Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-12
GOVERNOR SPEAKS ON "WARDS
OF State" At THE CONFERENCE

" GO accomplished ny tuc civil SeINlCe
law, which took away the power Of
appointment and discharge. Oi
course the civil service law is not com
prehensive, but it is comprehensive
enough for general purposes. The
greatest difficulty is that the civil
service commission has followed the
letter of the law too strictly, and its
operation has been what may be
termed TOO literary In other words
too much has depended on the written
examinations. Under this law 1874
persons have been appointed, and I'll
have been discharged for cause, writ
ten charges being filed and opportun
ity being given for public hearing and
to have the hearing made a matter
of public record. The result is i'm
proved discipline
No Slush Fund.
Continuing the governor said: AN
ther thing has resulted. There was
practice, followed by all parties and
i factions, to secure the sinews OF
ethical warfare largely from state
employees, who were compelled to con
ribute a portion of their earnings
lis practice has ceased. 1t ceased
i day l was inaugurated, and it has
OF been employed since" This shot
Ii Ex-Governor Yates was one of sew
raj taken from what the governor
eined his "other lectures on this sub
ect." Governor Deneen showed tina,
iere are 5000 employees of the state
nd that 2,267 of them are engaged
n the management and care Of the
state charitable institutions.
Curative, Not Custodian.
The governor outlined the improve
ents and changes made in the diff
erent state institutions, claiming that
n the last four years they have been
he subject of much attention. and
hat great beginning has been made
Z the change from custodial institu
IONS to curative institutions. In this
onnection he discussed the psyche
hatic hospitals and training schools
or nurses, and the work toward plac
ug the state institutions in good
'hysical condition. He stated that
ne number OF inmates grows rapidly
and that the increased cost. at the
rate of S145 year per capita, is in
creased at the rate of $1,250,000 each
four years. The state institutions. he
said, were designed for 5000 or 1000
inmates, and yet 10000 are cared for
in them. why. the state of Illinois
has not been providing its wards with
sufficient air TO breathe. And air is
SO cheap. Instead OF furnishing the
goo cubic feet an hour that science
tells us is required. the state has been
furnishing Only about 400 cubic feet in
sCme places. The result is prevalence
OF tuberculosis and like diseases. Our
records show us that Illinois has been
curing only between . and Z per cent
of its insane. while Germany claims
Sc We decided to transplant the Ger
man system. and establish psyche
phatic hospitals, of which there are
only two others in-the United States
And now North Dakota. South Dakota
Montana, South Carolina and Missis
sippi want us to educate their insane
hospital superintendent and nurses
il our institutions. Our reputation i.
lot SO bad elsewhere. it appears
No Rest Cure.
Governor Deneen devoted some at
tention to a discussion of this new
system of interchangeable treatment
The subject is an interesting one ant
particularly so because of the fac
that at the Watertown hospital an in
stituti0n for the giving of this treat
ment has just been completed, and thu
building was to have been dedicated
ty the governor on this visit to Rocl
Island had he had more time here.
Governor Deneen took occasion Il
refer to the efforts TO prevent insanit.
IS well. as TO cure it. the main ste
along this line so far being the keer
ing of accurate records Of each pa
tient, for the insane'are the victim
Of the acts OF their ancestors and O
the conditions prevailing in society,
explained the governor And thes
records are now kept accurately
Heretofore some doctors thought
time to take rest cure when the
received an appointment in a stat
institution" he added.
The governor referred to othe
changes in the care OF state wards, il
Guiding the placing of almshouses an
Childrens' Institutions under stat
care. and the development of the ide
of state visitation of children in home
where they hive been placed by cha
| table institutions or by others.
Refers TO Accidents.
| Governor Deneen took occasion
refer to the investigation of the legi
iative committee. 1T was shown tn;
| there had been six accidents. {
these three were found by the commi
lee to have been unavoidable. ar
ilree the committee thought migl
have been avoided They could ha'
zen avoided had the state been alb
g employ something besides hums
beings in its institutions. These a
ldents were shown to be the rest
rather of neglect than of cruelty. al
hospital attendants, heing human. a
likely to neglect duty and fail to me
heir responsibility" The govern
I