Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-03

unquestionably meet the interest of the
bonds at four per cent. l trust this will
receive your immediate and thorough con-
sideration.
REFORM SCHOOL, ORPHANS HOME
AND SOLDIERS HOME.
Upon an investigation made by a COM
mlttee of the Fifth legislative assembly into
the conduct and methods pertaining in the
reform school at Miles City. it was deemed
by me necessary to the proper management
and conduct of that institution to make a
change in the superintendent, and in do
ing so Hon. b. c. White of Fergus county
was selected as director of the school. This
position he has maintained ever since, and
his wife has been the matron of the in
stltut1on. He entered upon the discharge
of his duties under circumstances calculated
TO dlshearten almost any one, but by faith
1ul, patient and energetic work he has sue
ceeded IN restoring perfect order, confidence
and discipline in the institution, and at the,
same time, with an increased number of
inmates, has reduced the cost of mair-
tanning the school as compared with the'
preceding years. During the past two
years a perfect and complete sewer system
has been installed at this institution at a,
cost of something over four thousand
dollars Gi,o0O.0O. For this purpose only
twenty-five hundred dollars (2. SOC. LOO was
appropriated by the last legislature, Which
at the time was known to be insufficient.
The imperative necessity of having a sewer
system to prevent sickness was our excuse
TOR exceeding the appropriation given by
the last legislature, and l trust that you
may see fit TO affirm our action in this re-,
spect by passing the necessary deficiency
Appropriation. There has also been con-,
structed a cellar for the preservation of
vegetables at this institution, at a cost of
about four hundred dollars. This was a
necessity that We We're compelled to allow
and order the construction of. Upon the
whole, l believe that the general tone and
standing of the school. throughout the
Sf1f hos hnnn m Dfo,iuI1v nr,h nnnl ,-ithi
the past two years, and l believe that the
inmates of this institution, under the man.
agement of Director White and his worthy
wife, will be greatly improved and be better
prepared to make good citizens of our COM
monwealth.
Rev. Wylie Mountoy was selected by the
local board as superintendent of the or
phans' home. In this institution there are
about eighty inmates, the wards of the
state. During the past two years a hospital
building at a cost Of about eighteen hun
dred dollars ($1, 10000, and a school build
ing at a cost of three thousand dollars
G3, 100000, have been erected for this in
stitution. The management has been pleas
ant and agreeable and the appropriation
made by the last legislature was almost
sufficient for the needs of the institution.
Since the adjournment of the Fifth lesis-
lative assembly the soldiers home of Mon
tana has been formally opened for the re-
ception of inmates and at the present time
I believe about fifty of the old soldiers of
the state find in this place hospitable cheer
and welcome and protection in their in
frmities. The commandment, Captain Hill
man, seems to be well suited for the posi-
ton and everything that can be done to
make these unfortunate defenders OF our
country pleasant in their maturer years,
is being done. The report of the board of
managers is open for your inspection as
to the appropriations and the requirements
of the institution. and I ask that you give
the same careful consideration.
INSANE ASYLUM.
In my message to the Fifth legislative
assembly l that the leGis-
lature take some action toward securing
for the state a home for cur insane
and f~eeble-minded. This recommendation,
through the congestion of business. failed
to become a law. l lave nothing but words
of praise for the management of our pres
ent asylum, and believe that the persons
having the same in charge are as we'll cal
culated for the duties imposed upon them
as any who could possibly be selected.
Their treatment is undoubtedly humane
and kind and everything is done that can
be done toward giving relief or perfecting
a cure in these unfortunate citizens. But
the policy of this state in letting out by
contract the keeping of our insane and
Predetermined is one at which the mind
will naturally rebel. The number of in
mates, according to the last report of the
board of commissioners of the insane. is
four hundred and flfty-seven 45O. This
has been an increase of fOrty-fve during
the past year. At the time I entered upon
the discharge of my duties as your execu-
tive, the cost of keeping the insane was
ninety cents per capita per day. This cost.
since May last, has been reduced to sixty
five cents per capita per day. This figure
according to my Investigation is the high
est figure paid by any state west of the
Missouri river. l did not make any investi-
CATION as to the institutions lying east of
hat stream. If this Legislature can devise
a proper scheme, either for The purchase
of the present quarters, or for the erection
of new quarters, to be under the control
and management Of the state, the same will
meet with my most hearty and cordial APP
prevail.
The mainstay Of our present asylum, a
man of great integrity and kindly charac-
ter DR.. A. II. Mitchell, has gone from us
and we must now look to new men to man.
age this institution if left to private con-
tract.
PENITENTIARY.
During the past two years a new peni-
Tertiary building at Deer Lodge has been
entirely completed and other improvements
in the way of electric lights have been
added to the institution. The management
is now. as it has been for a number of years
past, under contract to Messrs. Conley and
McTague, and their conduct and manage
ment deserves the highest encomium and
praise at my hands, because l believe nc
better suited persons could be found to
control and manage the inmates of our
state prison than these gentlemen. This
is evidenced by the very few complaints
that come to me and by the fact that there
are, practically. no escapes from the in
stitution. The prison is about as safe from
fire or other disaster as it is possible to- be,
and the chances or opportunities of escape
are reduced to a minimum. 1t is kept SO
perfect and clearly that we have little or
no sickness or complaint of any kind COM
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