River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-01-12
State Benevolent Institutions.
Their Management by the Board of
Control.


control of a single Board in 1881.
Some of the consequent improvements
in internal management and in the e.
naDciering, may be of interest TO citi.
Zens. The institutions alluded to, are
the State Hospital for the Insane at
Mendoza. near Madison; Northern
Hospital for the Insane. near Oshkosh ;
State Prison at Waupun; Industrial
School for Boys at Waukesha; School
for the Blind at GAINESVILLE; School for
the Deaf at Delevan; and the State
Public School at Sparta has been re-
Gently created, making seven institu-
tions, having 2400 inmates, 400 attend
ants. and an aggregate, in round num-
bers. of $500 population. The Boa ID
consists of Charles Luling. Esq, Of
Manitowoc; Gen. James Bintliff, of
Darlington; EXIT. Gov. @. d. Parker,
of River Falls; Nicholas Smith. Esq, of
GAINESVILLE; and l.. A. Proctor, Esq, of
Milwaukee, and the gentlemen devote
all their time to their office, meeting
at the Capitol monthly to audit bills
and to pass on estimates of supplies
for the coming month; aud they per-
sonally inspecting the institutions.
If the reader can imaginea population
twice as large as that of River Falls,
distributed in seven households and
organized so as to effect not only the
domestic well being, but to specially
promote the sanitary, moral and educa-
tional welfare of the great bodies, the
duty of this Board will become more
manifest; and especially must the re.
tarding influences TO the Boards ef-
forts, be considered, found in the dis
eased bodies, and the diseased and in
herently weak minds of the inmates.
Each institution through its stew.
ard submits to the Board monthly an
estimate in detail of material needs
for the next succeeding month; the
Board canvass these estimates under
intelligence arising from recent in.
inspection of the needs at the places
of the use of the proposed supplies,
and rejects articles, or adds to them,
and returns the estimate authorizing
the purchase. The bills for purchases
of the previous month are examined
infinitely in view of the estimate un-
der which they we're authorized, extern
siOns and foOtings are verified, and if
correct, the bills are paid by warrants
drawn on the fund that is made avail
able for that purpose by the legisla-
ture. The Board maintains such su-
peIvision of expenditures as would
command respect in the best financial
concerns. a perfect system of book
keeping is kept, SO that ledger page
displays to the eye the complete finan.
cial history of each institution, veri-
fed by complete file of every origin
al paper, not boxed and in an I'M
known place, but at hand under a
complete system of ineligible index
ing. 1t is not over stating to say that
nancial management and accountings.
To purchase the best goods at the min
imum expenditure, the Board consult
dealers in person, employing the ag-
gregate system of purchases when
economic to do so, and thus always in
terposing check upon carelessness or
collision of subordinate officers with
dealers, at the same time stimulating
by competition the purchasers, SO
dealers and subordinates have every
motive that the state has, in transac-
tiOns.
TO be appreciated the internal af.
fairs of the seven institutions need to
be seen. No description can adequate
ly show the clean, bright, well aired
and lighted, homelike appearance of
the houses, and SO far as the peculiar
states of the Inmates make it possible,
their cheerful mein is due in part to
the constant watchfulnesS of the
Board. Infancy and insanity in their
unreasoning attitudes gle C t G d
youth and men,-helpless, blind and
deaf,-all are put to routine, stimulated
by repeated trials for independence,
SO that growth results wherever it is
made possible by the present charac-
ter of the individual, and happiness
is probably attained by the inmates
of these households, up to de-
gree which compares favorably with
possible attachments of the same per-
sons placed elsewhere.
The following is of interest to the
economist, comparing the manage
ment of Boards for years ending
Sept. 80, 1881, with the management
of the present Board since that date
to Both Sept sc:
Total cost. an average of 1717 persons
years, Old system. -.--.....-. siJ6, yU1. AZ
Total cost. N average of 2O4Y persons
b YEAR.. New system. .............s Sos, o33. ~