The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-23

4
port Of the State Auditor shows that the
average assessed value of land in Mitchell
County Is s2.9e per acre. and this is probably
value. This sale of Normal School lands has
provoked considerable criticism in the pub
lie press. and IL may be well for the Leaisla
I ture to make inquiries concerning II. Moth
ing appears to have been known by the pub
| ic of the contemplated sale until after IL was
consummated, and this fact has aroused sus
picions which may be unjust. But it should
| be the settled policy OF tne State that no sale
I, of similar character be allowed until after
due public notice. by advertisement Pub
| licity Is sovereign preventive of wrong
| doing in public affairs, and an ounce of it is
worth more than ton of discussion and in
vestigatlon after the wrong has been com
! mitted. Not Sn acre of land in which the
| be sold without due public notice by adver
| tise!nent.
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 aggregating Si4,5oJ, have been counted
| as part of the permanent school fund. The
constitution provides that this fund "shall
not be diminished" and that the interest
therefrom shall be invariably appropriated
to the support of the common schools. As
I the fraudulent bonds above referred to pro-
duce 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 these bonds. and the
Auditor directed to make the proper records
and credits upon the books of his office.
THE STATE SCHOOL LANDS.
No interest of Kansas has been so reck-
! lessly and improv;dently managed as the
State school lands. On her admission into
of schools, fully 3,60,009 acres of public
| lands. Properly held and guarded, the pro-
ceeds arising from the sale of these lands
would have created a permanent school fund
N tn n q n
tire expense of our common schools. But 4
more absurd system than that provided by
our laws for the control and iiual disposal of
school lands it would be difficult to devise.
Under its malign influence the permanent
school fund has been deprived of probably
one-half the total amount that should have
been, and, under q proper system, would
have been realized from the lands already
sold.
Every Governor of the State during the
past eight years has directed the attention of
the Legislature to this reckless and IMPROVE
dent system. and their suggestions and re-
concentrations touching this subject have
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
magnificent school domain of the State from
desDoliation.
The faults of the present system may he
briefly summed up: First. 1t 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 imme-
date nciwhbOrs Of those who want to buy:
and. third: the proceeds of every sale are
largely reduced by the eytravagant fees al
lowed local officers. The results of these
faults have been and are: First, the pcrma-
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 Sl2,S0 to
$4,000 annually; and, third, the fund has lost
A
OF County Trcasurers.
l earnestly renew the recommendation
made by my three immediate predecessors
in Office, that Il State Land Department be
created under the control and direction of 4
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 wastcful system.
AZ. - STATE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The biennial report of the Board of Trus-
tees having charge of the State charitable
ton concerning the condition, expense of
maintaining, capacity and requirements of
the asyfums and schools for the care and
education of those unfortunate citizens who
are mentally or physically afflicted.
Some years ago the Legislature wisely con-
solidatcd the management of all our charit3-
Board. The change has been attended with
the best results. But the system under which
these Institutions are managed H. 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 Tic institutions in their charge as, in my
Judgment, the Importance of this trust
should require. Six great public charities,
the insane asylums at Ossawatomie and To-
peka, the institution at Wyandotte for the
education of the blind, the institution at
Oathe for the education of the deaf and
dumb, the State Reform School near Topeka,
and the asylum at Lawrence for idiotic and
imhccfle youth, are remote from each other,
and even the most occasional and superficial
visitation and inspection, by the members of
the Board, is difficult and exacting and eX-
peGsive to the State.
More than two-fifths of the total appro-
pri;itons made by the Legislature for the
support of the State Government during the
current fiscal year-S:yS,,,9S4 of a total Of
$50. 245-are expended for the maintenance
OF these charities. Yet the expenditure OF
this vast sum OF money, as well as the still
moro vital question of properly supervising
the management of these Institutions, is COM
mitted entirely to the charge of Il snail body
of citizens who hold only occasional meet
incs. make few and hasty visits OF inspec-
ton. and having their own private concerns
to cngrcss their time and interest, can not
fairly ho expected 70 DO more than this.
In my Judgment the Executive in nOmi-
u3t!I.g members OF rue BOARD, SnOu!d ueSiE-
nate one of them as Secretary. and the Sec
rotary should be II salaried officer, and
should devote his entire time end energy TO
the work which properly comes under tho
supervision of the board. lie should have
an Office ut the State Capital i'll which all the
records, accounts and papers of the board
should be kept; he should be required to fro
quentiy visit and carefully inspect AL tho
charitable institutions: and he should gather
and compile Tor tire information of the Leg
islatIre, facts and statistics concerning the
IL. al.
the state, and the local expenditures on ac-
count OF the dependent classes.
4 believe that the change thus recon-
mended would not only result in efTecting
agemcnt of the State charitable institutions,
but would be measure OF economy.
THE PENITESTIARY.
The reports of the Directors. Warden and
other officers of the State Pcnitentiarv show,
in detail. the operations of that institution
during the last two fiscal years. Tie Peni-
Tertiary not only continues Self-Sustaining.
but the profits OF the coal mine have made
il source of revenue to the State. Its sur
plus earnings for the year ended June b,
lsS4, were 5,sl1.09, and the Directors express
the opinion that the Institution will here
after. not only continue sclf-sustaining but
that its earnings will be sufficient to carry on
and complete the improvements rendered
necessary by the increasing prison PopGla-
ton.
The output of the coal nine is steadily IN
creasing. For the year ended June 3D. lSHs}.
it was 1;S,.4.3 bushels, and for the year ended
June - 1854. it reached S,1,S57 bushels.
The Directors and Warden report that an
other cell house il necessary; advise the in
PRODUCTION of electric lights in the prison;
recommend u number of additions and i'm
provemeuts: and call attention to several
defects or omissions in the laws regulating
the management of the institution. These
suggestions are commended to your atten-
ton.
Since the biennial reports of the officers of
the Penitentiary were preSared, 1t has been
discovered that the chief clerk of the prison,
]. C Pussy. has stolen funds to consider
able amount, ny means of forged voucher s
snl uth ri, prncticaS piisay diSou-