Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-05-07
MR.. BENTsoN IN RRJoINDER
Discusses Asylum and County Farm
Matters

EDITOR CENSOR Shall ask permits
sion for little space in your valuable
paper for q short answer to Mr.. j. H.
Benefits article in last CENSOR, prom
Using that this be my last on the ques-
ton at issue. | would have it plainly
understood that / am not attacking
Superintendent Fowelps ability nor him
personally, both of which have respect
for, but the extravagant use of public
money by public officials in general, ana
the extravaganza connected with the
poor farm in partielar.
Mr.. Benefits article is remarkable
more for its length than for argument
and sound proof. He honors me with
the title of manager of the asylum and
makes a comparison between my adj
ministration and Mr.. Fowell's. ! APP
preciate the title, hoping that Mr.. But
tiers will not raise objection or take
offense The two institutions are so
far different when it comes 10 income, as
well as expense, as to be beyond com
parison. The asylum, so far, has made
its own way, the poor farm is a burden
on the county aud must be a burden,
but should not be made heavier than
necessary after giving the inmates good
and decent treatment The result of
the comparison was that Manager Bent
son drew the short cut. No wonder that
the man of a $50 salary could not COM
pete with the man of $1,000. have
little to say of the six years of Bent
sons management, but can say this
much. that neither Mr.. Bennett nor any
other man paid cent of tax to it, and
the last, year 1912, the n Vernon couu-
ty inmates were not only kept free of
cost to the county, but better than
81. 600 cash put into the county treasury
Under the same administration the
asylum superintendent salary was
lowered $500 by the trustees, while MIR
Fowell's was raised practically 81, 100
by the county board, difference of
81, 40o.
Mr.. Bennett says that | am mislead-
ing when stating that Mr.. Foweil's
salary was raised to 81, 500, with extra
farm help. Read the resolution passed
by the county board ard see who is
misleading. Mr.. Bennett or myself
Then there is a lie the statement that
the per capita cost at the poor farm
for last year was Sl.34, very reason
able if true; whether it is true may be
seen later on: There is only one alb
solutely reliable source from which to
compute the actual cost per capita, and
that is the poor farm report examines,
money allowed by the county board
Any figures that do not CORES pond with
this report are wrong, no matter if
called official Here are the figures
from the report:
Placed in county treasury by poor farm. 1863 %
@ 49, "a
Poor commissioners salary. ......-... 81 900 10
Current expenses over and above income Sass s.
Now give a reasonable allowance for
the use of the farm and for next wear
$500 more for salary; if they do not
come nearer SIS 90 per capita per week
than 81 81 my name is not Bentson.
| have before me the report of Rich
land county for 1912. That county runs
the two institutions under one head,
but keeps separate accounts. Find the
following: Current exp nse =, attend
dant's salary included, 81, 1856. TO-" Com
pare Vernon county's expenses, salary
included, IS, 455 65. The former has 6
or less inmates than the latter. The
attendant and wife are paid $50 per
month. Those figures speak for them
selves.
Mr.. Bennett does not seem to under
stand why the poor commissioner should
not have the same pay as the asylum
superintendent. Docs he believe that
it takes as much skill, responsibility
and nerve strain to handle SO sane per.
sons as 100 in al stages of insanity?
Indeed, compliment to the insane,
but poor recommendation fol the sane
Among the many queer statements
made by Mr.. Bennett, thi6 one: "Prac-
tically all the cement and expert work
at the ecu ty farm has been done by
Mr.. POWELL. When the slightest similar
work has been done at the asylum farm
expert hired help has b'en employed y
How does it come that Mr.. Bennett is
so well posted in all the work done at
the county farm by Mr.. POWELL, even to
1e smallest detail, an5 so ignorant in
regard to the work done BY the asylum
force. rs to make such a laundering
statement? Evidently because he has
MT investigated. and because Superin-
tendent Buffers does not advertise