Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-07

| is lnQlCaleQ NIlen tine dSDl OF state, city
or town is in process Of gradual extinc-
ton rather than of rapid increase. In
| cerase of debt means increase of burden,
and of it's added weight each enc is COM
PEELED directly or indirectly to bear his
| share. Beyond the continued prosecu-
! ton of enterprises already begun by the
! commonwealth, 1 trust that in the i'm
mediate future your honorable bodies
| may decline to add to the existing debt
! of the state, and that you may scrutinize
| with the utmost care, and vita q delib-
1 crate purpose to confine within reason
able limits, all expenditures Of whatever
| nature which you may be invited to
/ make. Liberality easily passes into ex-
travagance, and this the people OF the
commonwealth will not lightly condone.
A considerable portion of the annual
! legislation of this commonwealth con-
| sists of acts permitting cities and towns
/ for various purposes to exceed the limit
/ of Indebtedness fixed by statute. Here,
/ too, in the absence of general legislation
/ on the subject, which is much to be de-
sired, l think that a more stringent
scrutiny of such petitions and a less easy
compliance with them than has some
| times been accorded in the past would
prove healthful check upon a practice
| of increasing frequency, and in many
cases of doubtful expediency.
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
1t has ever been the policy of the COM
monwealth to make liberal provision for
the relief of the poor and unfortunate
( and oucfodxy apd Yofor.,oo
ton of the vicious. The results Of
this policy have been in the main
highly creditabls to the enlightened
humanity of her legislation. The char
| liable, penal and reformatory insti-
| buttons under the immediate control of
/ the commonwealth are generally well
administered. Yet, If we would preserve
| for Massachusetts the high rank among
| her sister states which has heretofore
been accorded her in this important de-
| partment of responsibility and expendi-
| ture, those who are entrusted with the
/ duty Of legislation should be prepared
/ at all times to accord a generous meas
ure of their time and thought to such
proposed changes in either system or
method as may bear the promise of sub
/
/ commission authorized by chapter so of
the resolves of 1895 was laid before the
/ legislature of 1897 in it's completed form
| at a somewhat late date in the session,
| and was found to contain so many and
! such important recommendations that
your predecessors, wisely determining
that action should not be hastily taken,
referred the final consideration of the re-
port to she present general court.
| By the discussion of the report of the
| commission which was had at the time
of it's presentation, as wei as by state
ments which have been made to me since,
| 1 am led to believe that the weight of
4 topinion among those most fully ac-
1 quainted with the subject is in favor of
final state control of all the pauper in
1 sane and of all offenders against the
! laws of the commonwealth. 1t is claimed
| and I think with reason that such state
control would result in more complete
! classification, in greater and more en-
! lightened uniformity of treatment and
| in better opportunity for industrial en-
| ployment than are possible under the
present varying methods Of municipal
/ and county control. The board of lunacy
and charity now has supervision over
! the insane wards of the commonwealth
as well as over its charitable institu-
! tions and interests. These two functions
are not closely related in their nature,
and both are constantly increasing in
| extent and in completely of develop
ment. However faithful the members
of this board may be in the perform
ance of their two-foid duties, it is be-
lieved by many that better results would
be obtained by separation of these
diverse functions, to the end that each
Of these departments may receive the
exclusive attention of those best fitted
by interest and experience to arrive at
the wisest solution of its many problems.
In the above recommendations Of the
commission concur, and 1 further COM
mend to your careful consideration the
other suggestions contained in their re-
port
In many respects the most important
department of charitable work is that
which deals with the young. With MANY
other classes of the dependent and un
fortunate, whether their condition is
due to inheritance, vice or to mischance,
the problem presented is simply how
best to provide for their humane Gus
tody and control until death shall bring
relief; but with children, even those who
begin life under adverse circumstances.
the problem is at once more difficult and
hopeful. In the interest both of human
ity of a wise economy, special effort
should be made to render as favorable
as possible the opportunities for growth
into worthy manhood which the state ex-
tends to the children committed to its
charge.
The duties of direct administration and
of critical supervision are distinct in the
Dry, and are merged in practice only in
the case of certain minor wards of the
state. of very limited number of pau
per insane and of Indians who have not
acquired settlements in any town in the
commonwealth. The two latter classes
are insignificant in numbers, and are
not rapidly increasing. But the firsi
class referred to, consisting Of nearly
1000 dependent and neglected children
and Juvenile offenders, seems TO furnish
an important exception to the genera
policy of the commonwealth and you are
asked to consider whether it is wise thai
it should continue.
The state prison at Charestown, the
Massachusetts, reformatory and the re.
formatory prison for women continue
to show the results of wise and humant
administration as web as of excellent
bushes management The state prison
is now overcrowded with inmates, anc
A CARD