The record-union., 1897-02-08

give us inferior men, since ability will
always command it's price. For in
stance, the physician capable of earn
ing at his practice a good income, will
seldom forsake that freedom and inde-
pendence, for employeship under the
State at less reward.
Let us take the case of the Napa In
sane Asylum with its 1.400 patients.
The sum of 100000 was allotted for
it's maintenance for the two fiscal years
ending June 80 1897 But of this S94,-
45J a year is for salaries of 195 at
taches of that institution. SO less than
half the cost OF maintenance is for sal
aries. and these salaries in the main go
to people receiving less than 5000 a
stitution as a matter of necessity,
while many of the salaries do not exceed
$500, and the highest is for the Resi-
dent Physician. $4,000, upon whom the
success of the institution or its failure
and the Well being of the inmates de-
pends.
So, too, at the asylum at Stockton,
with between / 400 and 1,30O patients
{ and a maintenance expense of over
S421 900, the cost for all employees, Off
GERS and attaches is something near
| S9S, 900 a year.
When the Record Union looked into
| these matters last year and sent East
for official reports showing cost per
capita of maintaining insane asylums
and State prisons there, and compared
the figures with similar cost here, we
found that the California per capita
stands highly to our credit, and is, in
fact. in more cases than not below the
Eastern cost.
For instance, the per capita cost of
maintenance at the Napa and Stockton
Asylums is from 35.5 cents to 36.4
cents, exclusive of special appropria-
| tions for Improvements, etc, and of
| transportation of patients to the hos
pitals. From the report of the Lunacy
Commission for the State of New York
the per capita cost of different asylums
is: Utica 56 cents, Willards 3S cents,
Buffalo 80 cents, Binghamton AZ cents,
Rochester 5S cents, st. Lawrence %
cents plus. This Eastern per capita in
cludes cost of transportation of patients
to the asylums, but as with us excludes
special appropriations. So it seems from
this single comparative showing that in
the matter of the running expenses OF
our insane asylums we are on the
Eastern level Of economy.
This is by no means said in advocacy
of or against possible reductions of Off
cial salaries and expenses. There are
some unQuestionably that should be re-
duced, and there are others just as GER
tainly that should be advanced. An
equalizing process will conserve econ
omy and work gratifying retrenchment
The one thing the Legislature must
keep in mind above all others in this
matter is that inferior men as a rule
give inferior service, and inferior men
alone accept insufficient compensation.
1t is also true that inferior men are al
ways exceedingly anxious to receive the
largest possible salary. What the State
needs to promote economy and reduce
taxation is superior administration,
which invariably is most economic and
conscientious No matter what the de-
partment of the Government, the infe-
rior man is the least saving, since it is
an axiom that the incompetent and
weak men create the largest cost of
administration.
The Record Union" is unalterably
opposed to extravaganza of admins
tration. It favors retrenchment; 1t be-
lieves great saving can be made for
the State, and that it will not be
difficult task for an intelligent commit
tee of the present Legislature to point
the way to that end, and indicate in
some detail methods of attaining it. But
it must proceed upon just lines. and not
by sweeping and horizontal reductions;
it must be a conservation of economy
without reducing competency of ad-
ministration.