The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-11-01
Governor Would Cut OFT Controlling Boards Of All State
Institutions and Suhstinte One Board Of Four Mem-
berA Non-P 4, Character, with Ofhos = In
danapolis, to Manage Affairs Claims New system
Economical, Efficient and Means Rigid Inspeetton q
Supplies Bought for State Insists No politics" IN
New Scheme Dsvotes Whole Address to Defense Of
Plan Cites Example Of nlinois and Points Out Big
Saving to State.

In supporting his plan for placing Ill
state institutions under = central con.
troll board Governor Ralst0n made the
following address Sunday:
"What / shall have to 1Ay on the
subject assigned me. will reJAts to our
correctional ana benevolent institu-
tons; and hasten At.the 01tS1t u my
remarks to declare that the. proper
administration Of our state charities
calls fOr hieh degree Of intelligence
IAN intelligence that considers them
from both business and humane view.
points. With some persons the dollar
and cent problem = the al important
question In their administration. while
with others. We should do what SCI
snce and humanity suggest IN their
administration without regard to cost.
The extremist cannot ~ followed IN
either Instance. H -,
Cost ~ instructions.
1.-THE taxpayer has rights that can
not be ignored. The millions he has
contributed and IL contributing for
these institutions ckAnenge respect
for him and should secure justice to
him in their management. Annually he
ID paying on IN average for their
management and up.k1ep two million
five hundred thousand dollars, while
his investment in the various plants
for real estate, buildings and equip
Hnent Is little short OF astounding. The
last legislative committee estimated
these investments az follows:
Central Hospital for the Insane. g.
OH. 353.34: Eastern Hospital for the
Insane. $1.061 ,S50.3S; Northern Hos
pitai for the Insane, $S55.013.77;
Southeastern Hospital for the Insane,
t1,63s.349.5l; Southern Hosritaf for
the Insane, $922.69252; Village for Ep-
ilAptics, $472,1l7.06; School for Feeble
Minded Youth, $e4S.Bs9.20: Soldiers
and Sailors Orphans' Home, $685. &c.,
Is; State Soldiers Home, $637.922.52;
Tuberculosis Hospital, $196,9S4.f4:
Indiana Boys School, 3432.070.08: In
diana Girls School. $419, 806.86: 1ndi-
ana Reformatory. s76S,738.71; Indiana
state Farm (not by commttt44l $751;
STAT; Indiana Women's Prison. 4163.-
35S.32; School for Blind, $767,706.32;
School for the Deaf, $s6s.S55.17 Total
$13.786. S4255.
IA first class business man or q
.-eat corporation having this vast sum
~ I'D In various institutions or in.
~ $. would very promptly see to
- the different plants we're man.
'"th high skill with the Wow
tt y 20 economy and service. What
a@. '','or a corporation would
~ ., CT! :rg for and handling such an
'~"'Ht t~u'd undoubtedly be a
- '~ ,, be pursued by the state
=" circumstances.
IT, - ~-u'd be lmprovsd.
'Edgment that our state
improve upon it, meth
' ,'@"agement Of the institu-
-" '. fcth In economy and Of.
= aging this I must not DE
50 - criticizing the heads of
4" =" ti.utiops or the respective
! - control OF the same. am glad
I te allie to give 1t as my opinion that
thlrv are doing their. respective work 90
well as could be expected Of them un-
der the prevailing system; and AZ an
fact that the work and conditions of
these institutions will compare favora-
bly, with similar institutions to be
found In the other states. SO the point
shall attempt to make In my remarks
viii be against the system ana not
against the persons who operate the
system. My relations as Governor
with the heads and boards Of al the
institutions OF our state have been
most cordial and absolutely free from
friction. Il repeat, therefore, that It IL
Of a system and not Of men that
shall speak.
"Siuce coming to the Governors Of
flee I have endsavored to give 40 much
time and ~ close study as my office
duties would permit to these institu-
ttors-to their needs and how they
might be controlled 20 a. hsst to serve
the purpose for which they are de-
signed. l have very fixed notion
touching the sort of system under
which they should be managed; but I
am not Indifferent to the fact. that all
those tn charge OF and In supervision
over these institutions do not share
my views on this subject. My views.
however. are 10 sacred to mo 40 theirs
are to them. and 1t follows, therefore,
that our rights to our respective
of our respective official positions,
owe it to the public to point out what
We respectively consider to be the bet
lOA Vi LAC uO0N lAStAVN Va &AOA06 lA0
the institutions In question.
Central Board Of Control.
Coming directly to the point, there.
fore. favor . central non-political
board of control composed of four
members, not more than two OF which
shall belong to the same political par
ty. for the management az these insti.
tutions. The different members OF this
board should be chosen with special
reference to their qualifications and
fitness for the work required of them.
The board OF course should possess
high business ability. and at least one
member should be a.lawyer. would
put the members Of this board ON q
fixed salary Of $4,000 per year and re-
Quire that all their time Be given to
their official duties.
"This board should have offices pro-
vided by the state at the capital OF
the state and It should be directly oon-
nected by = telephone system. Install
ed by the state, with each Of the In