The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-02

Governor West yesterday received a
communication from Secretary H 5. Ro-
lapp, Of the Reform school: stating that
the board of trustees of that institution.
being confronted with the fact that tho
appropriation made for the maintenance
of the school fer 1894 and 1895 will be ex-
hausted within thirty days, deem it their
duty to notify his excelIency that the
board Will be compelled TO close the
school before August 1st, unless the
county courts of the various counties,
having inmates al the school. advance by
way of loan the sum of $4,000. which viii
DC the deficiency at the time of the next
meeting of the legislature.
The opinion of the governor is asked
as TO the powers of the board TO make a
loan or create a deficiency by issuing
supplies
II is stated that the appropriation for
1SSS and 1855 was altogether Inadequate
and entirely out of proportion to apDro-
priatiOns for similar purposes for pre-
VlouS years. The appropriation for 90-9I
was S9e,55z.S9, for 92-3. 20 co. and for 1896
only Sl5;O42, with Ss,95S.oS on hand. total
It is set forth that the board has rig
orousiy enforced economy in every
branch OF the school; the wages of en-
pioyees were cut almost in halves and
the force materially reduced. In spite of
the efforts made, however, il was found
impossible TO keep within the limits of
the appropriation, and now the school
cannot be kept open longer without out
side aid. OF course the board cannot bor-
row from any bank or private Individual
Tor me reason that they nave no legal
power 10 contract such indebtedness, and
while having every confidence that The
next legislature will promptly provide for
any oenclency that may occur, are doubt
full as to their authority to issue war
rants for the maintenance Of the school
over and above the appropriation made
On the other hand. the board does not
believe that the people desire the school
to be closed, because if this should be
done, the property upon which the build
ingS now stand and belonging to the terri
tory would revert to Ogden city. Then. too
the board feels that the existence of the
reform school has been demonstrated to
be a. necessity and a benefit 10 the people.
While the per capita cost of sustaining
the inmates seems light. statistics show
that the cost is smaller than at any other
reform school in the Union from which
reports have been received
The necessity of keeping up the institu-
ton is set ont and Mr.. Rola-pp closes by
say rg Having these views in mind ths
board thought ii proper to apply to You
for such advice IN the premises as Won
may deem it proper to give. Also kindly
advise the board what. in your opinion,
would be the proper ultimate disposal to
make of the inmates in case il shall bs
found impossible to keeI, the school open
r-rorfi made by CJahS first
and last-Republican legislature grow
ing. 1t cut down the appropriation rCr
the insane asylum to such a ridiculous
figure that q deficiency may arise thera
at any time. il gave the agricultural col
lege such a small appropriation as ~
hamper it, and its treatment of the uni
versity of Titan was disCracefrI- The lat
ter institution managed to hobble along
in crutches, and now comes this latest
emergency
It presents a hard nut for the governor
70 crack and how it will terminate cannot
at this time be seen. If the institution -
closed Up, what is TO be done with the
inmates? That is one question, end then.
If the school is closed, the valuable prop
erty will revert TO Ogden
1t as to be hoped that some way OF
bridging over the difficulty may be de
YiSed.