The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-01-31
RECORD OF A YEAR.
a comparative Report OF Two
Administrations.
Tne Economy OF Republicans Shown Up
against the Extravaganza of
Their PopulIst Prede-
cessors.
From the Topeka Capital.l

The administration of Gov Morrill,
is one year old.
With the January meeting the boards
OF the various public institutions closed
the years business and began a new
one. 1t was the purpose of Gov. Nor
rill, as announced in his message, to
give the state a business administra-
ton; to give the same care and atten-
ton to public business that he had to
his private matters during his long
business experience. The record of
the first year shows that he has been
faithful to his pledge
The general management of the
charitable institutions is to be COM
mended. Under the populist admins
tration, in many instances brutal and
inhuman employees were put in charge
of the unfortunate and helpless in
mates, and they were not given that
kind and attentive care which their
condition demanded. Under the pres
ent management the rule is estab-
lished that in the insane asylums and
the school for the imbecile children,
an employee can under no circum-
stances strike patient or pupil unless
in self-defense. In the other schools
no punishment can be administered
except under the personal direction
of the superintendent. The superin-
tendents of these institutions are
men of character, and no relative
or friend of inmates need fear any
harsh treatment for his unfortunate
relatives or friends, and can rest as
sured that they are being cared for
tenderly. In these institutions new
business methods have been adopted.
The old board kept scarcely any record
of its proceedings, while under the
present board a record is kept of every
thing. The books constitute a COM
plete history of the transactions of the
board. Under the old board no papers,
official letters, contracts, bonds or any
thing of the sort were kept. The pres
ent board files and retains everything
pertaining to its business, and these
official documents can be examined at
any time by the public. The old board
did not esta blish responsibility, and
when property was lost or carelessly
destroyed, it was Unfortunately
charged off the books, regardless of the
fact whether it was destroyed by care
lessness of employees or worn out by
continual use. Now, the heads of de-
partments are held responsible for the
property in their charge. If it is care
lessly broken, lost or destroyed, it is
charged to them, and nothing is ever
charged off the books that has not been
properly condemned and satisfactorily
accounted for.
These innovations have not been
without good result The inmates of
the institutions have had better. care,
for they have had better clothing,
more palatable and substantial food,
and the schools have had much better
instructors. And notwithstanding
these very necessary and proper i'm
provements the expenses have been
very materially reduced. The institu-
tions were left in a deplorable condi-
ton by the old board, and many re-
pairs were necessary. 1t seems that
for two years nothing was expended
upon the buildings for repairs, or if
the expense was put upon the build
ings there was nothing to show that
any repairing has been done. Doors
were broken from the hinges, window
sashes were loose and broken, the
plastering was falling from the walls
and ceilings of many of the institu-
tions. The plumbing was out of order,
pipes were broken and painting and
whitewashing and such incidental re.
pairs had been wholly neglected. This
necessitated the expenditure of good
deal of money for what might be styled
extraordinary repairs" There were
also deficiencies in every public insti-
tuition save one. The new board has
had to pay bills which were due and
should have been paid by the old board
prior to July /, when the fiscal year
commenced. In giving the figures of
the expenses of each institution the
various amounts expended for these
deficiencies and extraordinary repairs
will be given separately. The first six
months of the fiscal year 1s95-1S96 are
compared with the first six months of
the fiscal year 1S941S95, which will
show in a very concise way the results
of a careful adm inistration of the pub
lie institutions. The board of chart.
ties has semi-annual lettings in June
and December. The old board did not
charge the purchases made at the De-
cember letting in the December &C
counts, but in the January accounts
The purchases were made for the six
months beginning January l. The
populist board charged these pur.
chases into their January accounts So
these amounts will be deducted from
the expenses of the six months ended
December 81, 1895, to geta proper basis
of comparison. These amounts are
represented in property and were
charged by one board in December
when it was bought, and BY the other
in January, when the consumption be-
gan.
Blind Asylum at Kansas City.
In this institution the expenditures
for the maintenance from July to De-
cember 81, 1894, were S7,99O13
The total expenditures from July &c
December 81. 1895. were SIS. 729. So, which
include deficiencies of the old board,
Sl70, 81; extraordinary repairs caused
by the negligence and mismansgement
of old board, Ss26 OS; goods purchased