The herald., 1893-06-07
THE WHITTIER SCHOOL AGAIN,
District Attorney Dillon Jumps
on Its Charges.
The Rejection of Its Demands by the
Supervisors.
An Exhaustive Opinion Filed with the
Board Yesterday by Mr.. Dillon,
Giving His Views of the
Affair.

Yesterday District Attorney Dillon
filed an opinion with the board of su-
pervisors. which opens up an interesting
field of investigation into the MANAGE
ment and expenses of the state school
at Whittier.
The investigation thus set on foot will
result in thorough examination of the
methods OF expenditures at the Whittier
school.
It came up on the submission of cer-
tain demands by Superintendent Walter
Lindley for the county's half for the
maintenance of boys and girls COM
mitted to the institution from Los An
geles county.
One OF these demands was for 1876 Al,
claimed TO be due for the months of De-
cember, 1892, January, February and
March, 1893.
A portion OF these demands are for 50
per inmate per month under the old
law, and the remainder for $12 30 under
the law passed by the last legislature in
creasing the maximum amount per in
mate to $25 per month.
The other demand was for $1203.56
for amounts claimed under previous
months.
The district attorney rejects both
these demands and gives his reasons
therefor in the following opinion:
The claim OF the Whittier reform
school referred to this office is herewith
returned with the recommendation
that it be rejected.
The claim filed by the trustees of that
institution is for $25 per month for each
inmate sent from this county, one-hah
to be paid by the county and one-half to
be paid by the state. That this claim
is verv much more than the actual cost
OF the maintenance OF the inmates OF
this institution, will be apparent to any
one who will examine the cost of main
tanning the inmates of the other public
institutions OF the state.
The average cost per month of main
tanning each inmate in the Napa insane
asylum, as shown by the official report
OF the trustees for the year ending June
80, 1890, was $12.17; for the year end
ing June go, 1889, it was SIP 43.
Included in the items of cost are not
only the food, fbel and incidental ex-
penees connected with the institution,
but also the salaries of officers and pay
roll OF employees amounting TO $685.
491.55; in short, the $12.17 per month
for each inmate pays the total expense
Of maintaining the institution.
The average cost per month for each
inmate in the Stockton insane asylum
for the year ending June 30, 1890, was
$1l66. This includes the entire ex-
pense of maintenance, officers salaries,
pay roll OF employees, and all incidental
expenses of every kind. For the year
ending June 80, 1889, it was s11.74.
I think it must be conceded that it
will certainly cost as much TO maintain,
care for and treat fanatic as it will to
maintain and care for child in the
reform school, particularly when we take
into consideration the medical care and
attention and the extra care and ex-
pense necessarily the treatment of the
insane. ~ ID f .s,{.
The expense for maintaining the home
for feeble minded children at Glen
Ellen for the year ending June 80, 1890,
was fiity-six cents per day, or $l6 80 per
month. This institution, however, had
during that time only III inmates, and
it will be readily seen that the expense
per inmate would be greater where
there is small number of inmates than
where there is greater number. The
salaries of the general officers would be
no greater for 500 inmates than for 100.
More teachers and more help would be
required for 500 than for 100, but not
five times as many. As you increase
the number the ratio of expense per in
mate can be reduced. There are now
465 inmates in the reform school, and if
the average expense of the III inmates
Al. t.. 81 -
Sic. 80 per month, with equal economy
and equally good management, the ex-
penses OF the 465 inmates of the reform
school ought not to exceed $40, or at the
verv outside figure, $12 each per month.
The expense of maintaining the in
mates of the city prison in the city is a
fraction less than ~ cents per day each,
or $6 66 per month. It is true that no
expenses are incurred for teachers or for
high priced officials, and this case is
cited for the purpose of showing what
the food actually consumed, together
with the expense OF preparing and serv-
ing the same, costs.
The school of the Sisters of Charity
and Orphans Home, situated in Los
Angeles county, is private school and
orphans home. There are in this in
stitution three classes of inmates, clas-
sified as follows: Whole orphans, half
orphans and pay students. For each
whole orphan the Sisters are allowed
from the state $100 per year, for each
half-orphan $75 per year and such sum
or sums, il any, that may be paid in by
the surviving parent of the hslf-orphan,
but in most OF the cases nothing is re-
ceived from this source. The pay
scholars are charged 5000 each per year.
For the 500 received from the state for
the whole orphans, and $75 for the half
orphans, such inmates are provided for,
fed, clothed and educated, and in fact
allowed the same privileges as the pay
students. There are at the present time
in tilis institution 35 whole orphans,
262 half orphans and from 35 to 40 pay
students.
This is a private institution, and out
of the money received, at the foregoing
rates, the Sisters pay the salaries of the
teachers and help employed and all ex-
penses connected with the management,
pay taxes, pay for water and gas, and
are paying interest on 100000 mort
gage.
The average earnings of the laboring