The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-01-16
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Board Of Control Follows Merit zSys-
tenn in Giving Employment to g.:
900 Persons in State Institutions
RETAIN THOSE WHO MAKE GOOD
Purpose Has Been to Eliminate Poll
tics to as Great Degree as Posi-
ble-Some Have Served Years.


service been more scrupulously OBJ
served than by the state board of con-
troll. OF the 1900 or more persons
employed in the sixteen state institu-
tons over which the board has SUI
pervision, hundreds have been years
in the service, and there is a large
number who date their connection
from the establishment of the insti-
tuition in which they are mployed.
This same condition also obtains
in the boards Offices located in the
state capitol, where a large majority
of the employees who came into Off
cial life with the creation of the de-
partment fifteen years ago, are still
on the payrolls. Many of these have
been promoted to positions of greater
trust and remuneration.
Eliminate Politics.
Unhampered by any inelastic civil
service requirements, the board of
control early in it's official life de-
cided on the elimination of politics us
far as positions at it's disposal were
concerned. 1t was made plain to all
employees that their tenure of office
depended solely upon their official
conduct and that merit would be re-
warded. All the board asked for was
results. This policy in a day when
the popular slogan was, Ito the vic
tors belong the spoils," was one not
easily maintained, but that the
board has lived up to it faithfully
with great benefit to the state as
result, is shown perhaps in one of
the most efficient and capable group
of institution staffs in the United
States.
The state board of control was a
creation of the legislature Of 1901,
and early in that year assumed charge
of the various state institutions. Its
first important task was to assemble
an office force, and this force has been
practically kept intact.
Have Been Promoted.
OF thirty-seven different employees,
since the force was organized, three
have been promoted to higher posi-
tions, ten resigned to enter other
lines Of endeavor, two were dis
charged for cause, and twenty-five
are still in the employ of the board.
AS to the present office force, two
employees have served more than thir-
teen years, five more than twelve
years, nine more than eleven years,
ten more than ten years, eleven more
than seven years, thirteen more than
six years, fourteen more than five
years, fifteen more than four years,
eighteen more than three years, and
only four less than three years.
The present secretary of the board
entered it's employ as bookkeeper
and was successfully promoted to the
positions of assistant accountant,
chief accountant, purchasing agent
and secretary.
The present assistant purchasing
agent first served as a stenographer.
Same Men in Charge.
The chief accountant first entered
the employ of the board thirteen
years ago as a messenger.
Two additional former office mes
sengers are now employed in the &C
counting department.
At the Anoka and Hastings asy-
: lums for the insane and at the Fer
gus Falls and Rochester hospitals,
the same superintendent that were
in charge when the board was crea-
ted nearly fourteen years ago, are
still employed. The same is the case
with the superintendent of the school
for feeble-minded at Faribault.
The superintendent Of the ST..
Peter hospital, who was in charge
when the board assumed control, re-
signed to assume the superintendency
of the hospital for inebriates at Will
mar He was succeeded at St. Peter
by the assistant superintendent at Ro-
chester
Two Changes at Walker. "
The superintendent of the state
reformatory at st. Cloud continued