The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-08

mand some political influence. / have
had some Of thIs kind OF experience,
and l want 20 say that In every In.
stance have decided on the human,
itariRn side. / have retained at the
head or important state institutions
men to whom was In no way indebt.
cd, politically or otherwise, but be.
cause had confidence in tho Rbll.
lily and efficiency.
Equitable and Fair.
Those propositions will como home
to one who occupies the governors
chair. and when brought to the at.
tention OF the great masses will mp.
poal to them as being Just. equitable
and fair. Politics or personal feel.
ing should not be permitted to inter
fere In the maintenance of n high
standard Of efficiency in the heads OF
our hospitals, reformRtory institu.
lions, and our department OF health,
in dealing with those great human.
/ itRrlan problems. Not only is this
true of the institutional work OF our
state, but II is applicable to all other
departments.
President Wilson has boon having
oil tho ruthless way in which he has
destroyed civil service laws OF the
nation for the purpose OF giving to
some deserving Democrat" position
which he has not been educated 10
I'LL, And tho same experience will
como to each and every official who
goes too far into the political Jungle
for tho purpose OF paying political
debts or recognizing what he consid-
ers political duty with no respect
to the efficiency OF, the men who
makcA application 70 succeed some
one who has become competent by
reason Of long years Of service.
The state elective officers and their
forces cost 7,5l7.20 year or 4.26
per cont OF the yearly amount ex-
ponded by the state--a sum less than
half that required to maintain any
ono OF our three largest cities in the
state, namely. Charleston, Hunting
ton or Wheeling.
The per capita student cost Of our
educational institutions averages per
year "a follows:
West Virginia University ..$120.12
Preparatory schools ....... $500
For the three insane asylums 122.00
For the three miners hos
pitfalls .,............... 4Ob.OO
Industrial School for Boys. 1860
Industrial Home for Girls -. 20S.0O
Some Comparison.
Take for example the West Virgin
Ia University as comparison; our
per capita expense is $120.l2 per
year; the University OF Virginia per
capita expenditure is $4,000 per
year; the University Of Colorado per
capita expense is S291.00; the Uni
verslty OF Kansas per capita expense
is $277.00; the University of Mis-
souri, per capita expense Is S262.OO;
the University of California per CAPT
Ia expense is $4,000 per year. So
it is plainly evident that we arc not
extravagant in any sense with any OF
our state institutions.
AS an example of the conditions
with which we have had to deal in
our state institutions; two able-bod-
led young women have had charge OF
sixty insane patients, many of whom
were belfast and helpless and had to
be looked after as II they were In
fants, while others were violent and
dangerous, even homicidal. These
nurses or attendants received the
meagre compensation of from S22.50
to $500 per month and worked
twelve out of twenty-four hours. This
is tho ratio of one employee to thirty
patients, and all competent authori-
ties on this subject agree that the
proper ratio is one employe to fifteen
patients. Male employees in hospitals
for the insane working twelve hours
per day receive from $500 to $3.50
per month. This standard is certain
" low enough, and to still further
lower 1t means destroying the etilcien-
cy Of our public institutions and de-
feating tho object for which they were
intended. Many county inflrmaries
spend as much per year for their in
mates as our state hospitals. and do
not furnish nurses, medical attention,
or any other thing that compares fav-
orably with the care and attention
that Is bestowed upon the insane,
epileptic, and other unfortunntes In
our public institutions.
Our per capita expense in hospitals
for the insane is about $4,000 per
year. Wlll6 lllc hNNAh6S tAA SAoaAS-
the United States is about $l75.00,
and the government hospital for tho
insane at Washington, D. c., now I'M
der Democratic control, has per
capita cost on an average Of MORO
than $225.00 per year.
State Prison Makes Profit.
Our state prison averages S3s.24
year for prisoners in earnings over
and above the cost OF the malnten-
ance Of the Institution. This was not
the case under Democratic control,
but to the contrary, an appropria-
ton was made amounting to some
$40, 900 per year for the maintenance
Of this Institution. challenge Mr..
Cornwell or any other person to find
state institution In any other state
IN the union with q per capita cost
lower than that found in our state.
Would any one have temetry to sug-
gest extravaganza In the maintenance
OF these institutions, the cost Of
which represents 74.s4 per cent Of
the expenditure Of the entire amount
OF money paid out annually by the
state? There is no other state in the
union that has per capita cost SO
low in tho maintenance Of its institu-
lions and is doing the work that is
being done at our own institutions
h