Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-01-14

each TO its fair share Of that which the people
are able 70 give.
Boards of Trustees.
We have In Iowa Of educational, cleemo-
synary and reformatory Institutions, which
are governed by separate boards Of trustees,
no less than thirteen in number, and TO oil
these boards requires seyenty-four members.
Leaving out the educational we still have
ten Of the others controlled by separate
boards composed Of forty-slx members In the
aggregate, or an average Of 40 each.
DAfter all this machinery has been con-
structed and put together and set In motion
with Its attendant expense to the state there
is.but one thing possible TO be done, and that
is for each OF these separate boards TO employ
some one TO take practical charge OF the insti-
tuition It represents and substantially manage
its affairs
To pay these trustees, of the ten institu-
tons referred TO, cost the state during the last
biennial period III 1920, and TO this may be
added the expense Of the visiting committee
to the insane hospitals, aggregailng, with the
expense Of the trustees, S20,SASs3.
cannot conceive of any real necessity for
these separate and independent boards OF
trustees.
1t seems 10 me that single board, COM
posed Of five or six members ut most, repre-
senting all OF these institutions and absolutely
impartial as between them would be better
trustees can do so, with Intelligence and
economy than can separate boards for each.
And such board would be able TO furnish
estimates of the wants Of these institutions,
based upon an intelligent understanding OF
the probable revenues Of the state and the
actual necessities Of the institutions, that
would be OF practical aid to the legislature In
preparing Its appropriation bills
am not unmndful of the feet that many
who advocate tho establishment OF state
boards of this character believe they should
be organized in addition TO separate boards OF
trustees for the several institutions they are
expected TO visit, and that their duties so far
as they effect the management OF such institu-
tons should be largely, II not wholly, ad-
visory.
il this theory shall best accord with the
judgment of members of this body, beg leave
TO suggest that II ought 10 be so modified as
TO give to the state board, II organized, power
TO discharge or transfer as II deems best In
mates from the charitable and reformatory
institution of the state, and so rs TO require
of the state board biennial estimates Of APP
preparations necessary for the institutions
under Its care based upon probable revenues
of the state.
think too II such board is organized II
should perform the duties OF all our visiting
commuters; that the membership OF the sey,
eral boards Of trustees as they now exist
should be largely diminished SO that the ex.
pense Of managing our state institutions shall
not be increased
have thus far spoken of these institutions
In the appreciate, / want now to direct your
attention TO certain classes OF the same.
Educational Institutions.
do not believe our educational institutions
should be managed by the same board that
ought to conduct the affairs Of those Of 9
charitable or penal character
One class should be expanded as much as
possible, the other contracted as far as prac-
ticable.
The schools that are aided by the state
should be put upon permanent basis. Their
revenues should be made reasonably certain.
They should not be required to beg from year
to year for the means Of subsistence.
1t is, In my Judgment, the plain duty OF
this legislature to provide for tho annual levy
of a special tax, the proceeds TO be devoted 10
the maintenance Of the State university, Agri,
culral college and Normal school In such pro
portions as Is just to each; and this being
DONE those In charge Of each of these insti
tntions should understand that they mus
conduct the same upon plan to bring Its ex
penditures within its revenues.
Hospitals for the Insane.
1t is recommended by the visiting commit
tee, trustees and superintendents Of our hos
pitfalls FOR the insane, that we Immediately
complete the one located at Clarinda and com.
mence the construction of another In TIT
northwestern part Of the state.
As at present advised cannot concur In
this recommendation.
II Is to me a matter Of grave doubt whether
our present plan of caring for the chronic and
harmless insane is the best that can be devised
when considered from the standpoint OF ex.
pense to the state, or Its effect upon the wei.
fare of the unfortunate beings for whom it has
been arranged.
We now have three large state hospitals
two completed and the third well under way
Those that are completed have already cost
the state an average Of nearly million dollars
each, and this legislature is asked for add
| tional special appropriations amounting To
| Sl52, 900 for the two that are completed and
| S3ll 900 for that which is yet unfinished.
Reckoning interest on the investment ir
| I'm these institutions, biennial appropriations
required for necessary repairs, and the sup
| port fund annually disbursed by the state, 4
costs more than $50 month to maintain each
| inmate provided for therein over and above
| everything that is derived from his or he
| labor.
They are designed to accommodate wher
| completed about eight hundred patients each.
| OF these 1t Is estimated by those competent
to Judge that so per cent under favorable cir
| cumstances could be induced to earn theil
| own support.
III seems 10 me lInpOsslDle lor anyone
manage such large numbers OF these people
assembled in one body and practically unde
| the control of one man, 80 as to make thei
| labor OF any great value TO the state. That 4
| has not been In the past is demonstrated BY
| the fact that the amount annually re
| quired for the support fund OF these institu
| tons is more than It would cost to maintain
on private account, in any Of the country dis
tricts Of this state, an equal number of adult
| boarders SAYING nothing Of the fact that the
state provides furnished buildings free Of
rent.
II we complete the system Of hospitals and
| fill them as recommended II viii entail ar
| annual expense upon the state, counting
| interest on the capital invested, OF not les:
than s76s, 10000 or more than 81 ,500,0 600 fol
each biennial period, sum equal 10 abou
| one-haf the entire revenues OF the state, anc
still our work will be incomplete for VIC mus
| build more Of these hospitals as the number
| of insane increase.
II it Is necessary In order to provide com
Portable support for these unfortunates tina
the state should bear this burden few OF oui
people will complain, and none ought to com
plain.
But facing such a condition 1t is the plain
duty of the legislature TO carefully enquire
whether 1t is in fact necessary.
To aid US upon this point we are happily
able TO avail ourselves of the light TO be gath
cred from twenty years Of experience by oul
nelghboring state OF Wisconsin under what Il
there termed 'The County Hospital System
for the care Of It's chronic and harmless In
| sane.
This should not be COMPOUNDED with tn,
poor house system prevalent to some cxten,
In our own state.
Instead thereof It is a system under the con
troll Of state board, composed Of Ave mem
bers whose duty among others 1t Is made u
see that one member at least visits thes'
hospitals as often as once in three months ant
as much oftener as they deem necessary anC
1t is clothed by law with practical contro
over the management Of these hospitals
The last biennial report Of the board wa,
made at the close of 1890, twenty years aftel
| 1t was created, and at that time a majority Of
the members were the same men originally ap
pointed.
The state then had three asylums con
structed, as understand, substantially after
the plan of our own, in which 1880 patients
were cared for, and twenty county asylums In
which 1,716 Of their chronic insane were pro
vided for.
1t ia stated in this report that the average
cost Of maintaining inmates in these smaller
asylums is less than one-half the cost In the
state asylums, and by actual figures taken
from the reports Of those In charge II Is shown
that the average cost per capita OF their main
tenance during 1889 was SLIGO per week, ane
for 1890 $l.4 or about 81 per month.
Ia