The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-01-12

delivered his biennial message before Joint
convention OF both houses yesterday afternoon
He said in substance:
On November I, 1903, after the apportionment
of the primary school fund was made. for the
nrst time in many years Michigan confronted
an empty treasury This was not caused so
much by increased expenditures. rs IL was by
the failure OF tho legislature OF 1901 TO levy
taxes sufficient to meet what might reason
ably have been contemplated would be
che needs OF the state, and whilc there
Nns no direct authority for hiring money. the
railroads we're offered an inducemcnt OF per
cent discount from November to January
following, 10 advance their taxes due In jan
nary. This was done by the Michigan Central
and Lake Shore & Michigan Southern rail-
roads TO the amount OF nearly 100000 Through
Che First national bank OF Detroit an addi-
tlonal $50 COO was obtained Owing TO this, on
November !, 1894, similar condition OF Affairs
presented itself, except that only S25OOOO was
then needed 70 bridge over Section 3, OF arti-
Gle IA OF tho constitution. provides that
the state shall not contract debts TO meet def
cts In revenue TO aggregate more than
$50 OC0 at any one time. Under this pro-
vision OF the constitution, perhaps the obliga-
zion entered into may not have been strictly
legal but IL was n necessity, in order TO
carry on the state institutions and general
branches OF tho state government, and was
paid out Of tho first money received. This pro-
vision Of tho constitution was adopted moro
than forty years ago, when $4,000 represented
moro than i've times that amount does to-day.
Il would secm to mo advisable to provide for
90 amending tho constitution as, with proper
restrictions, 10 put 1t within tho power OF tho
state to borrow money In cases or necessity,
xathcr than carry so large a balance. II may
reasonably be presumed that the people have
10 pay at least six per cent. interest. Banks
usually pay three per cent. on state deposits.
While IL Is desirable to have enough In the
state treasury to meet all legitimate demands
upon &c. IL Is very undesirable to carry large
balances, to be loaned at n low rate OF interest
when not needed to meet tho expenses OF gov
eminent.
Railroad Taxation.
BY net No. I'D, Public Acts OF 1898, tho Mich
fgnn Central railroad charter was amended so
as TO place that road under the general law for
the purposes OF taxation. by the provisions OF
the charter this act could not become opera
tive until accepted by tho company which 1t
did on the I'd day OF February, 1894 desire
20 renew my recommendation OF two years ago
that II possible some means be devised for the
abrogation OF these old special charters so
chat all our railroads may be placed upon tho
Same basis so far as taxation and supervision
and other legislation Is concerned.
Asylums for the Insane.
Tho substance OF tho following facts ana
recommendations is taken from paper read
by DIR. w. NJ. Edwards, medical superintcnd-
asylum boards ut Traverse City, November IS.
1904 The recommendations seem so practical
and reasonable that indorsc them.
AT present the Michigan asylum for the in
zane mas LILO beds and LIZA inmates. The
Eastern Michigan asylum has $50 beds and
zoos Inmates. Tho Northern Michigan nsy
Ium has 900 beds and 982 Inmates The Michi-
gan asylum for dangerous and criminal insane
has 100 beds and c07 inmates. The Wayne
county asylum has 800 beds and 29a inmates.
According to these figures there are In
our public asylums 37l0 beds and 1884
Inmates. In the principal state asy-
tums there arc ace beds and 3.l6i In
mates, leaving CO unoccupicd beds. For ten
years past tho average annual Increase
In the number admitted to the state asylums
has boon about lG5, so that there is to-day
provision for less than'the average number OF
inmates who would normally be admitted to
the asyiums within the next six months At
q e new upper peninsula asylum cottages are
being constructed to accommodate dominates.
These cannot be- opened until the legislature
makes an appropriation for furnishing. so that
ut the best all the available room for patients
will be theoretically occupied before this in
stitution is opened, though there may be, on
account OF geographical conditions, some
vacancies Mt tho Eastern Michigan asylum.
Even wish tho upper peninsula asylum opened
for use next summer. previous conditions
would warrant tho statement that all the beds
for tie insane will be filled"
Tho new asylum at Nowberry is we'll along
towards completion, and will accommodate 100
patients. An appropriation for furniture will
be required before tho institution can receive
any patients Additions to this institution
will need to be considered in connection with
the accommodations ut the asylum and the
new home for feeble minded ut Lapecr. While
accommodations for this unfortunate class
must be provided, IL should only be done rs
fnst Us absolutely demanded.
Tho increased accommodations afforded by
the new asylum might be augmented, at q min
imum expenditure, by cnlarglng the home for
feeble minded and .cpilcptic at Lapeer, so that
tho cpilcptics ut present In our state nsylums
may be transferred to that institution. There
is growing tendency In the United Statos to
make separate provision for the colonization
of cpiiept!cs The benefits to be derived from
the separation OF the cpileptics from the In
sane are two fold, as each class is improved by
It Epileptics can BIO better treated alone. and
treatment can be moro regular and sys ,ematic.
Proper restrictions In diet can be made when
1t affects the entire class, without exciting
1ealousies With the better classification,
there can be given that special kind Of care re-
quircd at oil times, and especially at night, TO
prevent suffocation."
Cost OF Maintaining State Prisons.
The state prison. ut jackson, state house OF
correction and rcformatory, at Ionia, and
branch prison Mt Marquette, constituting the
prisons OF the state, continue to be heavy
burden upon the taxable property OF the state
The total cost OF keeping the 1900 prisoners,
which was the average number for the past
two years, was (Gii.3J830. Tho cost over and
above the earnings was sci0Sii.l2. Tho cost
mt Jackson, where thoro was an average OF $40
prisoners, was 4i.6 cents per inmate per day.
AT Ionia IL wns t1.os8 per day, and ut Mar
,quettc si.I3l per day. The net cost Mt jack
son was los cents per day per inmate, at
Ionia 80 cents and at Marquette Col cents.
This shows great difference In the cost OF
keeping prisoners Ut tho several prisons Com
pairing Jackson with Marquette, thcre would
DO many things TO tho advantage OF Jackson
in the reduction OF cost The executive OK
penscs would be comparatively small, while
the number OF prisoners would be very large
The conditions at Jackson have bccn much
better than at Marquette, although there has
been portion OF tho time moro than 900 idle
mon ct Jackson, because no employment
could be found for them. At Marquette the
executive expenses are comparatively large
rs the number Of inmates cared for Is limited
and. owing to the rigorous climate and dis
lance from supplies, tho expense OF Keeping
SSisouers there Is larger. Comparing Jackson
with Ionia, there is still o difference In favor
OF Jackson, but there should be no such DIFF
ference In cost ns Is shown. There must have
been something either radically wrong In the
management of Ionia, or the business was run
IN such way that large amount OF money