Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-03
Board of Too rluch Control.

The Milwaukee Sentinel this morning
contains the following editorial upon j..
". Cochran's letter which appeared in
one OF their recent issues:
The criticism by correspondent in
the Sentinel yesterday, of the law
creating and governing the State Board
of Control of charitable and reformatory
institutions was timely and wholesome.
Overlooking the minor shortcomings
and faults of the partisan board, most
of the members of which were
appointed chiefly for partisan reasons,
he correspondent directed attention to
the inviting opportunities for general
corruption and inefficiency of manage
ment afforded by the law passed by
Chairman Wallis first legislature. 1t is
not surprising that the law should be
found defective in most important
respects. 1t was enacted for the two
fold purpose of giving pretense of
economy and reform in the abolishing
of one state board and of giving places
of profit and influence to political
workers of the Democratic machine of
the state. That little consideration was
given to other than political features OF
legislation has been made plain not only
in the defects pointed out in the statute
but by the results from the operation of
it.
Many of the undesirable things which
are pointed out as possible under the
law have developed, and the ecoromy
boasted of in advance as certain to
come from dispensing with one of the
state boards, has been practically lost
III the increasing expenses of the single
unobstructed partisan board. And it
may be added as so much to the credit
Of this board that It's expenses were not
doubled, because there is nothing in the
law nor III the system of operations
under it which offers any effectual stop
to speculation.
There has been ana can be no valid
excuse for any law governing the ex-
penditures of large SUMS Of money by
public officials which entrusts the
examination and final auditing of such
expenditures to. the officials making
them. The Sentinel long ago called
attention to this pernicjous system in
vogue at Madison with the Board of
Normal School Regents as we'll
as the Board of Control, the members
of neither being required to itemize
their Individual accounts against the
state. 1t Is noimputation of dishonesty
against any member of either board to
point out the possibilities for theft
under such & system and the impossible
ity of any memberindisputably proving
himself above suspicion so long us he
eXpends public funds without making a
public accounting and having it passed
upon and approved by somebody else,
as is required of state officers generally.
The suggestions by Mr.. Cochran upon
other features of the law than that re-
lating to expenditures will be likely to
occur to legislators who are intent upon
securing the most approvable methods
of management for the institutions
rather than in providing lucrative and
easy positions for party workers. We
assume that if the incoming legislature
takes up the subject it Will be with the
better purpose and not merely to repeat
the pa:pable blunder of the Democratic
machine operators in the preparation
of the present law"