The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-05-04
;OtC|S|ON TO YANkTON
N DEBATING CONTEST
YANKTON DISPLAYS STRENGTH
IN ARGUMENT ON PROPOSED
QUESTION OF CONTROL OF
STATE INSTITUTIONS.

STATE INSTITUTIONS.
By a vote Of two to one the Judges
in the debating contest between
Yankton and Mitchell, held Friday
evening in the city hall, was award
ed to Yankton college.
The lower part OF the city hall was
about half filled, with friends Of the
University to hear the second annual
debate between Mitchell and Yank-
ton colleges. which was presided ov-
er by w. r. Ronald, who made a
brief statement before the battle was
on.
The question under debate was:
Resolved, That state charitable and
institutions should be administered
by individual boards of trustees, sup
.plemented when desirable by the adj
vice of a state board Of charities,
rather than by a central board Of
control"
Mitchell had the affirmative and
was represented by Albert j. Har-
no, Carl Fosse, and Bernie Dean.
Yankton had the negative side of the
question and was represented by R.
L. Wilson, r. L. Nordness and, r. J.
Swanson.
The affirmative presented its ar
gument from the point Of view that
the individual board OF trustees
would be a great saving to the state,
and presented figures from other
states which have adopted this sys-
tenn of control, together with state
ments made by members of those
boards endorsing the trustee as the
best for the Institutions. The trus-
tees, it was alleged would give more
personal attention to the purchase of
articles for the one institution, that
it could, get better goods from the
fact that it could see what was being
bought, and in this respect compared
institutions in Indiana with those
of Iowa, where in the former state
a great saving vas made in this re-
spect to the advantage of the trus-
tees. 1t was asserted that the trus-
tees being without salary that there
would be little politics injected into
tile appointment and that more wor-
thy and capable men could be secur-
ed to fill the positions, while in a
central board positions of this char
acter are utilized to pay political
debts, resulting in a lack of atten-
ton to the details of the institutions
and a consequent neglect of the
wards of the state. Quotations were
made from a report made by Mr..
Wright, the expert, to make their
contention good as to the cheaper
method for caring for the states
wards, showing that the trustees
have saved $12 per capita in this re-
The fact that several states
had changed from the state board to
the individual trustees was empha-
sized by the affirmative as a strong
point in its favor.
The negative speakers made their
on the argument of the affirm
alive on the point that in that the
trustees serve the state without pay
it stands to eason that they would
not give the same personal attention
to their duties as they would to their
private business. This, it was assert
ed, would add greater responsibility
to the superintendent, which would
take his time away from his regu-
lar duties and place too much of the
business management on his Shout
ders. They held that the individuals
would not understand the needs of
the institution when giving SO lit
tie attention to it. With the state
board of control the affirmative held
that being paid commensurate sal
dIlcS lHS UOdlu COulu give us cAllI0
time and attention to the purchasing
supplies, could, buy them in larg-
err quantities, and as a result could
make a greater saving to the state.
The negative speakers emphasized
the ineficiency of the individual
trustees because of the lack of sal
airy in connection with their work
and believed that the state institu-
ton under their control would suffer
greatly. 1t was held that the indi-
vidual trustees were without author
ity to make any changes in the in
stitution which was under their
Jurisdiction, and the best they could
do would be to make recommended
lions, with no way to enforce them,
and which would relieve them of any
responsibility. Under the state
board of control the members would
have power to execute any order
they saw fit to make, could act
promptly and with authority in any
instance which required their atten-
ton. Touching the political aspect,