Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-21
COST Of LIVING
HAS INCREASED
Scott County's Complaint Has
Drawn Attention to Board
of Controls Problems
PER CAPITA ALLOWANCE LESS
Legislature Appropriates Less For
Maintenance Than Formerly, But
Great Saving Has Been Made in
Purchases-More of Variety Might
be Desirable.
to Times-Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
| Des Moines, June 21.-The COM
plants of the Scott county people
against the fare that was given the in
mates of the Mt Pleasant state hospl-
| tai has attracted some attention to the
changing conditions since the board or
control came into existence. Ten years
ago the state wcs allowed SIG per cap
itta to run the state institutions. Then
| one dollar would buy as much as two
now and yet the per capita allowance
| by the legislature is but $12 month.
There is thought to be no founda-
| tion for the statements that the COM
| plants of the Scott county officials
| is an attack on the board of control
system. There is perhaps some ground
| for the idea that the Davenport people
would like to have as many OF the pa
tients as possible kept in the hospital
| In that city. / This is true not only at
Davenport, but at all other cities
where there are large private hospi-
| tails. They seek to get as many Of
| the patients as possible and also use
| all the politics they can to get them.
| When the political influence is exert
ed against the board of control it hits a
stone wall and that disconcerts the
politicians.
The first years of the board of con-
| troll We're during the hard times and
| they carried large amount of money
| to their credit at the end of each year
| for the reason that everything the
board bought was bought at a low
price. Flour then cost 1882 a barrel
and now the board pays $5.22h a
,, barrel. 1t takes 756O0 tons of coal to
rum the state institutions and the coal
now costs full one dollar more ton
than it cost when the board was first
created. Following all thru the sup
plies that the board purchases cost
more, very much more, but the income
Of the board has been decreased. The
laboring man pays more for supplies,
but he is paid more also. The legislature
on the other hand has cut down the
appropriation for the board.
The salaries of the superintendents
of the institutions is fixed by law at
50, 1000 year. The board fixes the SAL
aries of the other employees. 1t was
the endeavor of the board for a time
to keep the amount paid for salaries
one third Of the appropriation but this
has been found to be impossible and
keep the right kind of employees In
the matter of cooks alone the board
has raised the wages double what was
formerly paid in order to give the best
cooking for the unfortunate inmates.
Formerly the board paid cooks $40
and s25 per month besides their board.
Now the board pays $40 and $45 a
month. The salaries thus take it is
estimated about SIS of every $12 that is
allowed to run the state institutions. 1t
might be explained that the state legis-
lature makes an appropriation of $12
per capita for each Institution. The
institutions which have farms derive
some income from that source. The
$12 must pay all the salaries of the
institution employees, buy all the cloth
ing, and pay for all the supplies, with
the exception of those supplies which
are raised on the farms, or purchased
with the money from the sale of pro-
duca on the farms. Many of
the institutions are made up of
people totally incapacitated for work
that is remunerative for the state. Such
as the school for feeble minded at
Glenwood, the blind. school at Vinton
largely and the girls school at Mitch
ellville. The soldiers at the MARSHALL
town home do no work except as they
are paid money for. The board of con-
troll has never asked the legislature
for a larger appropriation, but some of
the members believe that larger ap-
preparation should be made in order
that the inmates could be fed better.
They get all they can eat now and what
they get is the very best there is on
the market, an additional appropriation
would merely allow of a little greater
variety in the food that is set before
them.
Commissioner L. D. Brigham and
State Mine Inspector E. d. Sweeney
are in Fort Dodge where, acting on
instructions of the last legislature,
they are making an investigation of
the gypsum mines. 1t was proposed
at the last session to bring the gyp-
sum mines under the supervision of
the state mine inspectors. 1t was con-
tended at that time that the gypsum
mines We're far different from the coal
mines and that men of different
technical education were necessary to
properly inspect the mines. The meas
ure to place such mines under the
control and supervision of the mine
inspectors was defeated and the prop
osition carried that the labor commits
sioner and Sweeney of the mine in
spectors make an investigation and
report to the next general assembly
With recommendations. 1t is contend
ID that there is no gas to contend
with in the gypsum mines and that
most of it is outside mining.
There will be no cork carpet put n