The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-12

EAfENSES Of STATE GOt EhNME<Ni.
The report of the state treasurer for the
fiscal year ended Oct 81, 1903. published in
yesterdays Journal. showed that the total
disbursements on account Of the State
government during the year were s44sS.2s7.
Divided approximately among the different
departments of the government they were:
Legislative. s120sO5.1; executive. 1922, 497. p;
judicial. 1917. 227.41. These figures do not in
clude a number of administrative and mis-
cellaneous items which help to make up the
total. Among the larger Of these miscel-
laneous items are interest and payment on
State debt, 1859. 134.sO: State boards and
commissions. STA. Ss792; educational institu-
tions, 1857 1882. But by far the largest
item and greatly exceeding the expense of
the legislative, executive and judicial de-
partments of the government combined are
the benevolent and the penal ard reform
atory institutions. OF these the former
cost s.2O2. 14O.s4 and the latter 1916. so496, or
both combined s1,577945.
The fact that the penal and reformatory
institutions of the State, that is the two
prisons for men, the prison for women and
the two reform schools for girls and boys.
cost every year more than the legislative,
the executive or the judicial branch of the
government is calculated to set people
thinking and wondering IL there is not
something radically wrong in system
which requires the expenditure of so much
money for the punishment of crime and at
tempted reformation of criminals. And it
must be remembered further that a con-
siderable part of the cost of the courts is
chargeable to crime. that the figures quoted
do not include the expenses of county jails
and that the cost of local police forces is
in large degree justly chargeable to the
same cause. AS the punishment of crime
is so expensive, costing the State about
s2.000.000 a year. 1t is worth while to inquire
whether it would not be wise to spend
more money in preventing II.
But greater even than the cost of the
penal and reformatory institutions is that
of the benevolent institutions. including
those for the insane and those for the ed
ucation of the deaf and dumb and the blind.
anu tnc SCHOOi IOT leeDle-iHlHueu CIlluTen.
Modern civilization and humanity impose
upon the State the duty of caring for these
classes. 1t is done in all civilized countries.
but in no other country as extravagantly as
In the United States. The duty is one that
should not be shirked nor discharged in a
perfunctory manner, but, considering the
enormous annual expense of caring for
these unfortunates, the people have a right
to expect that rigid economy shall be
maintained in every department of every
institution. While the State is expending
nearly ten times as much every year on its
benevolent institutions as ii does on its
educational institutions the people have a
right to insist that the managers and OFF,
GERS of the former shall administer the
trusts in their hands with the strictest
economy. Under the best possible manage
ment these institutions are a heavy draft
on the people, and, in the nature of things
they must be a perpetual one. As the ben
efits to the State are largely humanitarian
and from a practical point of view fan
from commensurate with the outlay, II
should be the constant study of every ad.
ministration to hold their expenses down
to the lowest possible figure.