Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-01-14


another new cottage for patients, to
the end each biennial period mayrcon-
tribute a separate. new cottage to the
colony until the full scheme of build
ings, as originally planned. has been
completed and the colony able to ac-
commodate and receive all the feeble
minded and epileptic OF the common,
wealth entitled, under the law, to ad-
mission.
The state hospitals for the insans
have been well provided with build
ings and repairs, and are In my judg'
ment reasonably ample to care for all
patients.
State Purchasing Board. .
l. will suggest, however, that a
splendid service can be rendered the
institutions and the state by having a
state purchasing board for all institur
lions and departments.
The men composing this board
should be able and successful bust
ness men who have had experience in
this line Of business, and should be
paid a salary sufficient to enable the
state to have the services Of the very
best business men equipped for the
work. A competent man, capable Of
commanding a good salary, is the
cheapest man the state could secure,
and this board should also bave a Sec
Rotary and stenographer.
The Blind.
The state supports the Missouri
School for the Blind, located in st.
Louis, which has an attendance of
more than 100 pupils. The states
obligations to the blind do not cease
when it has furnished them with an
eight or IL years course of study and
training, but the duty still rests upon
it to see that the training and educa-
ton given the blind is turned to use
full labor.
The legislature should appropriate
$25,000 annually to provide for the
care and maintenance of the blind,
and permit this board to provide sim
pie or modest plants where such in
'dustrial pursuits may be followed by
the blind as will enable them to make
sufficient money to practically sup
port themselves. In this way, they
would be able to support themselves
and not be charges upon the public.
This is a modest amount, yet these
gentlemen assure me it will be ample
to meet the situation, So, in consid-
ering the life and happiness of our
blind brother, "let us labor for that
larger comprehension Of truth and that
thorough reputation of error
which shall make the history Of man
kind a series of ascending develop.
ments and triumphs." Progress, after
all, lis the law of life, the activity OF
today and the assurance Of tomor.
row."
Contract Labor.
The last legislature took initial
steps looking to the solution Of the
question of the employment Of the
2,400 men and women confined in the
state penitentiary. 1t proposed to
abolish the contract system and sub
stitute other employment therefor,
The revenue received from the con.
tractors is about S750,000 or $500, 00O
for each biennial period. This makes
the ~penitentiary practically self-sus'
tanning. II the contract system is
abolished completely at once, the rev,
enues of the state will necessarily, for
a time, be drawn upon for this sum
of $500, 900 to sustain the peniten'
tiary, which sum heretofore has been
used along educational, eleemosynary
and departmental lines. 1t will neces
sarily cost, at the lowest estimate
one7half million dollars to even star
the equipment of plants sufficient tc
give employment to the convicts. This
money, too, must come from the gen
eral revenue fund. These enormous
sums cannot be taken from the rev.
enues of a single year or biennial
period. At the very earliest, 1t would
take two years to build and equiv
plants, and then the state would be
in an experimntal stage of the change
with little Or no revenue flowing bach
from the penitentiary. q
This proposition must be met In 9
fair, open, candid, business way. Il
the contract system is to be abolished
at once, and the legislature wishes tc
work all the convicts upon the roads
Of the state, then in such event the
convicts could be supported out of the
good roads fund. This fund is suf
ficient to support the penitentiary, ant
If the entire labors Of the convicts
are.to be used upon the public roads
free, this being a donation from the
state for the construction and main
tenance Of good roads, then in sucl
an event the good roads fund, which
arises from the automobile license Law
and stamp act, could be used to main
tain and support the convicts while
doing this free public road work. Il
only a portion Of the convicts are tt
be used and worked upon the roads
free, then whatever numbers art
worked thereon could and should bt
supported from the good road fund.
Again, If the legislature de
termines to let the burden Of The
change fall upon a series Of years
then, in such an event, the Legislature
could provide for the building ant
equipping of one plant for the frs
period to manufacture such things a.
1t may designate; and to then equiv
another plant for another purpose fol
the manufacture of other things fol
the second period, and so on. In thii
way the burden Of the change woult
be distributed over a period of time
and the service rendered by the state
to its great eleehosynary institutions
would not, in any way, be crippled
nor the cause Of education Impaired
In the matter Of our educational ant
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