfully requested. / repeat
with emphasis that, ''should it become the
policy of the State TO dispose of all any
portion OF the public works, then / would
urge the ascertainment of what the State
owns, pertaining to the portion proposed to
be parted with, a careful valuation made by
competent authority and when the property
is accurately described, and its value deter
mined, the sale to be made to the highest bid
der, but at not less than the appraised value"
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The public institutions are in all respects in
most excellent condition. Their management
has been, n'the main, free from mere partisan
influence. The several boards with two excep-
three Republicans, all gentlemen of high
character. who have.dscharged their several
trusts with great intelligence and fidelity to
the public interests. The employees have been
selected without regard to their political
affiliations, and it is believed that, outside of
the penitentiary, the voters in the public in
stitutions are about equally divided between
the two parties. TIE greatly improved condi-
ton of these institutions in all respects fully
appd n Ie SSGg Se shff has 5eea
large expenditures have been made for better
mcnts to the buildings and grounds for i'm
proved steam heating and for extraordinary
purposes, until now but small appropriations
are asked s. for such purposes, and the sum re-
hundred thousand dollars.
kssH INSANE ASYLUMS.
About $500 insane people are cared for with
the present accommodations furnished by the
State. about i,000 are cared for in the county
1ntrmarieS and there probably $50 to LOCO
persons in private institutions and with their
families and friends. The asylum, the build
eral Assembly, will be located at Toledo, and
is designed to accommodate one thousand in
mates, instead of the six hundred and fifty re-
quired by the law authorizing its construction
Great care has been taken by the commits
sion having this matter in charge, to secure
for the State. when it is completed, the best
institution of its kind in the country, and at a
per capita cost of less than one third of that in
existing institutions. When this asylum is
completed the unfortunate insane population
now confined in our intirmaries will be cared
enlarging existing institutions.
REFORMATORIEs.
Too little attention is paid to finding homes
for the inmates of refOrmatory institutions
This work, by law devolyes upon the trustees
and superintendent With his other duties
the superintendent has not the necessary time
to devote to it, and the trustees who give their
services gratuitouSly cannot be expected to
give the matter much attention. The State
should employ an agent for this purpose. In
this connection it is source of pleasure to
m m hn eaYR nf fr.1Jc-
tees and superintendent of the Girls Indus
trial Home in finding homes for the girls
flying to learn that more than three-fourths
of those are leading useful and honorable
Hves'
CHILDREN's HOMES.
The "Children's Home," of recent origin, is
the first and most valuable step in the right
direction. 1t is believed that three-fourths of
the waits upon society who grow up without
home or parental care, become vagrants and
criminals. The purpose of the Children's
Home is temporarily to shelter and care for
them with the ultimate purpose of finding
a fact, that there is a childless home for every
homeless child in the land. The mission then,
in short, of the Children's Home is to find the
childleSS home for the homeless child.
The bare statement of what seems to be a
demonstrated fact that, because of the Chill
dren's Homes, we are enabled to give to soci-
ETY. useful and self-supporting citizens to the
number of more than three-fourths of all
their inmates, whereas, withOutthe Children's
f1OIllco, HIOIe IMAM IuFee-louTJuS VI tI6 sdLHo
children would become vagrantS and crimi-
nails, is in argument in favor of their encour-
agement of such force as to command the
favorable attention of the General Assembly
to the necessity of giving the institution of
Chdren's Homes in every county of the
State their earnest attention.
CONTRACT LABOR SYSTEM.
The public mind has been brought to the
consideration of the subject of prison contract
labor, and both of the political parties of this
State have declared against it.
The General Assembly authorize the ap-
pointment by the Governor of a commission
to examine and report to the present General
Assembly. not only upon the subject of the
contract system, but also upon the subject of
prison management, generally. The report of
this commission is exceedingly interesting,
and will be found valuable in the consider
alton of this particular subject.
From the investigation | have given the
subject, am inclined to the opinion that to
abolish simply the present contract system