Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-01-03
ASYLUM EXPENSES
Show An Increase Of $4,000
in Twelve Months.
State Papers Join IN Demand
For a Searching lnves-
tigation.

The commissioners report Of the
Lakeland Asylum has been given.
to the press in advance Of the meet
ing Of the Legislature, but the same
publicity has not been given the re-
port OF the commissioners of the.
Western Asylum.
The commissioners will not make
the report public until it becomes.
evident that an effort viii be made
to suppress it.
The report covers a period Of two
years and while its contents are
not yet a subject Of discussion in
the papers, enough is known to
bear out the statement that the ex-
penses have been far above the
normal, in spite Of the efforts Of the
commissioners to keep down expen-
ses to something like the usual
figures.
From an officer of the Board it is
Learned that Dr.T. w. Gardiner,the
Republicans Superintendent, in the
early part Of 1900 returned $4,000
into the State Treasury, saved up
from the regular per capita on a
population no larger than now.
The total expenditures, it is said,
for the year ending Sept. 80, 1899,
we're S93, 900.
The increase IN expenses since
that time has been steady, with
many articles Of consumption lower
now than Immediately following the
war with Spain.
The figures for the fiscal year
CT a Sept ;ss. go 30 1000 had iseseas-
ed toSIO5,OG9. Nearly all Of this
increase IS chargsAhle to'the RE
publican administration, as the
Democratic oficlals did not go il
until June 1, 1900. This increase
of $4,000 in one year was bad
enough, but it was has been ex.
ceeded by many Thousand for the
last year.
For the year ending Sept. 30, 1901,
the report wilr show the enormous
total of S121, 900, the largest in the
history Of the institution.
It is estimated that when the De-
cember bills are paid next Tuesday
the asylum will have only about
So, 900 on hand, and nothing to turn
into the treasury.
There have been disputes over
many bills before the Board and
some of them have been turned
down. Where the fault lies for this
increase in the expenses Of the asy'
lum we will not undertake to say
An increase Of $1,000 in one pros
porous year is to say the least not
a creditable showing. There have
it is said, been some unusual ex
penses in repairing machinery, as
a result of Inexperienced employees
in some of the departments.
One item that is being talked
about on the streets is the bill fol
whisky to the amount Of nearly ST.,
1000, during the last fiscal year
The expenditure for this commodity
two years ago was about S3OS fol
the year. Whether the price Of
whisky has gone up, or a larger
quantity Of it has gone down, he
Legislative committee may be abs
to ascertain.
| The demand from all paris OF tbs
state for a full and free investiga
ttion Of all matters Of morals and
business pertaining to the asy-
lum cannot be ignored. The in
yestigation should of course be
rigid inquiry that will bring out
the real facts regard gambling,
tlewd conduct and immortality and
also determine whether there has
been reckless extravaganza in the
asylum affairs, There are but few
people in Hopkiusville, where the
facts are known, who are IN fayoI
Of further delay in purifying the
morals Of the Institution. t is III.
i credible that any Senator can b
Induced to sote 70 endorse All that
has been exposed and all kh1k has
lbssn sappFssaed, until shs -