The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-06-18

childlike simplicity. | told you that !
would take hold of everything, of every
institution in this State supported IN
whole or in part by this state anu
nut 1t on the most economical stahu-
point that | could. ] appealed TO the
legislature to give us an accountant
who should go about and cheek up
the finances of the different state in
stitutions and advise the boards OF
trustees. The legislature went nan
way and provided that one member Oh
the board of any high institution OF
the State should be a b~ookkeeper ana
that he should check up the BOOKS
at least twice a year, and keep the
board advised. The first institution
we checked, and found forty thousand
dollars in a hole that the board OF
trustees had never heard Of. We put
that institution on an economical pa
sis: put the faculty on the lowest
wages possible and promised them
more later. By holding our noses TO
the grind rock for two years we
brought it up to the normal financial
basis.
The money of the different depart
ments would not get in the state de-
pository until it was checked out to
some other bank; and I said why don
we get the interest on this money, let
1t stay in the depository. They did
not like to give the money up. but
adopted that policy. l represented
you, the taxpayers, and not the fellows
getting the benefit of it. l am pleased
/, to inform you that I have saved over
and over and over again my salary
by this business method.
=. Take the University. Look at 1t
+ now. The largest 1t has ever been
before. The board for students Is
t not much more than fifty per cent OF
what 1t was before. You can send
l your boy or girl there for less money
e than ever before. Fees smaller than
!. ever before. That educational sys
e tenn has had its books checked and
renovated. 1t has not been done with
out hard work.
Take, for instance, the A. and NJ
Y College. The same is true there.
Take the Insane Hospital at Jack
son, that carries an appropriation o.
one hundred and eighty-three thou
sand dollars a year. Graft and waste
had become so commo there that
that you could not run such an insti
tuition without petty graft. l an
o pleased to advise you that it has beef
renovated to the bottom. The hog
chicken and dairy departments ar
l one hundred per cent better than eve
before. And they have a great man,
more patients than ever before.
We have o been playing, hav
. been trying to serve you. Sometime
1t is a little discouraging; when ! wa
; burning the midnight oil, and ever
moment was burdened with care, an
sometimes with a sick wife in tn
e hospital and a house full of little girl
at home. 1t is not the pleasantest 10
when a gang go about and put you
name down as a scoundrel. At time
| became discouraged.
le We have had on the board OF tru!
e tees of the different departments
e number of BUSINESS men that loo
IL after the business of the different IL
u situations.
In regard to the penitentiary depar
ment: 1t carries an appropriation
o two hundred and twenty-five thousan
= to three hundred thousand dollars
" year. When | became Governor tn
Honorable Joe Stennis, chairman {
~ the ways and means committee of tn
~ house, told me that he wanted to dii
cuss the resources and liabilities
~ the State. He showed me a statemer
!" showing the revenue and assets o
u one side and the liabilities on tn
y other side. | found that Mississippi
" was more than a million dollars In
" hole when | was elected governor.
u said, II don't see anything In regar
to the profit Of the penitentiary."
!. said the statement of the board {
'. trustees showed a grand profit. H
said yes, and that it was only tn
III bookkeeping, they drew more tina
thirty thousand dollars u OF tn
20 treasury than they put back. I sal,
III that is true there is somethin
radically wrong with the affairs
that institution" Then a bill was il
troduced to add two new member
e. TO the board of trustees, among the
the Encouragement. | remembs
ne that General McClurg was attorne
eh general of the State and resigned.
a asked him why he had resigned. Il
sc said that, as he was a member of II
10 board of control of the State penite
ny tiary, and they were handling million
a Of dollars of the peoples money, ar
that he could not give the proper tin
III to both offices. They might be putin
ld the property to the wrong causes.
the wrong Dlaces for all no lna,