Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-16

Dbdtc &NOfl1di Sc0Ooi.-10 ne SCHOOL te8cQ-
ers constitute the largest body Of public
the states training school for teachers, is q
most important factor in our educational
system. The report of its board Of regents
and officers affirm that its usefulness is con-
stantly increasing, and that its attendance,
numbering 634 during the last fiscal year,
would have been even larger If room for the
accommodation ofthose applying for admis-
sion could have been provided. Detailed
estimates of the requirements Of the school
for the ensuing two years arc given in the
reports, and commended to your attention.
The board of regents report the sale, in
bulk, of large tract of land in Mitchell
county, at the rate of $3.50 per acre. The
report of the state auditor shows that the
average assessed value Of lands in Mitchell
county is $3.50 per acre, and this is prob
ably not to exceed thirty or forty per cent
Of their true value. This sale Of normal
school lands has provoked considerable crit
icism in the public press. and it may be well
for the legislature to make inquiries con-
corning il. Nothing appears TO have been
known, by the public, Of the such sale
until after il was consummated, and this fact
has aroused suspicious which may be I'M
just. But it should be the settled policy of
allowed until after due public notice by ad-
vertisemcnt. Publicity is sovereign pre-
| ventive of wrong-doing in public affair, and
an ounce OF it is worth more than ton of
discussion and investigation after the wrong
has been committed. Not an acre of land
in which the state has an interest should be
permitted to be sold without due public no.
tice by advertisement.
THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND.-
For many years past certain fraudulent
bonds purporting TO have been issued BY the
counties Of Rice, Norton and Comanche, and
sggregating Sl4,50O, have been counted as
part of the permanent school fund. The
constitution provides that this fund "shall
not be diminished" and that the interest de-
rived therefrom shall be invariably appro-
priated to the support of the common
schools. As the fraudulent bonds above re-
ferred to produce no interest, their purchase
through the agency Of the state virtually
diminished the permanent school fund, and
the state should make good to the fund the
amount of these bonds. The state treasurer
should also be instructed to cancel thess
bonds, and the auditor directed to make the
proper records and credits upon the books Of
his Office.
THE STATE SCHOOL LANDS.
ANO lDktTtet vi hdIStS ldS Deen SO IeckletSlN
and improvidently managed as the stat,
school lands. On her admission into the un
ion, Kansas received for the support o.
schools, fully three million acres Of public
lands. Properly held and guarded, the pro
ceeds arising from the sale of these land
would have created permanent school funt
sufficient in amount TO meet almost the en-
tire expense of our common schools. But
more absurd system than that provided b,
our laws for the control and final disposal o
school lands il would be difficult to devise
Under its malign influences the parmanen,
; school fund has been deprived of probably
one-half the total amount that should hay,
been, and under proper system would have
been realized from the lands already sold.
Every governor of the state during tn,
past eight years has directed the attention o.
the legislature to this reckless and improve
dent system, and their suggestions and rec
ommendations touching this subject hav,
been supplemented by the elaborate reports
of several state auditors, treasurers, and SUI
perintendents Of public instruction. But
nothing has been done to correct the defects
and abuses of the system, nor to protect the
n agnifcent school domain of the state from
despoilation.
The faults of the present system may be
briefly summed up: First, it puts the con.
troll of the sale of school lands into the
hands of those who want to buy; second, the
appraisement of lands is made by the i'm
mediate neighbors of those who want tc
buy; and, third, the proceeds of every sale
are largely reduced by the extravagant fee.
allowed local officers. The results of these
faults have been and are First, the perma.
nent school fund has already been deprived
of an enormous aggregate amount by reason
of sales effected at extremely low valuations
second, the fees of county officers, arising
from such sales, aggregate from $4,000 "a
$4,000 annually; and, third, the fund has
lost nearly $4,000 by reason of the defalca-
tions Of county treasurers..
| | earnestly renew the recommendation
made by my three immediate predecessors
in Office, that state land department be
/ created, under the control and direction of q
competent state land commissioner, who
shall have the entire management of all
lands owned or controlled BY the state Such
department, organized under a carefully
| framed law and surrounded with all neces-
sary restrictions and safeguards, would be
/ far less expensive, far more efficient, and in
every respect preferable to the present cum
brous, awkward and wssteful system.
STATE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
I The biennial report of the board of trus-
tees having charge Of the state charitable in
situations, furnishes full detailed information
concerning the condition, expense of main
tanning capacity and requirements of the
asylums and schools for the care and educa-
ton of those unfortunate citizens who are
mentally or physically afflicted.
Some years ago the legislature wisely con-
! solidated the management of all our chari-
rahf
board. This change has been attetende with
the best results. But the system under
which these institutions are managed is in
many respects imperfect, and the supervision
the board exercises over them is inadequate
The trustees, receiving no salaries and hold
ing only occasional meetings, cannot devote
such time and attention to the supervision of
the institutions in their charge as, in my
judgment, the importance of this trust should
require. Six great public charities, the in
sane asylums at Osawatomie and Topeka, the
institution at Wyandotte for the education
of the deaf and dumb, the state reform
school near Topeka, and the asylum at Law
renee for idiotic imbecile youth, are remote
from each other, and even the most OCCASION
al and superficial visitation and inspection,
by the members of the board, is difficult
and exacting, expensive to the state.
More than two fifths of the total sppro-
priations made by the legislature for the
support of the state government during the
current fiscal year-S352,9 1884 Of total Of
$3.50, 946-are expended for the maintenance
OF these charities. Yet the expenditure of
this vast sum of money, as well as the still
more vital question Of properly supervising
the management of these institutions, is COM
mitted entirely to the charge of small body
IL Il
ings, make few and hasty visits of inspec-
ton. and, having their own private con-
Germs to engross their time and interest, can
not fairly be expected TO do more than this.
In my Judgment, the executive, in nomin-
ating the members of the board, should des-
ignate one of them as secretary, and the sec
rotary should be a salarIed officer, and
should devote his entire time and energy to
the work which properly comes under the
supervision of the board. He should have
an Office at the state capital, in which all the
records, accounts and papers of the board
should be kept; he should be required TO
frequently visit and carefully inspect all the
charitable institutions; and be should gath
er and compile for the information of the
legislature, facts and statistics concerning
the management of the jails and aims honses
Of the state, and the local expenditures on
account Of the dependent classes.
believe that the change thus recommend
ed would not only result in effecting import
ant and desirable reforms in the manage
ment of the state charitable institutions, but
would be a measure of economy.
THE PESITENTIARY.
The reports of the directors, warden, and |
other officers of the state penitentiary show, |
in detail, the operations of that institution |
during the last two years. The penitentiary |
not only continues self-sustaining, but the |
profits Of the coal mine have made il a source |
Of revenue 10 the state. It's surplus earnings I
for the year ended June 80, 1883, were $685. |
1000, and the directors express the opinion |
that the institution will, hereafter, not only
continue self-sustaining, but that its earn
ings will be sufficient to carry on and CON-
plete the Improvements rendered necessary
by the increasing prison population.
The oatput Of the coal mine is steadily in
creasing. For the year ended June 30, 1888,
i WAS 733, 533 bushels, and for the year end
ID June 80, 1884, it reached 877 1857 bushels.
The directors and warden report that an
iother cell house is necessary; advise the
of the electric lights in the
prison; recommended number Of additions
md improvements, and call attention to
several defects or omissions in the laws reg
Hating the management Of the institution.
These suggestions are commended to your