St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-22
MINNEAPOLIS EVENTS
There Seems to Be Room for
an Investigation Of the
Workhouse.
Some Possibilities the Pres
ent Style Of Management
Offers.
Sehwab Left to Shoulder the
Blame for the Escape Of
Prisoners.
SI,0
The Insurance Hen Continue
to Thump Each Other
and Swear.

The WOrkhOuSe and workhOuse man
agement have been prominently before
the public for the past few days. The
way prisoners have been "lost" some
where along the road between the mu-
nicipal court and the workhouse has at
tracted good deal of attention. The
responsibility for these disappearance
has been thrown upon one Of the court
officers. But the investigation has done
more. 1t has directed the attention Of
certain city officials toward the work
house-toward the whole system of
wOrkhOuse management. Many have
made special stud sA0f this branch of
municipal economy. They have about
concluded that that institution can be
operated on more businesS-like prin-
ciples. 1t seems to them that, as now
conducted, there are lOopholes through
which mismanagement and eXtraya-
gance can enter. Opportunities are
offered for the mulcting of the city.
These opportunities may not be taken
advantage of. 1t is not asserted that
the city has been ''giyen the worst of
IT." But such things might happen.
The opportunities are there. That they
have not been utilized is no reason for
brief outline of how the WGrknouSe is
managed is in order.
The superintendent of the workhouse
receives a salary of $1,000 per year. In
addition TO this he has his house rent
and all the products of the WOrkhouse
farm which he may need. This makes
tidy little salary, taken in the aggre-
gate. Then there are several positions
around the wOrkhouse which are open
to and held by members of the superln-
tendent's family.
Nothing Wrong About That,
perhaps, but it is convenient. Then
there are the employees of the city at the
workhOuSe, the guards, etc. They are
paid salary of S45 month each land
found" That is, they receive their
salaries, their board, and their lodging.
A man who receives S45 month and
Rll his living expenses receives comfort
able pay.
No one has any fault to find with
these salaries, but the system is
loose; The city pays all the
wOrkhouse grocery and butchers
bills. These include the material
for the prisoners table and the guards
table. Now, what is to prevent the
superintendent from getting a little
rake OFF, through the medium of these
bills? Of course they must be audited
by the council committee on claims be-
fore being paid. But what does the
committee on claims know about them?
II bills were presented including such
items IS Sealskin sacques. railroad iron, a
Cognac brandy in quantities, CalifornIs
strawberries in February, Or corner lots
IN Duluth, the committee on claim
would probably see them and refuse to
pass them. But how do the members of
that committee know whether the
amount of sugar or tea or butter or
coffee or canned corn or stove blacking
put down III the bill is the exact amount
used at the workhOuse?
How Does the Committee Know
that the superintendent does not sup
ply his whole family and his neighbors
out of the groceries paid for by the
council? How does the committee
know that he does not go even further
than that and get neat little bonus on
those bills? Mind, no one says that
Supt. John West does all this or any
part of it. Such action on the part of
well known public servant, with a well
known public record, like Supt. West,
is not even limited at. But, could it not
be done, SuppOSing the superintendent
to be not such an Over-ScrupulouS Off
cial as Supt. West? Ii it could be done,
the system must be wrong. As a mat
ter of fact, bills have been thrown out
that looked suspiclous-bills for granu-
lated sugar by the barrel, bills Tor but
ter that would give enough of the COW
product to each consumer for use on his
bread, and more than enough in addi-
ton for him to grease his boots with.
But these are isolated cases. A Skillful
bill manipulation would have covered up
those glarlng Inaccuracies.
Now. What Is TO BE Done2
Nobody knows just yet. 1t is safe to
say, however, that the system of work
house management will be overhauled
ere the time comes for the election of
another superintendent. City officials
are becoming addicted, more and more.
to the unpleasant habit of inquiring into
things, to noSlng around public depart
mentS. 1t is admitted that, under the
present system, large opportunities are
offered the wOrkhOuSe superintendent.
who will not scruple to look out for
himself. 1t is likely that the guards
VIII be paid salary alone. They can
then pay their own board. That would
be more buSineSS-like. Or the city
might allow the superintendent a Ger
tain sum for the board Of guards. Then
1t Is proposed to pay the superintendent
salary and give him his house, but
make him buy his own groceries. Under
such a system the superintendent would
probably be required to account 10 his
employer, the city, for everything raised
on the workhouse farm. There seems
room here for the employment of the
nf l,o