The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-23
THE GOODwINE REFORMATORY
RII.V.


BILL.
The bill to reorganize the Reformatory is
peculiarly unfortunate in that the only de-
Tense attempted to be made of il, on princi
the Journal of yesterday. signed SINGER.
ity," defended the bill on the alleged ground
that the Governor is responsible for the
proper management of the state institutions
and that the present managers Of the Re-
formatory have acted in some important
matters without consulting him. The writer
maintained that this was sufficient cause
for the removal of the managers from Office.
and he cited a supposititious case of the
appointment of division superintendent of
a railroad by the general superintendent
without consulting the general manager.
Suppose" he said. that the general SUI
perintendent should refuse to resign, on the
demand OF the general manager, on the
ground that under the rules of the road the
authority to appoint the division superin-
fendent was his. Would the board of di-
rectors of such q system as the Pennsyl-
/
perintendent I'm such a course?'i Perhaps
not, but railroad usage is one thing and
statutory law is another. Every point in
the present case Is covered by laws enacted
for the express purpose OF establishing a
definite policy. The plain intent of the law
is to give the managers of the Reformatory
after their appointment, entire control of
the institution. 1t says: 1.-THE board of
managers shall. when appointed, have the
charge and management of said Reforma-
tory" 1t provides that they shall appoint
a general superintendent of the institution,
and there is not word In the law restrict
ing their power in this behalf. They are
not required to consult with the general
| manager" regarding such appointment. The
law says ''the Governor may remove any
of the managers for misconduct or neglect
of duty after an opportunity to be heard
upon written charges" but otherwise it
gives him no power to dictate or supervise
their action. The trainers of the law evil
| IDENTIFY intended that the power of removal
! for misconduct or neglect of duty should
| be the only supervisory power of the man
ayers after they were once appointed. 1t
did not contemplate the remedy of legis-
| lating them out of Office without specific
charges.
The correspondent above quoted says
| further:
| The people of Indiana are stockholders in
| general manager of it's interests in the
Governor. They hold him responsible for
| the maintenance Of proper conditions in the
| state institutions. Some of his authority
| he delegates, under the laws of the State,
/ to boards of trustees, which are expected
! to give attention to the details of manage
/ ment.
Again it must be remarked that the whole
subject is regulated by law. The Governor
has not delegated any of his authority to
the managers of the Reformatory. The
law defines their duties and powers, as IL
does his. 1t is not true that they are ex-
pected to give attention only to "the details
of management" The law gives them en-
| tire government and control of the institu-
ton and makes them absolutely independ.
ent of the appointing power. except that
4 they may be removed for misconduct OF
neglect of duty. To make them responsible
/ d
intendent would be radical departure from
the law under which the Reformatory was
established
| Looking at the matter from another point
of view 1t must be added that the amend
| ment to the Goodwine bill providing fol
four new managers instead of three does
not improve it at all. 1t still proposes Il
legislate one board out of Office and an
| other board in for reasons not recognized
| by the law. This is distinct departure
from the policy that removed the manage
ment of the institutions from politics A.
long as board of managers of a public
institution cannot be removed without
cause 1t is out of politics, but the momen
they are removed or legislated out of offic,
without legal cause the institution is il
politics, and that without reference to tn,
political complexion of the new board. L
the Goodwine bill is passed it will not b.
long before similar measures are apple,
to all the state institutions. 1t should b.
defeated