The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-12-17

or read paper at this meeting, the
choice of a subject was left to me. Very
naturally. one was preferred with which
was already familiar, and SO | have
chosen to speak on the State Institutions
of Iowa, especially as related to the
care of delinquent and dependent chill
dren.
In wondering whether this subject
would interest you, | thought of how
little the average citizen really knows
of the fifteen splendid institutions own
ed and supported by the taxpayers of
our state for the care and treatment of
our dependent, defective, delinquent,
criminal and sick. Institutions which
represent permanent investment of
something like $10,000,000, which re-
quire an annual expenditure for sup
port, improvements, and repairs OF an
amount approaching $2,000,O00, and
whose population is made up of people
from every section of the commonwealth.
| presume there is scarcely a person
present who does not know one or more
of these wards of the state, yet how
many Of you have ever visited state
institution? If l were to give out
pencils and paper and allow you five
minutes in which to write the location
and legal name of each institution, l
wonder how many could be marked per-
feet. 1t would not be surprising to me
ii some failed; indeed am quite sure l
could not have done it five years ago;
nor is my ability to do it now any evil
dence of my superior wisdom since dur
ing nearly one-half of the time ! have
served as state agent, my headquarters
were in the office of the board of con-
troll at Des Moines.
The institutions of Iowa were brought
under central board in 1898 when
Gov. Shaw appointed Ex-Gov. William
Larrabee, Judge L. G.. Kline and John
such men it is no wonder the work of
centralizing was SO splendidly done.
Some mistakes may have been made for
who looked on at the start with coldly
critical eyes have learned to praise.
One notable visitor at the state house
pointed this board never did another
down in history" Two changes have
been made. When Ex-Gov. Larrabee re-
signed Judge G. s. Robinson took his
pidSOS anu "uOA OuUSO AAuuO pttSoSSt VA
into the great beyond Mr.. T. ]. Hamil-
ton, of Cedar Rapids, succeeded him,
and the work is still in excellent hands.
control, yet simple statement given
in the way of information may not be
amiss. This board has been composed
simply of three business men appointed
to look after the financial affairs of the
nj fha; onntrn1 l.
though no state could have been better
served in this respect, for sterling non
esty and keen business acumen have
marked their work from the first, and
the immense power given to them has
more than that for they would have
to the state had they not partaken of
spirit which is causing thoughtful men
to study the problems which lead to
social betterment through both pre-
ventive and correctional measures. For
at last we are beginning to under
stand the solidarity Of society, that the
suffering Of one person or group Of per,
sons means the suffering Of all, and
uuLldu UTOOuCIuOOu 10 ho lOboOl
merely a sentiment. 1t was an acknowd
the board of control to work for the
establishment of a state hospital for
the modern treatment of tuberculosis,
that great white plague which has de-
vastated our land, but which is now
known to be durable disease. 1t is
also under their guidance that Mr.
L. |, oJr
paign in Iowa today against conditions
which make for the spread of tubercu-
losis, for as preventable disease it can
and will be stamped out of existence.
AS general classification we might
say Of the fifteen state institutions that
nine are for adults. These are the
soldiers home at Marshalltown, the
penitentiary at Ft. Madison, the re-
formatory at Anamosa, the four hospitals
for the insane at independence, Chero-
kee, Clarinda and Mt. Pleasant, the hos
pital for inebriates at Knoxville, and
the new hospital for the treatment of
tuberculosis at Oakdale, miles north
of Iowa City.
In the same general way we refer to
J the other six as institutions for children
and young people, although the college
for the blind at Vinton admits adults,
aDd the school for the feeble minded at
Glenwood where formerly the age of
admission was from to q years now
admits women up to the age of 46
years. The school for the deaf at Coun-
Gil Bluffs completes the list for the
mentally or physically defective.
At the school for the feeble minded
the wards are classified as school and
custodial children. The former attend
school and are developed or improved
as much as possible, the latter are cared
for in custodial building and rarely
come in contact with or are even seen
by the others. The large number of
epileptics there, besides those others
scattered in their homes over the state,
is creating growing demand for the
establishment for state Epileptic Col
ony where these unfortunates for whom
the world has no place, can live and
largely become self supporting. Many
states have such colonies and the value
has been demonstrated. Not only are the