Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-01-06

The separate board plan contemplates q
| 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 so situated that they can give their
hest efforts and time to the service of the
state in conne:tien with the institution to
which they are appointed, without COM
pensation. -, 49, ~
The single board plan presumes small
body OF men Possessed of excellent bust
ness ability and who have become by
J training and experience experts In the
| conduct Of institutions. and ii, the treat
! ment, Of the unfortunate: Of the several
! classes, devotink their whole time and
energyso thea duties and receiving ade-
qtats compe 4Lsaion. They: are better
competent to judge of the qualifications
needed for superintendents,s stewards, and
other subordinates and employees. They
are also competent to act upon all requisi-
lions and to decide finally what expense
| ought to be incurred and pass upon &C
counts. They are free from local influ-
ences and politics. and political considera-
SAoAAS W. AOo OACCI AACO Dllc ulSCuArR0 OIL
their duties These are the highest ideals
for either plan, and it is needless for me
to add that the actual results fall far
short of the ideal in both.
The dangers to which the separate board
plan is liable are that men with the quail
| i1ications indicated, and who have the
;; means so that they can afford, to devote
the requisite time to the work required
without compensation, are difficult to
IND, and that in practice political consid-
er:tlons frequently control appointments
! to these positions. That. as a result, the
resident member becomes, to all intents
! and purposes, the board for the institu-
! tlon, snd that it's management will be
| given turn beneficial to local business
and political interests; that each institu-
ton thus becomes a separate factor and
the local member or board becomes an adj
vocate, and frequently Il lobbyist, for it's
! special advancement, without reference to
| the needs OF the other institutions, or of
| the best Interests OF the state as a whole
Ibis latter is probably the most repre-
hensible feature of our present system in
this state.
| Dangers of the Central Board.
The dangers to which the central board
of control is exposed, it seems to me, may
be summarized as follows: That the APP
polntments to them are as likely to take
the political complexion as in the make
up of the separate boards. If inefficiency
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 I, demoralizing and
Eeaurocratic spirit may gain ascendancy
in the long run. The single board plan
possesses advantages over the other in
point of economy, Notwithstanding he
| fact that it's officers are salaried, The ey-
penscs of the separate board which in this
state amount to considerably over 5000
per annum, with a small per diem allowed
in some instances, would go far toward
paying salaries.
Aside from this great gain would re-
suit from the buying of supplies for ali
the institutions by one bolrd
! Governor Lind strongly recommends,
in the event that the "single board plan
| is not adopted, the system known as
| ''analyzed accounts" Instead OF the
steward reporting tC the board of trustees
| a long list of items purchased during thu
! month or quarter, as the case 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 the
board of corrections and charities, the en-.
| tire account should be transmitted in de-
tail to this board and the items analysed
and grouped under the proper headings
BY that means, it would be possible for
the board OF corrections and charities at
their meetings to determine at Il glance,
not only the aggreg tie expenditures un-
der a given head in each institution, but
the different items under that head with
the prices paid. If great discrepancies
were apparent, they wou]d promptly be
called to the attention OF the boards and
stewards at fault.
| Benefits of tbs ystcn,.
By the introduction OF this system, any
member of your body, or myself, could
step into the office of the secretary of the
board Of corrections and charitc, in this
building, and ascertain instantly the OK
penses, say for butter vegetables, flour
clothing, house furnishings or fuel, or any
other item, in any Of our institutions In
any preceding month, and this not only
az to quantity purchased, but as to prices
paid This we cannot do now. The re
ports now required and kept only deal il
lump sums
The secretary of the board of correction,
and charities has at my request Furnished
an estimate of the additional expenses in
cident to the introduction of this system
He is Of the opinion that an assistan
clerk at a salary of 81 600 or 81 400 per an
mum would be able to do the work. Al
appropriation Of 81 800 for clerk hire an,
other expenditures incident to the intro
duction of this system is earnestly recon-
mended. This, OF course, in the even
that you do not adopt the plan of a cen
trail board of control.
u Other State Institutions.
Under the head Of state institutions tn
i governor also calls attention of the legis
lature to the reports submitted. He sag