The record-union., 1893-01-04
IMPORTATION.

ports Dy this partial list:
IMPoRTATIoNs.
1--we STOCK, &C 900 tom
Mool, ABOUT 1900 ton!
31lues' aDout.,--..-... ................... 600 toni
Meats and packlng-house prod
ucts about. 900 tom
OulITy, 1000 toni
Dutter' 1000 toni
Sheese, aDO Out...............-........ 1900 tom
I1sgs' aoout...... $500 tons
nay, ABOUT 900 ton:
Iotatoes, abOut............. - 1000 ton.
BroOmcorn, ,about.................. 500 ton.
Ltour, $500 ton:
T StheT mil products, about. $500 tom
SIiaIch aoouI ouI....................... 1,6O0 tons
SnNe OH, $50 tons
money, ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. so tons
Nunneo goods, about................... 5000 tons
We are are importing over O,0OO, ,OO(
eggs annually, probably over three
quarters of a million of poultry annually
ana potatoes, butter, pork, beef, flour
etc, IN very large quantities, every pound
OF which could be produced in this State
1t seems to me that this is a subject
which these District Agricultural Asso-
clauonS, and especially the State Agri-
cultural Society, should take hold of Wig
orously. Our State is especially adapted
TO the production of all these articles, and,
IN addition, they all without doubt can be
produced at profit. These boards could
arouse an interest in this matter by point
ing out the most natural and profitable
locality IN the State for the production OF
each and the best method of producino
the same profitably. They should en-
deavor also to arouse owners of large
tracts OF land to the facs that their own
interest, the interests OF their communi-
Ties and the State at large demand rea-
sonable prices and terms in the sale al
lands.
sTATIsrICS-STATE INSTITUTIONS.
lie finds the law requiring statistical
reports to the Surveyor General a dead
letter, and suggests that in lieu thereof
the state Agricultural Society maintain a
statistical department.. to be provided for
by law. Having visited all State institu-
lions at announced times, he reports them
We'll managed, and with few exceptions
their administrators discharging their
duties satisfactorily.
BIENNIAL REPORTS.
Except the more voluminous. he saws
he has read the biennial reports. and
commends for conciseness and intelli-
gence the following: The Adiutant-Gen-
eral, the Attorney-General,t the Arbitra-
ton Board, the Bank Commissioners. the
Board of Equalization, the Board of Ex-
aminers, the State Board of Health. the
Board of Pharmacy, the Board of WITH
culture, the Board of Forestry, the Board
OF Dental Examiners, the Board of IL
censed Surveyors, the Golden Gate Park
Commissioners, the Los Angeles Park
Commissioners, the Fish Commissioners.
the Harbor Commissioners, Home of the
Adult Blind, Home for Feeble Minded
Insurance Commissioner, the five Insane
AsyIums, the Institution for the Deaf
Dumb and Blind, the Trustees of the
State Mining Bureau, the Trustees of the
Mineral Cabinet, the Secretary of State
the superintendent of Public Instruction
the State Controller, the State Treasurer
| ~a,-inY I,.oC
the three Normal Schools, the Prison Di-
rectprs, the Surveyor-General, the State
Printer, the Whittier Reform School. the
\ NoSemite Valley Commissioners. and the
Worlds Fair Commission.
Very often too little time is devoted nv
authors OF reports to condensing their
statements. Intelligent people like ours
do not require arguments, but simnly
facts, from which they deduce their own
conclusions. The enormous cost of print
ing some of these volumes seems to have
escaped attention in many cases. notably
In that of the State Mineralogist. the cost
OF printing which. as presented, would
nave been over $4,000. | have no doubt
that this is valuable contribution. bnt I
beneVe that 5000 worth of Intelligent
editorial work bestowed upon the MANN
script would have saved four times that
amount in the cost of printing, and the
volume would have been of greater value
TO those interested. People will not read
long, tedious reports, and if it were NOT
for the condensed statements piyen ont
through the press, the people of the State
generally would have very little informa-
tlon in regard to our public institutions.
UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS AND
REPORTS.
There should be some provision in the
statutes whereby the various public in
stltutlons throughout the State would be
required TO have a uniform system of
keeping accounts, making reports. etc
This is especially true of those institu-
tlonS constituted for the same purnoses
In short time we shall have five insane
aSylums, with 1000 inmates. Each of
these asylumS-and the same is aDDIi-
cable to ali other inStitutiOns-is man
aged by separate board with power to
regulate its affairs absolutely without
supervision from any source so long as
II follows the letter of the law consti-
tutlng 1t. The two State Prisons under
one management do not have exactly the
same system of keeping accounts and
making reports, though they approach
much nearer to uniformity in this respect
than any of the others. The Whittier
and lone Schools should undoubtedly
have the same system, and l know of no
reason why the Home for the Feeble
Minded and that of the Adult Blind
should not be required also to conform
10 one method. l earnestly recommend
that such measures be adopted as will
require all public institutions of the
State to have uniform system of keep
ing accounts and making reports to the
State Board of Examiners.
a good Illustration of this is in the
management of the National Soldiers
Homes of the United States. They are
all controlled by one Board of Managers,
and their methods are worthy of your at
tention. The Governor of "a Home ac-
counts for every item upon blanks, that
show at a glance the daily expenditures
under separate heads, so that the manager
or inspector can see at once how many
pounds of meat, vegetables, butter, fruit,
ETC., are used daily, the cost of each item.
and the difference, if any, in the price
paid for each article and the quality dur
Ing any day in the year. They also keep
an accurate account with the farm, charg-
ing it with every outlay and crediting it
at market prices with every article re-
ceived. The Commissary keeps the same
account with the farm that he would with
an outsider. This not only serves as a
check upon the Farmer and Commissary
and prevents unlawful use of any of its
products, but it also shows the value of
the farm to the institution.
EXCHANGE OF PRODUCTS.
This leads me to mention another i'm