The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-05-31
THE INVESTIGATION OF
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
Paltka Times-Herald.


| Perhaps never before have Florida
legislative committees appointed to
inspect the state institutions made
reports so plainly and pointedly worded
as those which have recently startled
the people of FloriGa The COM
mittees, luckily. consisted Of men who
were determined to themselves in
spect the institutions visited, and to
| make a faithful report of their fin0-
iEgs. In years past these investigat-
! ing trips were regarded as nothing
more nor less than pleasure junkels-
remember that a few years since a
disgraceful state OF affairs existed at
certain well-known educational in
stitution, and the members of the
committee, before they left TallahaS-
see. were notified of these conditions.
Yet, despite all this, the committee
reported everything lovely" No
real examination of the buildings-no
effort in fact was MADE to investigate
the conduct of the management of the
school. 1t has been limited that the
| findings" were written by a member
OF the faculty long before the arrival
Of the committee on the scene. This
case Was perhaps but one of many.
By some process a change has been
wrought, and the committees from the
present legislature have made honest
examinations of places visited, and
have left no stone unturned in their
efforts to secure the. real facts as they
exist. The State Insane Asylum has
long been known as a blot upon the
lair name of the commonwealth. but
; 1t remained for the 1905 legislative
committee to find" anything wrong.
The committeeman made a thorough
investigation and their report reveals
a most shocking conGftion. Not only
have the inmates been neglected, but
they have been brrtally treated by
debauched attendants who secured
and retained their positions through a
political pull. The funds of the asy-
lum have been Incorporated. while
the general conduct of the institution
has been such as to cause the most
degenerate TO blush with shame.
The committees appointed to visit
various other institutions have like
wise conscientiously performed their
duties and have reported in an unmis-
taxable manner. AT the University
they found the buildings filthy and Ill
kept, the modern farm a model of
what il should not be and things gen
orally in bad repair At the East
F1orfda Seminary they found the
plant old and badly dilapidated, the
buildings in a deplorable state and
serious defects elsewhere" Evidently
the committees personally made an
examination, ana therefore knew
whereof they spoke
While these reports have created a
mild sensation, still no one believes
that these state institutions are more
poorly managed now than heretofore.
On the contrary. a decided change for
the better has been occasioned in
more than one Of them The real diff.
ference lies in the personnel of the
committees. Men who were not afraid
TO perform their duty were on the last
committees. They probed into things
and maoe their reports conform to
their findings. In years past had Wis
itIng committees likewise acted hon
estly the institutions of the state
would to-day be on a higher plane
and present conditions certainly would
not exist.