The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-16
Governor Sees Result of Politics
in State Institutions.
Buildings Allowed to Go to Rack
and Ruin.
70 MAKE A RECORD.
Want People to Think Manage
ment is Economical.
No Disposition to Free System
From Plague of Politicians.

The management of the state institu-
tions occupies more of Governor Stan
ley's time than any other part of the
state administration. The governor ap-
pears to be thoroughly in earnest in his
ambition to upbuild the institutions and
place them upon a better basis. OF
course, there are some people who will
deny the governors consistency in this
direction, because he; like all of his
predecessors, placed the institutions in
the hands Of the political party with
which he affiliates.
In this connection, however, the gov
ernor holds the opinion that if his ad-
m1n1stratiOn is to be held responsible
for the management of these institu-
uOnS that the administration should
have complete control of them, which
IS the same excuse advanced by his
predecessors.
Mr. Stanley has made one or two Wis
its to the institutions and has another
visit planned for an early date He
goes to the institutions, talks with the
officers and has from each institution,
in addition to the reports made by the
members of the state board of chart
ties, regular reports from the officers.
i have found one thing which 1 re-
gret, said the governor, talking of one
of his visits to the state institutions,
and that is the fact that the ambition
of political parties in the past to make
record -Or economy has resulted in
shameful neglect of some of the urgent
demands of the institutions.
"Over at the reform school near To-
peka there are great holes in the floors
of one of these dormitories. I have
been told that these holes have been
there for four years, and representa-
tions of the true condition of affairs TO
legislative committees have accOmp-
iished nothing in the way of relief.
1T is too bad that such things as
these do not receive immediate attention
The property when thus neglected runs
down and its value decreases. In such
cases stitch in time would save money
and avoid damages to the property
which accrue by reason of the neglect.
I have found several such examples
of party neglect" he continued, "and I
confess that I was surprised.
AT the penitentiary we found the
mines IN a dangerous condition. Some
of the scaffolding and casing in the
shafts were in a precarious condition,
likely to tumble down any time. The
warden notified me and then we had
the state superintendent of mines make
an inspection. He reported that the
mine was dangerous and had been so
for a long time. This was repaired at
once.
"Then too, the machinery has been
permitted to run down when precau-
tOns would have avoided a condition
liable to cause accidents. I do not un-
derStand why any man would desire to
delay improvements which are abSO-
lutely necessary, for two reasons. The
first is that there is danger not only
to the property but to the lives of the
men employed; and, second, because it
is not economy to permit property to
go to decay when the exercise of bust
ness judgment in caring for it would
prevent such a condition"
The governor says he has hopes of
getting all the property of the state,
especially the state institutions, in
first class shape, and then in his mes
sage to the next legislature recommend
something which will be of value in the
future policies concerning these depart
ments of the state government.