Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-01-18

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reason TO complain OF their treatment by
Superintendent TompkinS, whose conduct
OIL the institution has been exemplary.
His discipline is perfect hut kind. The
children enjoy nineteenth century privi-
leges and are treated as if they were
human beings with pride and an even
chance in the world for honorable fame.
Mr. Ihompkins returned Sl,262.5y to the
state treasury from his maintenance fund
and during his first year lie saved $3. $50
IRON MS maintenance and cash funds.
SiouX Falls Penitcntiary.
An investigation of the affairs of the
penItentIary just prior To a change of adj
ministration showed better management
asa whole than was found to exist i'll the
other Institutions, but disclosed the same
lack of civic virtue. 1t was found on in
vestisa,lon that Il fund known as the
hide fund.- derived from the sale of
peeves butchered for the institution and
amounting in the aggregate to Sl,l7I02,
was used by the warden i'll the purchase
OF cigars for the members of the board of
charities and corrections and for visitors;
also that large quantities of iron pipe be-
longing 10 the institution had been APP
proprlated by certain members of the
board. The salary of the warden was
Sl,SOo per year and that of the matron, his
wife, $500 per year. November %, 1898,
the salary of the warden was made $1,000
per annum. On that day there was paid
by the warden, y. l.. Phillips. TO the war;
den. n. +. Phillips, $l.133.33 the back
salary grab having been dated from April
), 1898, and running 10 December 8, 1898,
five years and eight months, or 5000
per Year. Henry Peterson, deputy war
den, was paid S4O0 March 4, 1899, back
salary from July L, is9S, TO July l, 1897,
four years at 500 per year. For four
years ending June 80, 1897, Mr.. Peterson
also drew 500 per year as "superntend-
ent OF quarries" from the fund derived
from the sale of farm products. During
the same period Dan Getty, booklleeper,
received $40 per year in addition to his
regular salary as assistant gatekeeper.'
These are il few of the disclosures which
the public examiner made, but they give
an approximate idea of the free and easy
method of handling pi b ic money which
has been going on for 81 many years in
our public institutions. They prove that
; there should be Il closer scrutiny by the
public examiner, and that a new and bet
, ter standard of official morality is nec-
essary. am pleased that these matters
lave been reformed under the present
management.
School for Deaf Niutes.
, The school for deaf mutes is am nstitu-
ton which seems always to have been run
with intelligent regard for its proper
| functions as we'll as for the rules of COM
mon honesty. No scandals have ever been
/ attached to it, No gross business mis-
S management has been discovered. The
present attendance is fifty-two, and the
: progress made by the students is of the
. most iiattering character Superintendent
n Simpson recommends appropriations for
the next two years aggregating $4,000, of
e which 5000 is asked for site and hospital
: and $4,000 for the erection of main
e building.
Our Finances.
Despite heavy appropriations made by
i the last legislature and the neglect OF that
body TO pass measures to produce revenue
4 equal to increased expenses, the state is in
: good condition financially. The receipts
, of the treasurer for the lasttwo years have
a exceeded Sl.000.0Oo per year. June 80,
1879, he had cash balance of $537, 110.44
and June 30, 1900, he had Il cash balance
OF 5000. 10l.37. State warrants have been
registered since June 80, 1899. owing TO the
depletion of that fund by appropriations
III excess of current revenues. An inter-
est charge of Si,S91.2S has been paid on
these warrants at the rate of Z per cent.
per annum. The registration of warrants
has not resulted in their depreciation: they
have been casheI at par at all times and
would he eagerly sought for as an invest
5 ment at "a lower rate of interest than that
, now fixed by law. 1t seems absurd that
/ state should tie its hands by the creation
, of separate funds and be forced to pay in
: terest on its own money or suffer deprecia-
$ tion of its paper. For two years the banks
in which the treasurer deposits his funds
have held nearly half million dollars be-
, longing to the different state funds, still
!, the state has paid the banks interest to
: keep its general fund warrants at par. We
e have paid the bank cashiers per cent. to
transfer our money from one state fund to
: another. Some method should be devised
o to allow safe transfer Of funds and avert
h the further registration of general fund
4 warrants.
The books of the treasurer disclose no
n interest paid to the state by depository
banks, although there is the best of rea-
son for believing that the practice of re-
ceiving interest on state deposits INDUCED
J. in by former reasurers is still in vogue
e 1t was proved by tile bank books that
II eX- Treasurer Phillips had received inter-
: est on daily balances on state funds de-
5 posted in the Dakota National Bank of
u Sioux Falls, and that someone had EN-
: deavored by the use of chemicals to de-
S slroy the evidence of the otfcnse. The
amount OF this shortage on interest re-
: ceiyed from various BANKS was estimated
; TO be over S5o,00O. | placed the findings
II OF the public examiner before the last Leg
slaiure and the attorney general. Both
c made the treasurcr's oifense their own by
e neglecting To protect the public interests.
$ This money is still due the state and
>. should be collected.
Reforms should be instituted in the
"a treasurer's office:
5 1. That official should be paid salary
$ commensurate with his csponsibility.
: .. lie should be compelled to furnish a
d bond from some approved guarantee
S company in the full amount of his liza
= bility. AT present he gives u bond fol
: $4,000 half the usual balance constantly
n in his hands, and one-quarter the money
: collected and distributed during the year