Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-05-11
THURSDAY, MAY IL, 1899.
FUSION ECONOMY.

O0AOAN A1OO4NOA
All will remember with what verbosit
Jas. Howard Watson was writing to TIL
Seattle P.-I. last fall from Olyml ia t.
show that the claim OF the fusion admin
istrat on of the state for c onomy in ex
penditur.s was unfounded. Yards 0
space was occupied by that unscrupulou
correspondent:::pretending to prove thu
fusion Statement, COMPLIED from thu
records, false.
With an audacious presumption upor
the memory Of its readers this Seattle or
gan, on Sunday, April 80, gives the lie
direct to it's former correspondent by pub
fishing the following official statement Of
Secretary Lister, Of the state board Of
audit and control:
Secretary Ernest Lister, Of the state
board of audit and control, has completed
detailed statement OF the financial con-
dition Of each of the FIVE state institutions
under the control Of the board. Th(
statement purports to show that by reason
Of the concentration Of management un.
der one board, instead Of separate boards
for each institution, as formerly, saving
$4,000 in the two years the board Of
audit and control has been in existence.
The saving has been in the so.called
maintenance fund, in which is included
all the cost Of caring for the inmates, re-.
pairs and supplies Of every description.
The amount of saving is reckoned by Sec
rotary Lister by comparing the cost Of
each institution for the last two years
with the previous two years, while they
were under local boards OF trustees. Sum
married., the exhibit shows the following
figures
'In the Western Washington hospital
for the insane, located at Steilacoom, the
largest saving in expense was made, 49,.
600. This was done despite An increase
in the average number OF patients from
SIS to SIS. The per capita expense under
the former administration was AZ IS cents,
as compared with the average during the
last two years OF 1898. The appropria-
ton in 1895 was 100000, as compared
with $145 900 in 1897. In spite OF this tho
former administration contracted def
cheney Of $S76.S3, which has been lately
paid bv the board. Thus the difference
in appropriation was $4,000, while the
saving on each patient per day was 6.67
cents, or total Of $26. 280 for tn, two
years. In the expense column was in
cluded several thousand dollars of new
machinery. and repairs to the buildings.
cat the penitentiary the former admin
istration reverted to the state 1878. With
$4,000 less appropriation, the board will
revert 81 1862. The per capita expense
formerly was 44.35 cents per day. During
the first eighteen months OF the board
rule it was 1890, but during the last half
year expensive repairs to the buildings
have brought the average to 42.16 cents.
Even at this rate there has been saving
of 5000, which, with the other savings,
brings the total to $3l 900.
cat the soldiers home, with an average
of thirty-six more members, SIC, 900 less
appropriation, and over $1,000 spent in
improvements, the board has saved &c..
00O, reverting to the state almo t $13, 900.
"The reform school has always been run
close, and the former administration was
careful and good one. Nevertheless the
state board will return to the state treas.
ury SIC, 900, having saved about 81 600.
''The second largest saving Was made al
the Eastern Washington insane asylum
at Medical Lake. The average number oil
patients increased from 24O to $50, while
the average per capita expense was re.
duced from 55.SS to 42.9 cents per day
The last appropriation was $4,000 less
than the former one. In spite Of the
many repairs and new appliances paid for
the state board saved $35 900 as compared
with the former administration.
There it is seen that the union Of the
reform forces IN 1896 that elected the cor.
rupt republican ring from the control oil
the state has, through it's officials, kept faith
with the people and has saved thousands
Of dollars to the taxpayer, and, what will
prove most beneficial in the future, has
demonstrated that public affairs can be
conducted on business principles when
the management is in honest hands.