Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-01-06

The separate board plan 'contemplates =
body Of high minded citizens full of
sympathy for the unfortunate classes,
not forgetful of the great burden that
those classes are upon society; willing to
and 40 situated that they can give their
hest efforts ind time to the service Of tho
stale in come tien with tho institution to
which they arc appointed, without COM
pensation.
The single board plan presumes small
body of men possessed Of excellent bust
ness ability and who have become by
training and experience experts in the
conduct of institutions. and in the treat
ment If tho unfortunate of the several
classes, devoting their whole time and
energy 90 the" duties and receiving ade-
quate compensation. They are better
competent to Judge of the qualifications
needed for superintondents, stewards, and
other subordlnates and employees. They
are also competent to act upon all requisi-
tions and to decide finally what expense
ought to DO incurred and pass upon &C.
counts They are free from local influ-
ences and politics. and political considcra-
tiOns do not enter into the discharge Of
their duties. These are the highest ideals
for either plan, and 1t Is needless for me
to add that tho actual results fall far
short Of the ideal In both.
The dangers to which tho separate board
plan Is liable are that mon with the quail
ifcatiOns indicated, and who have tho
means so that they can afford to devote
the requisite time to the work required
without compensation, are difficult to
find, and that in practice political consjl-
erations frequently control appointments
to those positions. That. as u result, the
resident member becomes, to oil intents
and purposes, the board for tho institu-
ton, and that Its management will bo
given turn beneficial to local business
and political interests; that each institu-
ton thus becomes u separate factor, and
the local member or board becomes an ad-
vocate, and frequently Il lobbyist, for its
special advnncement, without reference to
the needs Of the other institutions, or of
tho best interests Of tho state Us u whole
lhis latter Is probably the most repre-
hcnsible feature Of our present system In
this state.
Dangers Of the Central board.
Tho dangers to which the central board
of control is exposed, it seems to me. may
be summarized rs follows: That the APP
pointments to them are as likely to take
the political complexion as in the make.
up of the separate boards. If inefiiciency
or lack of probity find place, the resulting
danger Is greater because Of the greater
power. There Is also greater danger Of
stagnation, and that demoralizing and
beaurocratic spirit may gain ascentlancy
In the long run. The single board plan
posse -ses advantages over the other In
point OF economy, notwithstanding tho
fact that its officers are salaried. The OK
ponses of the separate boa-d, which In this
state amount to considerably over 81, Ot)
per annum, with II small per dom allowed
in some INSTANCES, would 90 fur toward
paying salaries.
Aside from this great gain would re-
suit from the buying Of supplies for all
the institutions by one board.
Governor Lind strongly recommends,
In the event that the ''single boart1'' plan
is not adopted, the system known ~
''analyzod accounts" Instead Of the
steward reporting to the board Of trustees
q long list OF items purchased during tn
month or quarter, as the cass may be, and
having the bill passed upon In gross as Is
now the practice in our institutions, the
aggregate sum only being reported to tho
board OF corrections and charities, the en-.
tire account should DO transmitted in de-
tail to this board and the items analyzcI
and grouped under the proper headings.
BY that means, it would be possible for
the board OF corrections and charities ut
their meetings to determine ut ~ glance,
not only the aggreg to expenditures I'M
der u given held in each institution, but
the different items under that head with
tho prices paid. If great discrepancies
were apparent, they would promptly DO
called to The attention Of tho boards and
stewards at fuult.
Benefits Of This System.
BY the introduction of this system, any
member of your body, or myself, could
step into tho office of tho secretary of tho
board Of corrections and charities in this
building, and ascertain instantly tho OK.
penses, Say for butter vegetables, flour,
clothing, house furnishings or tu.i, or any
other item, In any OF our institutions In
any pre- sding month, and this not only
a. 10 quantity purchased, but as to prices
paid. This we cannot do now. The re-
ports new required aud kept only deal In
lump sums.
The secretary Of the board Of corrections
and charities has at my request furnished
an estimate Of tho additional expenses in
cident to Tho introd uction Of this systom
He is Of tho opinion that an assistant
clerk ut u salary of II ,OOO or 81 100 per an.
mum would be able to do tho work. An
appropriation Of $3.50 for clerk hire and
other expenditures incident 10 the intro
duct!on OF this system is earnestly recon-
n,cndcd This, Of course, in tho event
that you do not adopt the plan Of = cen
trul board of control.
Other State Institutions.
Under the mead Of state instit utiOns tho
governor also calls attention OF the legs-
lature to the reports submitted. ie sug-
gests that the binding Irvine output Of
the rt,lCr prison might we'll bo incrc,Ised
n n6 thnt th., I lnl1I rrf,r,nn,n m