The diamond drill., 1917-04-28

tlOnS.
The institutions are troubled more
in seeking To eyade the evils OF re-
strictions fayoring certain sections
than they are in buying cheaply. For
example, law is now on the statute
book requiring Michigan institutions
10 give preference to Michigan coal.
Happily this restriction doesn't effect
many OF the institutions as they are
able TO show a great economy In
eastern coal.
Again, there are many items. like
the concrete mixer mentioned in the
Gazette's article, that look good upon
paper but are not practicable when
put 10 the test. When an institu-
ton wants a concrete mixer IL wants
IL and can't wait. holding crew a.
round for some other institution to
get through with one in use. More
money would be lost in waiting and
in freight upon the mixer than
new one would cost,
Take the farm proposition. Here
is another department in which there
is a lot OF Misunderstanding. We can
not speak for all of the institutions
but for several OF them We can say
that the farms are supervised by
trained men hired for that purpose;
that these men make reports month
ly 10 the board OF trustees and
careful accounting system is kept
whereby the board knows just how
the farm is paying out. 1t might be
information to many citizens OF the
state to learn ht at eteevhncmfwcmf
state TO learn that even the refuse
from the kitchens, dining rooms and
other parts OF institutions Is care
fully kept, accounted for, sterilized
and turned into pork and the institu-
ton credited with this refuse waste
and charged with the pork used
What the Gazette says about the in
stitution farms being used by the
state under the supervision OF the
Agricultural College, as demonstra-
tion farms has been considered by
some OF the institutions and 1t is de-
sired neither by the institutions nor
by the Agricultural College for the
reason that farm must be run for
one end or the other, either TO supply
the institution and cut down cost or
10 demonstrate regardless OF cost.
Some farms are not SO located as to
make good demonstration farms.
One OF the biggest items that
boards of trustees OF institutions have
20 deal with in the farm line is the
herd question. Take the Newberry
herd as IN example This herd has
been brought to a high state OF efli-
cheney and while it could be made
to produce more in return or rather
while it might be so continued as not
TO cost so much, the value of the herd
TO the section Of tile state would be
greatly lessened In fact the dairy
men of the peninsula do not as a
whole realize what opportunity the
institution herd is opening to them.
AS good results, so far as milk re-
turns is concerned. could be secured
from grade herd but the advise OF
all cattle men is against that retro
gression because of the loss 1t would
be to Clover-Land TO have that herd
deteriorate.
There are many improvements
that can be made in institutional
management and financing in Michi-
gan but to bring these reforms
about the united experience of the
institutional boards must be drawn
upon, not some wild jump in the dark
made because thing looks to be
/ the only business or plausible way
! In institutional management there
are other things to consider besides
the saving of a penny that serve to
make the care of state wards more
expensive than only If the dollar and
cent side of the question is consider
/ cd
There is no question but that O
methodical compilation of the state's
necessary expenses will accomplish
some good but unless the commission
goes deeper than mere calculation
and guess work, the states condition
will not be rcmediod where remedy
is most necessary.
--X------
The reading public has been Leaf
to believe that the proportion o