The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 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.-ln it's biennial
| report, just sent to the printers by w.
! n. King, secretary, of this place, the
state board of charities and correc-
! tions recommends most urgently the re-
| moNal of administration of the states
institutions from partisan politics.
I OF the five recommendations of tho
board, it is most insistently urged that
! the legislature enact a law fixing terms
/ of office for considerable number OF
I years III not during good behavior, for
/ all the officers and employees of institu-
tions and fixing limitations for their
salaries. This alone it is claimed, will
| end the "pernicious influence of party
| and factional politics and make COM
| potency and faithfulness the test. Soma
years ago the present board adopted a
4 resolution that lin the selection of offi-
GERS for the various institutions of the
| state. competency and fitness to do
I honest and honorable service are the
chief requisites to commend. and that
4 political afliliation or opinion should in
/ board will surely receive the moral sup
+, port OF Governor Crawford, who has
earnestly advocated civil service in the
states institutions.
School in Prison.
The board suggests also the creation
of parole officer for the penitentiary
+, and training school, who will conduct.
y
at the penitentiary. The letter was
suggested by the efforts of several OF
the younger convicts to study higher
text books in their cells.
1t is recommended also that re-
formatory be created for the younger
prisoners and that the principle of the
mdetcrminate sentence, which the
board holds to have been proved a
success by other states. be adopted.
and that Il law be passed prohibiting
l1A nSo,r 1nx-r
amy member of the family OF it's man
aging officer.
The board, composed of d. c.
Thomas, of Watertown. VIM. NJ. Pow
ers, OF 4ankton, and w. e. Upton, of
Mitchell, expresses pleasure with the
progress that has been made in the in
sututions in the past two years. The
board has never asked for deficiency
appropriation. but on 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 S60,046.59. OF this s5.4o5.25 is from
the training school fund, S39,043.79 from
the penitentiary. s451.52 from the hos
pital for the insane. s2.G25.62 from tho
northern hospital. $3,S2O.S7 from the
school for deaf mutes. S3.56O.36 from
the school for the blind, and $5139.1S
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
OF $l.321 ,026. as follows: Training school
sl06,315; school for blind. S3y,5O0: school
for deaf, $73SSS; penitentiary, s2S9,0S1
state hospital for insane, $685., 900
northern hospital for feeble minded
s57,792.
During the past year the total aver
age number Of people cared for in the
r. tn la jpc it1,ti
1,260, as follows: Hospital for insane
725; northern hospital for feeble mind.
ed, 1856; penitrntiary, 203; training
school, 70; school for blind, 80; schoo
for deaf. rs.
Most remarkable as q financial enter.
prise is the shirt factory installed al
the state pcnitentiary three years ago
at a cost of $4,000. The board reports
} that the total net profit to the state
from this investment has been $43,650. SO
The shirts are made under contract fol
large firms, so the state is relieved from
the work of selling the product. Tho
, prisoners receive pay after they hav,
worked a minimum number of hour.
and in this way have accumulated
quite a little in the way of savings
} besides generating in them habits o
industry.
, The machinery for making twine ha.
} all been purchased and is being in
stalled and the board declared the plan
10 DE lile IncSl llldL COlllu DC DullC.
Silos have been erected at the hos
pital for the insane, the hospital 70
feeble minded, and the training school
, and at each a herd of IIolsteins il
maintained. The silos were built from
savings and the herds save large sun
{ by supplying milk and butter. Elec
trio lights have been installed at tn
school for the blind. an importan
change owing to the danger of fire fron
kerosene lamps. Many thousands u
small trees have been see out at tn
e hospital for feeble minded.
l In closing the board expresses its ap
D probation "f the faithful service q
the employees in the institutions an
felicitatcs itself upon the fact tina
there has been no hint of corruption
9 Of scandal. Of cruelty, or inhumanit
in any of the penal o. charitable insti
y tutions of this state. while rumors G
@ wrong doing were rife in more tina
J, one OF our rcighboring States"
h WISCONSIN MAN