The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-04
DISCUSS STATES
INSTITUTIONS And
PLANS Of SUPPORT
Superintendent Hold Quarter
Iy Conference at Capitol With
the Board of Control-Inter-
estine Papers Read on Con-
duct of observation-disclosures.

| Minnesota's plan of paying the en-
| tire cost of maintenance of it's custo-
| dial institutions from the state treas
ury is not unanimously approved by
| the superintendent of the state insti-
! tutions, or Internationally favored by
those who feel that the basis of the
present system is correct.
| This was developed yesterday at the
quarterly meeting of the superintend-
ents with the state board of control,
when some of the problems that are
| most prominent in the management of
state institutions were taken up for
| discussion.
The set programme consisted of a
paper on the Relation of Society and
| the State to the Institution-How Best
Conserved" by DR.. "A. C. Rogers. of the
state school for the feeble minded at
Faribault, which was read and dis
| cussed in the morning; and one enti-
tied, CONSTITUENT Economics in Insti-
tutional Management; What Are
They?" by j. NJ Tate, superintendent
of the school for the deaf at Faribault,
which occupied the afternoon session.
From the fact that the authors of the
papers are bothFengaged in the man
agement of custodial, or charitable in
stitutions, it was natural that the sub
jects should be viewed from a partic-
ular viewpoint bearing most directly
upon that branch of the states stew
ardship. In the discussion more scope
was taken, but chief attention was
given to the strictly charitable insti-
tutions
Warden WoIfer Questions System.
1t was in the afternoon discussion
that Warden Wolfer, of the state peni-
tertiary, questioned the wisdom of the
plan in vogue in this state whereby the
state pays the entire cost of the care of
its detectives In most other states
the county from which the patient
comes is required to hear a portion Of
the expense or in case the relatives are
able or the patient himself has anaes-
tate, a fixed individual charge for
maintenance is made; and this system
was contrasted by the warden. with the
present practice this state.
The superintendent generally agreed
that the institutions. Of this state are
now overcrowded. but further discuss
sion led them to thesinevitable conclu-
sion that there were no patients in the
institutions who should not be there,
and that the question was one of finan-
cial policy rather than determination
of fitness among patients.
Some of them were inclined to be-
lieve that if the state did not pay. the,
entire cost of the care of it's detectives,
the population of the Institutions
would not be SO large, butAthe greater
number were inclined to take the
broader view that any policy which
would exclude those really in need of
care would be fundamentally wrong
and unjust.
Counties Might Help.
Several of the superintendent were
inclined to believe that plan could be
devised whereby the counties might be
required to pay an equitable proper
ton Of the expense of caring for their
detectives, and this suggestion was
also favored by Gov. Van SAINT, who
was present throughout the afternoon
session. g,er
When Gov. Van SAINT entered the
meeting he was called upon for an adj
dress, but only spoke briefly express
ing his approvalfof the quarterly con-
ferences of the board with it's superin-
tendents He said he believed this
regular discussion of topics of mutual
| interest could not help but bring about
beneficial results.li
In his paper OF the morning on the
Relation of Society and the State to
the Institution" Dr.. Rogers expressed
qualification in the belief that the view
which the public takes of the state
charitable institution, he said, no long
er carried with it the odium which
once attached to it, and the relation of
society to the institution is one of own
ership, support and patronage.
The question Of support he believed
to be one of the most important, and
In it's determination there are two an
tagonistic forces constantly struggling.
One is the force that would accom-
plish the ends desired regardless of
cost; and the other the force that
would make cost the main thing, and
! would have everything conducted at
the lowest possible outlay even at the
expense of efficiency. He would favor
a middle ground between the two.
Further he said in part:
Can't Be Run Like Saw Mill.
1.-The administration of public insti-
tutiOnS while in a. mea SIRE routine