Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-10-02
CHARITIES BOARD
FOR LONG TENURE OF
STATE employees
Also Recommends Parole Office
and Instructor for Night
School in Pen.

Parker, S. D., Sept. 26.-In its biennial
report, just sent to the printers by w
II. King, secretary, OF this place, the
state board of charities and correc.
lions recommends most urgently the re-
moval OF administrator of the states
institutions from partisan politics.
OF the five recommendations of tho
board, Ii is most mistakenly urged hat
the legislature enact a law fixing terms
of Office for a considerable number OF
years if not during good behavior, for
all the officers and employees of institu-
tions and fixing limitations for their
salaries. This alone, IL is claimed, VIII
end the "pernicious influence of party
n factional politics" n make com
potency n faithfulness the test. Some
years ago the present board adopted q
resolution that ''iu the selection of Off
GERS for the various institutions OF the
state, competency and fitness TO do
honest and honorable service are the
chief requisites to commend. and that
political utilization or opinion hould in
no n have weight In this, the
board will surely receive the moral sup
port of Governor Crawford, who has
earnestly advocated civil service in the
states institutions.
A School in Prison.
The board suggests also the creation
OF a parole officer for the penitentiary
and training school, who will conduct.
at least part of the year, a night school
at the penitentiary. The letter was
suggested by the efforts Of several OF
the younger Convicts 10 study higher
tex Cooks in their cells.
1t is recommended also that a re-
formatory be created for the younger
prisoners and hat the principle of the
indetermirfate sentence, which the
board holds to have been proved a
success by other states. be adopted.
and hat a Law be passed prohibiting
the employment in n institution OF
any member of the family of it's man
aging officer.
The board, composed of d. c..
Thomas, of WATERFOWL. VIM. NJ. Pow
ers, of Yankton, ana w. T.. Upton, OF
Mitchell, expresses pleasure with the
progress that has beef made in the in
situations in the past two years. The
board has never asked for a deficiency
appropriation, but oil the contrary has
turned back an unexpended portion of
the regular appropriation. This year
the BOARD Will return, OF the monies
available for support, the neat sum
of SOC, 046.59. OF this $685. 5 is from
the training school fund, s39. 043. 10 from
the ~penitentiary, $451. 50 from the hos
pital for the insane. 81. 90 from the
northern hospital, s3,S20,S7 from the
school for deaf mutes, $780, SO from
the school for the blind, and $5,139.1S
from the insurance fund.
Value of Institutions.
An appraisement by the board of the
state institutions shows the state owns
In them property of the handsome sum
IF ST, 1921 ,026. as follows: Training school,
f106, 3l5; school for blind. s3g. 500; school
for deaf, S73, 1855; p~enitentiary, $3.50, 081;
state hnGnifal fnn inGana HHEE n0O.
northern hospital for feeble minded,
S57. 1892.
During the past year the total aver
age numbe of people cared for in the
penal and charitable Institutions was
l.260, as follows: Hospital for insane,
725; northern hospital for feeble mind
ed, 1876; penitentiary, 203; training
school, 10; school for blind, 80; school
for deaf. rs.
Most remarkable as a financial enter
prise is the shirt factory installed at
the state p~enitentiary three years ago.
at G cost OF $4,000. The board reports
that the total net profit to the state
from this investment has been SAB, $50. SO.
The shirts are made under contract for
large firms, so the state is relieved from
the work of selling the product. The
prisoners receive pay after they have
worked a minimum m of hours
and in this way have accumulated
quite q little in the way or savings,
besides generating in them habits of
industry.
The machinery for making Irvine has
all been purchased and Is being in
stalled and the board declared the plant
to be The finest that could be built.
Silos have been erected at the hos
pital for the insane, the hospital for
feeble minded, and the training school,
and at each q herd of Holsteins is
maintained. The siios were built from
savings and the herds save a large sun
by supplying milk and butter. Elec-
trio lights have been installed at the
school for the blind. an important
change owing To the danger of fire from
kerosene lamps. Many thousands OF
small trees AVE been see out at the
hospital for feeble minded.
In closing the board expresses it's APP
probation Ut the faithful service IF
the employees in the institutions and
felicitatcs itself upon the fact that
there has been no hin OF corruption,
of scandal, of cruelty, or inhumanity
in any of the penal o. charitable insti-
tutions OF this state, while rumors OF
wrong doing were rife in more than
one OF our ~neighboring states"