The record-union., 1897-10-23
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION
State and Coast Opinions ON SUBJ
jects of Living News
Interest.


victs, and his study has resulted in the
recommendation that the States pris-
oners be hired out on contract for five
year terms. This is not decided
change from the custom there, and it
has proved anything but q settler. One
object is attained, namely, relieving
taxpayers of the cost of maintenance,
but it does not remove abuse OF con-
victs nor alter the matter of competi-
ton between them and free labor.
SOUND OF THE HAMMER
Stockton Record;. The sweet sound
of the hammer is heard liz Stockton on
many streets. We hope it viii rot
tire. We trust that the spirit Of the
new conditions will prevail until Stock
ton has something more than a one
story ambition. We hope il will grow
into an eloquent disgust at its own rat
tle-trap buildings. We hope it will set
beyond such nests of dirty shanties as
exist on the corner of San Joaquin
street and Weber avenue. We hope
that all such rubbish may be entirely
demolished. An empty lot is a gem in
comparison to such an eya-Sorta. We
hope that new owners and investors will
aspire above a ground floor and be-
yond to-day. And if property is bought
to merely hold in a condition to dis
grace the city, we hope the Council
will have courage and wisdom enough
to enact a building ordinance, and re-
wise the municipal policies sufficiently
to condemn noxious nests Of ancient
shanties.
THE REFORM SCHOOL FAILURE
Stockton Independent: Theories are
being freely advanced as to what should
be done With Whittier and Preston Re
from schools. 1t is useless to theorize
as to the prspriety, expediency or ef-
fcacy of such schools for reforming
young people. The time for that passed
when the schools Were established. Now
that we have the reforrlatorias the
best possible use should be made of
them and it is too plain for argument
that it is not being done aud ii is equal
| ly plain that it never will be done un-
til those schools are manned by per-
sons who have been especially trained
to the work and not by those who have
done party service that must be re-
warded. They should be managed as
the public schools are-for the greatest
possible good of the pupils. Superin-
tendents should be men Who have
shown especial fitness for the positions
by service in penal or educational IN
stitutions and teachers ard other en-
ployes should be required to show like
fitness for their work. Those schools
are still experiments in California, and
it is the hight of folly to experiment
with men who have had 40 previous
training or experience II the work.
When a business experiment IS to be
tried the projectors do not seek party
favorites to try it. They seek men
who have knowledge and experience OF
the work to conduct the experiments,
and the best attainable business talent
to manage the financial features. What
has been done at the Preston School!
A good country physician who enjoyed
a fine reputation for pubic spirit and
enterprise is the superintendent, and
after a few months of experience his
own party virtually deci;ltes him Il
! failure In the business office is q
! man whose books are said to be neg
lected AS subordinates Superintendent
O'Brien is said to have men who de-
vote more of their time, energy and
attention to efforts to oust him than
they give to their legitimate duties. All
or nearly all of these are men VINO
are new to the work, without expe-
rience to guide them and without desire
| to cooperate for the good of their
! charges. What but failure could be
expected? 1t matters little to the pub
lie who are right in their th5)ries End
who are wrong. What the people who
pay want is actualities, good results,
and these cannot be expected Of exper-
imenters who work at cross-purpose
and in the dark of ignorance.
THE DAIRYMEN'S RESOLUTION.
San Jose Herald: At yesterdays ses-
sion of the California Dairymen's Asso-
| citation in San Francisco resolution
was adopted against the application of
! the tuberculin test to cattle 1t was
held that a physical examination of an
| imals by persons of large experience
with cattle is safer and more reliable
method of protecting the public from
disease than the tuberculin test.
| Presumably this resolution has the
dairymen and owners of cattle them
| selves in mind as the experienced per-
sons to whose judgment should be in
trusted the decision as to the health of
dairy cattle. That would be making
the accused counsel, Judge and jury IN
! his own case: or rather, the case would
not be called at all.
| A few facts are worth any quantity
of resolutions by this convention. Since
he entered upon the work of purging
the herds of Santa Clara County of dis
eased cattle, Veterinary Inspector Spen-
Ger has caused to be destroyed about
700 animals that on tuberculin tests
shows signs OF disease. In every case,
on examining the animals after killing
/ tuberculosis was evident to the naked
eye, with one exception. Even in that
case DR. Spencer was convinced that
the disease was present, although not
apparent to the naked eye, but he had
no tirue to make a microscopic examin-
alton. In this ease the Board Of Su-
pervisors paid the owner the value OF
the cow.
We contend that with 100 chances in
favor OF guarding the public health and
! only one chance of killing a healthy
COW the people should have the benefit
| of the chances. We further contend
that no dairyman or other expert in
cattle can come anywhere near so close
ly determining the physical condition
| OF animals as the tuberculin test has
| done in this county.
We have the further interesting and
| important statement from Inspector
Spencer, confirmed by Health officer
Curnow, that since inspection has been
/ enforced in this fr,rptx f1,ara hoe lao,
a decided decrease in infant mortality
/ from Ii. ):