The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-01-14

must not forget that our revenues are
constantly being anticipated, and that
only the most rigid economy will meet
our needs without bond issue.
The present. cities and towns act has.
in my judgment. overburdened cities Of
the third and fourth classes with useless
officers and extravagant salaries. They
do not add to the efficiency of the public
service and are a burden upon the tax
payer. The act should be amended and
the useless offices abolished.
Hereafter municipalities should be pro-
hibited from granting franchises Until the
price the public is to pay to enjoy them
is clearly defined. and the municipality
is permitted to share in the profits arts
ing therefrom.
The number of boards and commissions
in this State is startling. Instead Of
increasing the number of commissions.
in my judgment, they should be curtailed.
The study of the cause and cure OF
tuberculosis is a lUdable one. The same
may be said of epilepsy No better man
agement, in my Judgment. can be obtain
ed than that Of the State Board of
Health. 1t will not do. however. to turn
these two institutions into free sanitoria.
Let us deal generously with the unfortu-
nate of the State. but let not the State
support those who are able 70 support
themselves.
The erection OF what is known as the
Indiana School for the Deaf and Dumb
was, during the recent campaign. attend
ed with charges of such grave charac-
ter, involving not only the amount of
money expended, but also the manner of
Its expenditure and the stability of the
buildings when completed, and the erec-
ton of the Southeastern Indiana hos
pital for the insane near Madison having
also been brought into controversy.
recommend either a non-partisan or BIZ
partisan investigation of these two insti-
tutions which shall involve report from
thoroughly competent architects divorced
from any political significance whatever,
to the end that we may know whether
when these buildings are completed they
will be safe and durable.
The State geologist has done a valuable
work for Indiana. but that work is prob
ably completed except the making of a
soil survey for this State. That survey
nas already been undertaken by the ma
tional government. and several of the
counties of this State have been surveyed
accordingly. Before continuing this of
fee be sure that it is worth $500 a
year to the people of Indiana.
The conservation of timber in Indiana
which will always remain an agricultural
State, is to be obtained by lectures deliv-
cred to the farmers in the various coun-
ties of the State by educated men who
know the soil conditions and the grade
of timber which will grow in such SOIL
The most that can be hoped for is to
induce the farmer to use his waste land
as a timber lot.
This State has a large sum Of money
invested in the State prison in the manu-
facture of binder Irvine. This industry
was established because it would furnish
employment to convict labor in the manu-
facture of goods which would not come
into competition with goods manufactured
by the free labor of Indiana. l have
satisfied myself that this Irvine is as well
made as any Irvine in America. You
should enact such measures as will give
the industry fair chance TO survive, or
you should dispose of it and cover the
money into the State treasury.
1t is your duty to foster and maintain
the educational institutions of Indiana.
but you should not be so lavish in the
appropriations of money as TO enable
these institutions to destroy private edu-
cational Institutions which are furnishing
without any cost 10 the people of the
State, educational advantages to a large
number of its citizens The accounts Of
all institutions should be audited for the
purpose of determining whether they ars
economically or extrayagantly managed.