, 1907-01-09

contributed S6.75s.S9. leaving a net
cost to the state of $13, 054 "a. A con-
siderable amount of farming is lone
at the Home. and this aids materially
in providing provisions and supplies
for the members. The general health
of The inmates of the Home during the
past two years has peer good, and the
present location of the home has PROV
en- to be a desirable one for the health
and comfort of the inmates. There
have been eighteen admissions of reg
nlar members during the past two
years and three admissions of depend
ent members. There remained at the
Home on September both, 1906. forty
two regular members and four depend
ents.
Pursuant to the provisions of Sec
ton 80 of Chapter 90 of the laws of
1903, the board has installed n new
steam heating plant at the Home at
a total cost of $6.S21.15. The installa-
ton of The heating plant has added
very much 10 the comfort of the old
soldiers and its operation is proving
a matter of great satisfaction to them.
II would he a matter of further COM
fort and convenience as well as one
of additional safety to the inmates and
buildings. if means were provided for
furnishing the Home with electric
lights,
Big Horn Hot Springs.
The Big Horn Hot Springs reserve
has been maintained during the past
two years at a total expense of 49,
SS2.03, and the rentals derived from
privileges upon the reserve, for the
same period, rave amounted to $1,270.
Attention is called to the fact that APP
preparations for the maintenance of
the springs have always been of a
temporary nature, and it has therefore
been impossible for the board to make
definite plans for the future develop
ment of the property, or engage in any
permanent system of Improvement.
The board is of the opinion that in
view of the probable prominence which
these springs will eventually attain
as a health resort. that some definit
plans should be adopted for the future
development an Improvement of the
property. 1t has been impossible up
TO the present time 10 adopt plans of
this nature, because of insufficient
funds and a lack of certainty as TO the
disposition of the legislature to make
permanent appropriations to carry
them ont.
It is recommended by the board
that a sufficient appropriation be made
by the ninth Legislature to permit Of
securing the services of some land
scape gardener of well known ability
to visit the premises and make plans
for the permanent location of huild-
ings, n the laying ont of the
grounds in an artistic and attractive
manner. With such plans as a basis,
the work upon all improvements can
be made with a view 10 carrying out
the design so adopted.
The Deaf, Dumb and Blind.
During the past year members of
the board visited the Deaf and Blind
Institution at Colorado Springs, and
were present at the graduating exer-
cises. 1t is. of course, as much the
duty of the state TO see that these
unfortunate children secure a liberal
education, as it is TO educate the more
fortunate little ones in our public
schools, inc the expense of tuition and
board of leaf and blind pupils Is paid
by The state; while the cost of cloth
ing and transportation, in all cases,
must be borne by the parents of the
pupils. For this reason it has been
the custom of the board to permit the
parents or guardians to select any one
of the schools of the n~eighboring
states to which to sen their children,
and we now have two pupils at Color
ado Springs, two at Ogden, Utah, and
one at Omaha, Nebraska; besides one
very bright scholar, who graduated
last year from the Colorado Springs
institution and has been sent 10 the
Gallaudet College for the Deaf, at
Washington, ID. c., where he obtains
n free scholarship. the state simply
paying his transportation. The cost
of maintaining these pupils for the
past two years has been ~$4,95G.45.
Feeble Minded Children.
The only feeble minded children,
classed as such, that have ever be-
come the charges of the state. are
those that have been taken in during
infancy by children's homes with the
purpose in view of finding permanent
homes for them, and who. after such
admission, nave proven to be feeble
minded, and consequently it has been
impossible to provide permanent
homes for them. One such child Is
now being cared for by the state Mt
the South Dakota Children's Home at
Sioux Falls.
The Board of Charities and Reform
has. from time to time, had applica-
lions for the care and education of fee
BILE minded children. The difficulty
encountered by the board in this con
@nection has beer that of finding a
school within reasonable distance. and
at which charges are not excessive,
where this class of un%fortunates may
be sent. All the schools for the feeble
minded, which are within reach, are
either oyer-crowded or for other rea-
sons inaccessible to our pupils, or de-
mand a price which the board has not
felt warranted in paying. The result
has been that it has become necessary
to have some cases of this class sent
to the state hospital for the insane,
until more satisfactory arrangements
can be made for them. This arrange
ment is manifestly an unsatisfactory
one, and is by no meanes such as the
board desires. Our laws upon this
subject are incomplete, and such legis-
Ill