The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-09-24

| WELL MANAGED
The Tenth Biennial Report
4 of the
DOARDO CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
is Most Gratifying and Inter
eSting Document

M ne teHlu DleHIldl report OF the
BOARD of Charities and Corrections,
(which will be issued soon, will show
that the South Dakota penal institu-
tions are in a flourishing condition.
There have been no changes in the
heads of any of the institutions ex-
cept SUCH as were made necessary by
the resignation of Mary Wood, super.
intendent of the school for the blind,
at Gary. The work done in all of the
institutions has been very satisfactory
and much Improvement is being made
in many departments. The law Of
the state wisely requires that the
Board of Charities and Corrections
shall keep closely in touch with the
institutions and so superintend them
in fact and not alone in name. 1t is
required that the board shall visit
each institution at least once each
month This compels the board to be
at the institutions more than one half
the time and in this way they are kept
familiar with all of the details of the
work done and of the treatment Of
the wards of the state.
The present board holds the enviable
position of having never called upon
a legislature for deficiency appro-
priation for any of their institutions.
The membership of the board is D..
&c. Thomas, president, Watertown;
VIM. Powers, Yankton and W..
p. Upton, Mitchell with W. II. King
of Parker as secretary. 1t has been
The policy to ask for what money
seemed necessary to cover all expens-
es and then of allowing any surplus
to revert to the treasury of the state.
This year the board returns to- the
treasury moneys available for support
and yet on account of economical man
sagement, not used:
Training school, $5,4O5.25; peniten.
stiary, S39,O43.79; State hospital,
As451.52 Northern hospital, $2,62562;
school for deaf, $3,S20.S7; school for
blind, S3,560.36; insurance fund,
IS, 5,139.1S; making a total of $60,04659.
This is record equalled by but few
|2boards in any state.
III During the past six years the pres
@ent board have returned into the state
ttreasury of moneys available for sup
%port of the various institutions over
rs 29, 100000. The result of good busi-
&ness-like management and close sup
Hervision.
81 The boards report shows that the
Nstate owns property at the various in
@stitutions amounting to- $1,321 ,026.00,
aas follows: Training school, $1O6,315.OO
eschool for blind, S39,5OO.O0; school for
4deaf, $73,33S.00; penitentiary, $685..
*0S1 co. state hospital for insane, $685.
100000; northern hospital for feeble
minded, $157,792.00.
Land is owned at the institutions:
E7S7 acres at the training school; 20
acres at the school for the blind; 80
acres at the school for the deaf; 325
acres at penitentiary; GAO acres at the
hospital for the insane; 4S7 at the
northern hospital. At each of these
4 institutions where farming is carried
on to any extent silos have been
erected and herds of registered Hol-
stein and Red Poll cattle started.
These cattle are valuable additions as
milk and butter are among the prin-
ycipal items of expense at most of the
institutions.
The present board some years ago
adopted a resolution. to the effect:
"That in the selection of officers of the
various institutions of the state, com.
petency and fitness to do honest and
honorable service are the chief requis-
1ites to commend, and that political
affiliation or opinion should in no
manner have weight" This resolu-
tion has been carried out, both in let
ter and in spirit, through the past
six years, in all of the institutions,
and as result our charitable and
penal institutions are among the best
managed of any state In the union.
In fact South Dakota stands among the
highest in the conduct Of her institu.
}tions of this kind and in the treatment
\ of her wards.
During the past year the total aver
age number of people cared for In the
penal and charitable institutions of
South Dakota have been 1860. as fol-
lows: Hospital for insane, Yankton.
total 725; Northern hospital for feeble
minded, boys 72. girls GA, total 1856;
penitentiary, males POI, females 2,
total 2o3; state training school. Plank
inton, boys 81. girls 1S, total ~;