The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-09-01

for the dismissal Of any appointed Of
fetal The board has a right, indeed
It is its duty, TO demand that no off,
cal exceed the amount allotted him
bE the legislature for his work. Last
year, the members of the board had to
borrow money 10 fill the deficiencies IN
finance in some of the state institu-
tons. and If the legislature had not
I1ade. their promises good, they would
have been in an awkward position. It
always seems so easy to draw on the
state, and if every official was allow
ed to do what he thought best, no
matter how honest he might be, Flor
ida would soon be bankrupt.
That the board is justified in its
charge of extragance or bad manage
ment may be shown by comparison
with expenses of the girls school at
0cala. 1t viii be conceded that it
takes more money TO care for a girl
than for boy. and that girls cannot
be SO self-sustaining as boys. The
board says it cost $50 a month to
maintain the boys at Mariana, this
not including any outside work, nor
any of the proceeds of the work of
the boys on the farm. At the Ocala
school it costs little over two dollars
week to feed the girls, and their per
capita expense, food. clothing, tuition,
doctors bills, salaries of officials and
expenses of the farm is S46.31 per
month each. At the end of this year.
the Ocala school had a surplus of
S3,172.67, and was the only state in
stitution that didn't exceed its appro-
priation.
There is one thing, however, we do
not understand among the reasons
given by the board for its proclama-
ton against DR.. McClane. That is
it says the explanation is necessary
because of the fault found with it by
numerous organizations and some
newspapers. We carry the leading
newspapers of Florida on our ex-
change list and have not noticed their
making any criticism. But we do think
the explanation is timely and neces-
sary.
The boys school at Mariana must
be hoodooed. 1t was badly conducted
Under Gilchrist, but we don't suppose
he knew it existed; If he had he would
Y.rnhohlxy haxyo Rod ~,o%@a,.. ;,~.,,,.o~,r9
Under Trammell. several of the boys
were burned to death, but that urbane
gentleman did not concern himself
much about it. It was so rotten at the
beginning of Cats administration
that it was falling to pieces, and when
its horrible condition was brought to
light, the board of commissioners of
state institutions, the same then as
today, except the governor and attor-
ney general, tried to whitewash it, and
but for the fierce denunciation of
part of the state press would have
done so. Finally the state board woke
up and has been, we believe, honestly
trying to make the school what it was
intended to be. And in a little over
three years there is another scandal
Why all this trouble? They have such
institutions in other states and seem
to manage them we'll
If DR.. Mechanics successor can't
make good, the Mariana school
should be shut up and the boys sent
home. A good many of them would
never be there if the state compelled
parents to take care of their children.
IL number of lazy fathers were put
tc work on the roads, and some lazy
mothers had TO cook. wash and mend
clothes in convict camps, the state
wouldn't have to support so many in
corrigible children.