The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-11
THE STATE APPROPRIATIONS.
Commission VIII Recommend Just
What Is Needed.

The legislative commission, composed Of
Senator Goodwine and Representatives
Herod and Roots, finished its second weeks
work investigating the needs Of the several
state institutions yesterday. In discussing
the work of the commission last night one
of the members said that its very existence
was the outgrowth of a peculiar system
which, until this year, governed the appro-
priations made for the maintenance of all
the state institutions 1t was the habit when
q new member took his seat to inform him
that the managers of the state institutions
would habitually ask for about twice what
they actually wanted, and that it was there
fore policy to vote for only half of what
was asked for when the appropriation was
made. Many members objected to this sort
Of procedure, and felt that the proper way
to do would be to ascertain what the abso-
lutte needs Of the institutions were, and
make the appropriations accordingly.
One member Mr.! Roots, suggested that
as the government and the State base their
control of national and state banks on the
reports of single bank examiners in certain
districts, the State could afford to depend
upon the report of it's own committee to
ascertain the needs Of its institutions and
make its appropriations accordingly. The
method Of the commission has been to notify
the institutions several days before the
members arrived to make out lists of what
was absolutely needed, and where buildings
were needed to submit plans and specifica-
lions with competitive bids ready for the
inspection of the commission. This, it was
found expedited business materially and
made 1t possible to do in one day what
would have required a week to do had no
such notice been given. The commission
has been received by the managers of the
institutions everywhere with open arms, and
every member of the commission believes
that there is, in all the institutions, con-
scientious desire on the part of the man.
ayers to spend the States money judicious-
ly, and the members are equally sure that
there is nc question but what additional ap-
Preparations will be needed in all of them.
The desire of the members of the. COM
mission is that their report will be of such
a nature that 1t Will be unnecessary for
the managers of the state institutions to
appear before the Legislature this year ex-
cept as they may be called upon for infor-
nation. In discussing this feature Repre-
sentative Roots said:
The impression has prevailed in the pa ST
that these institutions have been protiigate
in their expenditures. This comes from the
fact that they have been compelled to ap-
pear at the session of the Legislature as
lobbyists and make combinations with other
institutions in order to get their appropria-
tons through On account of their presence
1t prejudiced the members Of the Legislature
and made them think that their demands
were perhaps unreasonable. This opinion on
the part of the legislator arose from the
fact that he was in total ignorance of their
just demands. And the junketing commit
tees, consisting OF an unwieldy number, in
the past have so overrun these institutions
that the superintendent had little time TO
do anything but TO entertain and feed them
In some instances these committees were
composed of and followed by persons who
had no claims upon the State other than
that of relationship to the members of the
General Assembly. The visitation of such
large number has resulted. in some in
stances, as an absolute cruelty, as for ex-
ample. in some of the insane asylums, where
even the presence of one or two strangers
has the erect to excite and unduly distress
some of the inmates. This is doubly so
when such large crowd visits these insti-
tutionS'f