The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-19
SENSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS

SENSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS
The board of control has submitted
to the legislature number of sugges-
tions relative to the conduct of state
institutions which we think are de-
serving of the attention and approval
of the people. All of these are char
acterized eminently by common sense
and by regard for the interests of the
state and of the dependent and crimi-
special approval and ought to be in
corporated in the law without delay.
1. 1t is really strange that the state
should not long ago have provided
that persons convicted of offenses
punishable by a sentence to the state
prison or reformatory might go i'm
mediately before a judge, plead guilty
and be committed at once to confine-
ment. Even a criminal has some
to the state in having him wait for
weeks or months in some county Jail
until there is a term Of court and the
merely formal action of sentence and
commitment can be gone through
with. A man in such a situation, if
there is any manhood left in him at
all, is willing to take his medicine"
and has right to have the dose ad
ministered with merciful promptness.
There can be no objection to such
law.
2. The board recommends the re-
moyal of the girls training school
from Red Wing to some other point
In the state. Public opinion is unani-
NOUS on this point, and has been very
freely expressed. A large number Of
associations have gone on record re-
questing the legislature to separate
the sexes in the state training school.
There has not been contrary opin-
ion expressed as far as we can re-
member. The argument is obvious
and the duty of the state in the in
terest of ordinary morality is plain. A
bill to provide training school build
ing elsewhere for girls ought to be
passed without delay and without OBJ
lection.
8. One of the most important and
beneficent changes is that which pro-
poses to place one-half the cost of the
annual maintenance of the inmates of
state institutions, not including the
state prison and reformatory, upon
the county from which the inmate is
committed. Our criminal population
is properly charge of the entire COM
munity. No distribution of expense
Incurred on its account can be made.
The dependent population, however,
all the insane, the feeble minded, the
deaf and dumb and blind, while in the
last instance public charge, should
be turned over to the state only as a
last resort. 1t is the clear duty of rel
atives and friends of these unhappy
beings to look after them; and, if 1t is
believed that they can receive better
care at state institution, to defray
the cost of their maintenance there.
Instead of that, it has become the
uniform custom to unload every such
burden upon the state. Year by year
the pressure on our public institutions
Increases and the bill of expense
lengthens. The people of the state
will foot this very cheerfully as far
As it represents unfortunates who
have no one to care for them. 1t en-
ters an objection against bearing bur-
dens imposed upon it by sheer selfish
ness and greed. Well-to-do people
send members of their families to state
institutions without contributing one
penny, with a shamelessness that must
be rebuked. The abuse will go on in
creasing until it is checked by a proper
regulation. Such regulation would be
the law proposed.
II the state compels the county froln
which each dependent or defective
comes to pay one-half the cost of his
support, the county authorities viii
look into the matter. They are able te
determine the circumstances of the
families of these helpless charges. te
decide whether or not they are finan-
cially responsible and to collect from
them the proper support. This is
placing the burden where it belongs
1t viii tighten materially the expense
account of the state. it will stir III
county authorities to doing their duty
and 1t will pierce the shell of that self
fshness and want of family affection
that now calmly turns over its per-
sonal duties to the state. These three
suggestions of the board should be.
come law.
We might feel some alarm about 8