The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-04-17

for. and if in his Judgment they are
necessary, he gives his approval by
signing each requisition and sending
them back to the storekeeper. The
storekeeper then carefully goes over
each reQuisition, giving it the store
nrnber If there is anything called
for on the requisition that is not in
stock, he at once makes an order on
the superintendent for the items. This
request must be in the hands of the
superintendent at 10 o'clock each day.
l found that the storekeeper very
carefully weighs out and measures up
the articles called for by each depart
ment and delivers them at o'clock
of that day, getting the officers re-
ceipt for the supplies on the requisi-
ton heretofore made. The storekeep-
er then takes these acquisitions and
credits himself on the stock record
with the amount of each item il sued.
the credits being in dollars and cents
and being the actual cost that is
shown by his duplicate invoice. This
stock record is large book that will
show at glance every article that is
in the store-room. In the first column
of this record is given the amount of
the article on hand at the beginning
of the month, then the amount receiv-
ed during the month, the invoice num-
Der, price and total value. Then fol-
lows 81 spaces for the daily issue for
the month, the total of which is the
issue for the entire month deducted
from the amount on hand and pur-
chased during the month. leaving the
amount on hand at the end of the
month. Or, in o'her words, the store
keeper at any time can tell from this
record exactly what he has on hand
of any article with which he is charg-
ed, and can furnish an accurate in
ventory of the $4,000 worth of supplies
that are usually in stock, by having
one days notice. After the requisi-
tons referred to are completed and
entered on the books of the storekeep-
er. they are sent to the clerks office.
where an abstract of the footings of
each days supplies are made and en-
tered into a book for that purpose,
showing the daily cost of each depart
ment, and at the end of the month
recapitulation is made showing the
monthly cost Of each department. 1t
was very noticeable in making this ex-
animation, that it was possible for the
superintendent, at the close of each
days work, to accurately tell what it
partment and to also tell exactly what
it had cost to feed each inmate of the
institution for that day, which amount
varied from six to seven cents per day.
One department of this store-room
that was very interesting to me was
what they termed the condemnation"
room, and before the head of any de-
partment is permitted to draw any
thing new from the store-room, he is
compelled where possible to duplicate
it with the old or WORKOUT article.
This article is condemned by the
storekeeper and stored away in this
room in lots of ten or twenty. so that
at the end of the year they can be
carefully counted by the board of man
ayers and orders given for their dis
posal This feature alone more than
twice over pays the officer who is re-
sponsible for the safe-keeping of all
the supplies purchased for the insti
tuition I also found that this store
room was the manufacturing center of
the institution; here all institutional
clothing, shoes, tobacco, or any article
that is necessary to be made for the
inmates, was manufactured and an ac
curate cost of same was kept by the
storekeeper. 1t has been demonstrate
ed that great saving is made to the
state by the institution manufacturing
these articles. The tobacco for which
they had been paying from % to 80
cents per pound was now being made
for from to 8 cents and much bet
ter quality than they had purchased.
Shoes that cost from $3.50 to SLIGO per
pair were now being made for S1.21
and much better shoe. Discharge
clothing, or suits that are given the
inmates when they are released from
prison now cost the state about 81 per
suit and a better suit than could be
bought for twice that money when
purchased under the old way of doing
business at the institution. 1t has GER
tainly been demonstrated that system
and order is our public institutions
lead to economy, and the people OF
the state are to be congratulated upon
the manner in which the public affairs
Of our state are being handled. and
there is nothing about public institu-
ton that will induce its officers to be
economical more than to have their
daily transactions on record so that
same is subject to inspection at all
times by the board of managers. super
intendent, or the public. System and
method are the fundamental princi.
pies of economy, and as long as the
state of Indiana continues as it is in
the management of its state affairs,
the chance for scandal and corruption
in the handling of public funds will
be reduced to the minimum.
1 find further that in consulting the
statistics of the state, if the per capita
cost of maintaining our state institu-
lions In 1899 had been what 1t was in
1891, 1t would have cost the state
$340,539. more money. This saving
can be accounted for in no other way
than by the strict business manage
ment that has been introduced.