The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-09

The state board of control last Sat-
urday submitted to Gov. Van SAINT ad-
vance sheets Of the first annual report
of that body. The governor rather
prides himself on this adjunct of the
state government and the report has
been held back from the public in or
der to allow the Republican press bu-
reau to get the points before the public
through the weekly papers.
The report starts off by saying I'VE
congratulate the people Of the state
and you, their governor, that the
change from the old to the new, from
the many board system to the one. has
been brought about by reason of the
evolution of public opinion upon the
question and a due regard for the well
being of the state and its dependent
people"
Attention is called to the fact that
the change was advocated by Auditor
Dunn in 1897 and emphasized and dis
cussed by Gov. Lind in his messages.
Expenses Are Reduced.
In the light of a years experience the
report says the cost of maintenance in
the institutions under control of the
board has been decreased; politics
have been eliminated from the man
agement and the superintendent of
the institutions have been held re-
sponsible for their success and man
agement. The institutions have been
managed along the line that they are
the property of the state and the 10
calities where they are situated have
no greater proprietary rights in them
than people living in remote portions of
the state. This course, the report says,
will delocaHZe, in time, the several
state institutions so as to practically
eliminate from legislative considera-.
ton the question of appropriations for
the purpose of dispensing local bene-
fits.
Old System Was Loose.
In the matter of inventories of the
property of the state the report says:
''There were plenty Of accounts show
ing that millions of dollars worth Of
goods had been received, but what had
become of them. was left largely to
conjecture. The unbusiness like man.
ner in which the occupants at many of
the institutions were kept and the
business transacted opened the way for
systematic dIlu SAlSuSlNS vi
account of the manner in which the
business was transacted and the ac-
counts kept it is impossible to deter
mine whether this has been the. case.
Under the old many board system
the stewards were absolute monarchs
in their departments. They purchased
when and where they pleased. from
whom they pleased in what quantities
they pleased and paid what they pleas
ed, and the. superintendent had as
little authority over them as the mer-
chants from whom they purchased.
Now all is changed, hence the deluge
of criticism from those who profited
from the old system"
Resolutions Did 1t.
Nepotism and politics, the report
says, have been eliminated from the
state institutions by circular letters
and resolutions passed by the board.
The manufacture of boots and shoes
at the state reformatory is one of the
changes inaugurated by the board, and
it is expected in the near future that
all supplies of this character required
by the state will be manufactured
there. AT the Rochester hospital all
the soap used at the various institu-
lions is manufactured, except toilet
and securing soaps, which it is not
deemed advisable to manufacture
Brooms for all the institutions are