The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-29

With a full knowledge Of all
these irregularities" the Appro-
priation Committee Of 1888, of
which I was a member, began its
labors. The Committee early ar
rived at the conclusion, that to
prevent a continuation Of this
"sponging process" which had
cost the State nearly, il not quite
a. much to run the heads Of these
Institutions, as was allowed them
BY law as salaries, the appropria-
tion should not be made In "a
lump" as heretofore, but that the
amounts for wages and salaries,
and for the support Of the unfor-
tuhate inmates should be separated
and distinctly specified, and this
novel feature in the appropriation
bill of 1888 was adopted and ad-
hersd to throughout.
Having progressed thus far, the
next question for the Committee
to consider was, what amounts
were necessary to pay wages and
salaries and support the Asylum
decently3 For information on this
subject we looked to the reports
ofthe Superintendent and Steward.
DR.. MitchelPs report disclosed the
fact that the appropriation Of $780,.
900 annually, tor the past two years
chad been sufficient for the com
Portable support of the inmates"
and "presuming that prices for
the next two years will be about
the same as In the past two" he
blandly informed the Legislature
that be "would only ask TOR the
same support as given for the last
corresponding period"
Here we found the data for an
appropriation in solido, fer we only
had to deduct from $4,000, the
sl75l.1O board bill for the thirteen
k'zbsrs of It's famYies Of the
Superintendent and assistant;
S67S.50 for the board Of the five
servants in attendance on said fam
lilies and S6l2.OO for the wages of
said servants total of t3036.60
and we would have the amount
necessary for the Comfortable
support" Of the institution, which
might be legally and honestly Sx-
pended. But the committee hav-
ing resolved to adopt a clause in
the bill after the appropriations to
tho eleemosynary institutions to
prevent any more "fudging" on
the taxpayers, which provided
"that no part of the support fund
shall be used by any officer or en-
plOye in said institutions to sup
port or aid in supporting his or
her family; hiring servants to wait
upon said family, or paying laund-
~ bills" we had to seek further
information in order that we might
divide the appropriation to the
Jackson Insane Asylum intelligent
ly- The report of the Steward
furnished us the desired informa-
ton, when he told us, that be had
disbursed as wages and salaries for
the year 1887, Sl9,06l.34
And for the support Of
the inmates, including
all incidental expenses sS9,93s.66
The committee thought to COM
ply with the just demands of the
tax-papers and at the same time
meet the estimate Of the Su-
perintsndent, by making an ap-
preparation Sufficient for the COM
Portable support of the inmates"
We had only to deduct the amount
heretofore paid for servants hire,
$4,000 from the wage and salary
uppropriatiOn-s19, ,06l.84, and the
amounts paid by the
State for the board of thirteen
members Of the families domioiled
at the Asylum and the FIVE servants
in their employ, aggregating
from the support fund
$50, ,93S.66. And this is substan-
tally what was done, for the ap-
bill, which passed both
Houses and was approved by the
Governor gave the Insane Asylum
At Jackson each year