Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-15


Governor Begole delivered hjs message 10
the Legislature on the evening OF the sth. He
reported the financial condition OF the State
as most satisfactory, there being I'm the Treas
ury balance OF 81, Ia, $1,000, with every in
debtedness of the State provided for; the bal
ance In sinking fund being more than enough
20 pay the bonded Indebtedness, which. nm
fortunately, is not due until 1890.
The Governor therefore joins with the
Treasurer In recommending that the law
be amended so that the Primary-school inter
est fund, now paid by the Treasurer in MAY. be
made payable semi-annually, in May and No
vember. IL will prevent the treasury holding a
large sum of money for seven or eight months
and be more convenient for the school districts
COMMON SCHOOLS.
In my message of two years ago says the
GOvernor) called the attention on the Legis
lature TO the fact that the public schools of
the State are maintained wholly by taxation,
the reason assigned being that certain
amount of education is necessary To an intel.l-
gent exercise OF the elective franchise.
asked thnt I'm Justice TO taxpayers the amount
OF education necessary to good citizenship
and which the state Is bound to SUNNY
should DC determined as nearly as possible.
III the district school can turn out intelligent
voters, why sustain expensive high schools I'm
cities by public tax? III high school instruc-
ton ~ necoss%ry to intelligent voting, why
not insist on the maintenance of n high school
IN cvory township, so that every citizen may
be qualified TO vote intclligently? The tax
Pave OF cites have right to inquire why
city than IL docs in the country. i believe the
time has como when this question should be
carefully considered by the Legislature.
We have I'm this Stnt6 not far from seven
thousand school districts, with 2l,0O0 school
oihcers 10 direct and superintcnd them. by
making each township one school district the
districts and officers would be reduced TO
about one sixth the present number-ovcr
seventeen Thousand officers would be dis
pcnsed with. when We consider the number
OF sisters cousins and aunts, not TO mention
Drothcrs, cousins and uncleS, retained i'm our
schools by this army of seventeen thousand,
the magnitude of the change becomes appar-
ent While IL may be enSy to find in every
township men thoroughly familiar W tn school
affairs and competent TO assume their man
ngement, there are muny school dis
tricts not so fortunate. The changing of
school district boundaries, so common under
the present SYSTEM, to avoid taxation,
20 make nonresident landowners. assist
In building rs many schoolhouscs as possible,
or TO provide for putting two quarrelsome
mischief-makers in different school districts
To plague both, would be avoided The bur-
den of taxation would be equalzed through
out the township-a few large landholders.
unbessed with children of school aye could
not form themselves into n school strict and
escape their just share OF taxation for educa-
ltSnIh WSSd e3o MO tAH e80Saar
vantages as any other. Children could attend
convenience of pupils would be more likely
TO control in the selection of sites for school
houses. know of no important reasons why
the change could not be made, and i'm the in
forests of justice, economy, convenience and
better system of school supervision, / rec
ommend that each township in the State be
made by law single school district.
AsYLUMs FOR THE INSANE.
The State provides for the support of our
insane asylums by general law. An amount
Suffice nt for q stair of officers rs large as
would be required If the institution was full
is authorized to he drawn annually for the
payment of salaries. The board of control of
each asylum is required to determine by care
full trial and observation, for a sufficient time
TO secure accuracy, the actual cost per week
for each patient of board, clothing, laundry,
fuel, light and all ordinary current expenses,
and fix this as the price per week for the en-.
suing year At the price per week thus fixed
the officers of the asylum draw from the gen
eral tund an amount equal TO the average
number of State patients cared for. Accounts
are made out in the same way against coun-
ties for the county patients. IL is only when
new buildings arc to be erected, permanent
improvements made, or special needs devel-
oped that the Legislature is called upon for
appropriations
adopted by the otner State institutions with
advantage to the state. OF course, the per
capita would vary in different institutions,
some requiring q. larger number of teachers
or attendants according to the number cared
for than others; but each institution would
he To some extent check upon the Others,
avoided, and n prudent, careful administra-
ton secured. IL would also be great saving
of the time of the Legislature at each SEES
sion, and remove all ground for the unseemly
and possibly unwarranted charge that COM
binations are made by the several Boards of
State institutions to stand by each other and
thus secure appropriations for each that
neither alone would have been able to obtain.
The Northern Asylum for the Insane, at
Traverse City, is fast approaching completion,
and IL the necessary appropriation is made
early I'm the session, may. IL Is believed, be
completed at the time limited by contract
October 1, 1885. The amount asked for is
f135, 1854. OF this amount, $53623.73 is for
heating apparatus and plumbing, and this
work should be commenced Immediately.
The condition of our other asylums for the
insane makes il a matter of the utmost i'm
portance that there be not n moments un.
necessary delay in the completion of the
Northern Asylum.
IDIOTS AND IMBECILEs.
There is not state PROVISION for the care Of
tafots orfd fuDvSffvs. n rCHVoI anu nc! iu t
conventions of Superintcndents of the Poor
and by conventions of county agents OF the
State Board of Corrections aud Charities.
These county officers are familiar with the
condition OF our poor-houses, in nearly all of
which are greater or less number of idiots,
who are sometimes almost as difficult to man,
nge as insane persons, and for whose special
care no provision can be made. IL is un
doubtcdly true that under special training
fecble-minded children are susceptible oil
mental and physical Improvement, and 1t Is,
think, clearly the duty of the state TO care toi
this class of untortunhtes II the birth OF 7
deaf and dumb or blind child is regarded az
misfortune, how much more kcenly is fell
the birth of an idiot or imbccile To be re
ltoved of the care OF such child might save
families from disintegration, and conscien
tious, watchful aud heartbroken mothers
from untimely graves-victims of motherly
devotion TO their unfortunate offspring. !
trust you will give this matter careful consld
Grafton, and provide for the care of this un
fortunate class I'm state institution.
OUR PRISONS
"A
other very much the relation OF rival manu-
featuring establishments, and should, think
be both placed under one board of prison
commissioners. One is regarded as u place o
punishment, the other as u "rcfOrmatOry,
and yet, from the character of the offender
admitted to each II would he difficult TO deter
mine which is the prison and which the re
formatory. Hardened offenders are commit
ted to lonia 20 mingle with those who hav
been committed from justices courts for mis-
demcanOrs, and youthful offenders Tor thei
first offcnsc sent to the State prison at Jack
son. think under single board both prison
would be better managed. The commission
ers should, think, be empowered TO deter
mine In which prison criminals should b
kept In this way, by weeding-out process
the more incorrigible would reach the stat
prison, and Juvenile offenders, and those VIII
do not belong TO the criminal class at all, bu
ore suffering the consequences of u single &C
committed In a moment OF passion or undo
circumstances OF great temptation, would nm
a more fitting place in the refOrmatory
Ionia. am satisfied that an arrangement G
this kind would be better than the preser
system of leaving the final selection of
prison i'm the hands of tho circuit judges, moi
of whom seem TO use no discretion mt all !
the matter. / think the Wardens OF our pri
ons should be appointed by the Board {
Prison Commissioners, not by the Governor
and should hold their offices during good D.
havior, and that sub-oficcrs of prisons shout
be appointed by the Wardens, subject 10 IN
approval of the Prison Commissioners
PRISON LABOR
Tho svgtptn of contract lnbOr i'm our prison