The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-11-01
POPULIST BUSINESS
METHODS ON TRIAL
Lee in His Last Message to the Legislature Commends
Republican Management Of the AHairs OF the Yankton
Hospital for the Insane-A Change in the Superintendency
Results in a Stoppage of Improvement and q Deficiency in
the Building Fund.

The leading Fusion organ OF South
Dakota-so-called because it is owned
by Senator Pettigrew and edited under
his personal supervision-in a recent
issue made the following statement:
1t Is a matter Of history that I'M
der populistic and democratic rule
the affairs of South Dakota have
been honestly and effectively adj
ministered.
Let us see what the record is, partic-
ularly with reference to the South Da-
kota Hospital for the Insane located
at Yankton, which since Aug. 20, 1899,
has been controlled by Fusion officials
in every detail. Before that time, al
though the State Board of Charities
and Corrections had a majority of Gov.
Lees appointees, B. II. Lem, the Flu.
| sion candidate for governor being it's
president, the actual management of
the institution was still in Republican
hands, and no change had been made
in the business methods which had
prevailed in years past.
AS evidence of the excellence of
these methods the following quotations
are made from Gov. Lees message to
the legislature In 1899. He says, un-
der the head of Penal and Charitable
Institutions"
The report of the Board Of Chart
ties and Corrections shows the in
situations under the care of that
board to be in an improved condi-
ton. Evidences of thrift and new
life have multiplied at all these in
~stitutions during the last two
years. The managers seem to be
mOr than ever conscious of the
surprising Importance of our penal
and charitable Institutions and
the effort to make them illustra-
tions of fine business management
will clearly furnish a good example
for the future.
Bear in mind that the actual manage
ment referred to was still unchanged
and it look the utmost partisan pres
sure to change it seven months later
when DR.. v. Sebiakin Ross was duly
installed as superintendent of the Hos
pital for the Insane. Gov. Lee there.
fore is speaking Of the Republican
management when he says further in
this same message, under the head of
Hospital for the Insane:
Improvement is clearly obsera-
BILE at the Hospital for the Insane.
During the past two years there
has been 121 inmates received and
so discharged from all causes, or a
gain of Al in two years. There are
now confined in the institution 400
patients. Necessarily the accom-
modations have been somewhat
crowded, but all applications for
admission have been met with rea-
sonable promptness and arrange
ments to care for them have been
expedited with skill, SO that there
has been no suffering, although the
ingenuity of the board and the SUI
perintendent has beer taxed to
comply with the demands made
upon the institution.
Here is an official admission that I'M
der Republican management as to de-
tails Improvement was clearly OBJ
servable," and yet seven months later
to make room for a partizan appointee
this improvement was jeapardized with
results which will be more clearly
shown later on.
Gov. Lee then goes on to refer to
hospital improvements as follows:
During the past year a new
building has been completed which
will accommodate fifty patients
and fourteen attendants. 1t was
constructed from Sioux Falls gran
lite from the penitentiary quarries
and is an improved modern, FIRE
proof structure in every particular.
The total cost Of the building will
probably approximate $40, 900. If
constructed on the contract system
it is estimated by the superinten-
dent that it would have cost fully
SIS, 900, the difference being the
labor OF inmates and regular en-
ployees of the asylum and the la
Dor of inmates and regualrtritv. en-
Dor of prisoners at the peniten-
tiary.
Here is a further admission that
under the plan adopted by the Repub-
lican superintendent 5000 had been
saved by utilizing the labor of inmates
and regular employees of the hospital.
This saving SO favorably impressed
Gov. Lee that he concluded this por-
ton Of his message with the following
language:
II improvements are made slow
ly but continually, with a definite
purpose in view, and the labor of
inmates and regular employees is
utilized, as 1t can be, a saving of
nearly one-half can be made In the
cost OF construction OF buildings.
This is the judgment Of the board