The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-07
SOME ASYLUM STATISTICS.
Salaries Which May Be Pruned
Effectually.
HIGH COST OF ADMINISTRATION.
More Than a Quarter of Million Paid
for Salaries and Wages at the
Insane AsYlums.

0UNGIuOE-Sl6Cl dlllbS sIls lOudu uuL
his recent campaign made economy in the
administration of the State the keynote OF
his addresses to the public.
When the seekers after Office have ceased
to worry him for places, the new Governor
will have the opportunity TO study best
how 10 prune the sxlravagant excrescences
which have attached themselves to almos t
every department of the Government.
Because the jobs are political and be-
cause the Stale pays for them. and because
NO one has sought to rebuke the waste Of
the peoples money, California is to-day
burdened with taxation for the benefit of
employees holding sinecures under the
commonwealth.
When the new constitution went into eff
feet it was supposed that a certain limit had
been fixed for State expenditures. At each
term OF the Legislature. someb body wanting
place or somebody desiring q place for
some henchmRn has succeeded 10 having
an act passed creating that place, and the
appropriation bill at each session has been
swel!ed TO meet The new drafts upon the
treasury. In nearly all the executive de-
Dartme ntS, the Governors Office, the Office
of the torney-General, ana others, new
offices have been created for assistant sec
retarles, clerks and stenographers. The
commissions have grown 10 an alarming
extent, until finally the sum total of in
creased expenditures has reached an
amount which would almost support an
economically administered State Govern
ment A thousand dollars here, two thou
sand dollars somewhere else, and these
sums multiplied by the numerous new
offices, make very considerable amount.
the expenditures for the care of the
States insane aggregate no small sum. 1t
for the insane was thought TO provide
ample accommodation for the unfortunates
who had lost their reason. Then a new
and expensive structure was erected at
Napa, followed shortly by other asylums
at Agnews, Ukiah and San Bernardino.
1t may be that GOVernor-eeet Budd, when
the LeglSla ture makes It's appropriations
FIR these Institutions, will find it quite
within the range of his duties 10 cuTtaii
some Of the larger populations for the
purely administrative features of these
establishments.
The number Of patients at the four asy-
lums for be insane now in operation were
on June 60 1898, according to the Calfor-
MIA Blue Book: A Stockton 1868, AT Napa
1889. at Agnews 900, at San BernsrdnO
100-a total of 3097. For the adninistra-
ton of these four institu ions it cost the
State as follows: At San BernardinO 1925
a month. at Aguews $4026 60, at Napa
SOJ3S 10, anu dl OlDCk lOD lOU IL, or q
total Of 81, 661 50. That makes each pa
tient in the insane asylums cost the State
about 81 for the salaries attached to the
institutions. The cost of the mere ad-
ministratiOn of the insane asylums of the
State is S25S, 941 90. This is the amount
spent in salaries alone. In addition there
are various sums not shown in the blue
book spent for the wages Of carpenters
and other mechanics. Beyond this the
vast army If employees is boarded at these
institutions at the States expense.
The medical superintendent at Stockton
receives S3500 a year, the three assistant
physicians $500 each, the apothecary $50
a month, the secretary $50 a month. the
stenographer $50 month, the steward
$3.50 a month, the clerk SIS, the store
keeper $50 the supervisor $50, the assist
ant supervisor $50. the head gardener SIS
and the landscape gardener $50. The
resident physician at Napa receives $500
a year, TWO assistant physicians $500
each, third assistant $500. and the pri-
vate secretary $500. No mention is N ade
of a stenographeT at this Institution. Pre-.
sumaby the private secretary acts as
such. If he can do so at Napa, it might
be pertinent TO ask why the secret ~ en-
gagged a. Stockton should not be stenog-
rapher as well. The steward at Napa
receives S175 a month. The question
occurs, why should he receive $25
month more than the steward at
Stockton?
The medical director at Agnews is paid
$500 a year and found, one assistant
physician receives $500 a year and is
found and the other $2100a year and found.
The secretary to the medical director is
paid $3.50 month, the steward $3.50 a
month and the stewards clerk SIS a
month.
The medical director at San Bernardino
is paid $500 year, his assistant physi-
clan $500 and his secretary $3.50 m Onth.
The steward gets $3.50 month.
Such salaries as $50 a month for car
penters, $50 for supervisor, $50 for steW-
ards clerk occur.
The attendants are paid $40 in most in
stances, the assistants $50. These are
much larger salaries than he same class
institutions of like character $40 a month
is con sldered good wages for an attendant.
When 1t is considered that the salaries
and wages for the m ost part are in addi-
ton to board and lodging, the expeudi-
lures for purely administrative purposes
at the various asylums seem large. 1t is
held that an average reduction OF 10 per
cent In wages would in no way cripple he
efficiency of these institutions, and the
State would save thereby more than
$4,000 a year. If the same care were de-
voted to pruning extravaganza in other
institutions. State Offices and commissions,
the total amount economical would ex-
coed 100000
The amount of money wasted by the
State would, in one year, go far toward
building a railroad from Stockton to
Bakersfield.
In ten years enough money is wasted by
the State Of California to build a railroad
connecting almost every important town
hn nEFNa nan