The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-04-04
STATE INSTITUTIONS
TO COST LESS MONEY
Di9etor John E.. Weeks Confident
That Running Expenses Can Be
Materially Reduced.

That Running Expenses Can Be
Materially Reduced.
Montpelier, March 80. In the con
sdcrat,on OF Vermont expense prob.
lem attention naturally turns to the
state institutions, which cost the
state approximately 100000 last
year These Institutions are the
States prison at Windsor, the State
hospital at Waterbury which makes
about a half Of tho total expense, the
House OF Correction at Windsor, the
Industrial School at Vergcnnes, the
Women's Ref5rmatory at Rutland. and
the state School for the Feeble Mind
cd at Brandon Is there any opportu
nifty to cut this figure, and if so, how
cen Il be done? Judge John t. Weeks,
director OF State IN tltutions since
1917 thinks that il can. and in a state.
ment given out today, says that 1t will
De done.
Maintenance, including salaries Of
employees and building are the haavi.
est expenses The only soWc1 Of rev
cnuc is the work Of the inmates Of the
institutions, which brought an income
to the state OF S6594O in the year
1920.
Maintenance, Judsa Weeks state
Is going down The prices Of all com
moditias except coa have been drop
ping decidedly. Salaries are about the
same now as IN recent years but
Judge Weeks states that he expects
a reduction in this department, which
viii extend all along the line On this
head however, he believes in efficien-
cy, preferring competent employees 10
mall salary scale. Discip me is
thus simplined and the moral stand
ard Of the insttut ons Is kept where
It should be.
New building has been a heavy eX
pense I'm recent years, but an I'm
doubtedly necessary one. Relief is in
sight, however, for Judge Week.
states that h. doeg not expect to asl
the next Legislature for a penny for
this purpose This will be welcom,
news to the taxpayers, as the list o
new buildings to house properly tn,
States dependents and delinquent
has been large
During the period between July
and December !, 1921. the amount ex
pended for new buildng was owe
500 600 The toms In this eXpens
wer, $l750S.55 on a dormitory 70
girls at the Industrial school, $4,9GI7
en- a trades building at the industrial
school, $37,4l6.75 on a new dormtor
at the school for the feeble-mndel
and S4499320 on new construction
at the State hospital For the las
named institution the Legislator, q
1921 appropriated $250,O00 for the cor
sIrUct on OF receiving ward refria
Grafton plant. dining room, laundry
Z work shop, and repairs TO the kitchen
During the fiscal year ending July
4 1921, the amount expended on bull,
ings 90 State In t,Utioni was in On
q vicinity of $4,000. Of which 54G.2iS 9
went toward The building OF a dorm
a tory 40 the state School for Fe BIZ
Minded az Brandon This latter c'
n pense came. under the 100000 Apr,
q prlatiOn to the school made BY On
n 1921 Logis lature At the State husr
ID tai there was an expense of S742
n for building and at the State Iudustr
Y AZ school the sum of $l,1S5.1f was e
a pended on the construction Of do
u mitoiy THIS last expense IS a pa
n Of the $4,000 apuropriation-mad I
4 the 1921 L-gi laturc Tor This purpo8
10 is only fair to say that real va
s ing was made for the State ard a
n yancsd institut onal methods Mere
n lowed when an opprOprilt on of ST..
Il geo made by tho budget committee q
y the building OF about 100 new coils
h The States Prison 20 meet an enc
n lcucy was allowed TO BE uut9uch'
4 and on open dormitoyy was used f
q tn roo untoused prisoners At q
l. tlma this wa done. there were g
= prisoners and only 2O4 cells No s
ricus trouble has developed throui
the use OF the open dorm tory. al
Culy two extra officer are employed
~ tho prc-at time, construction
rrop1s d for this year on q seryi
ldIns and iEfrmary fer the Scho
iog tn, Frcb.,-Minded and dinh
room, kitchen ana refrigeration roo
at the Stat, hospital ApprDprIatiQ
for this work were made by the 10
: Legislature.
u The production OF revenuf for Il
y, State through tn labor of the inmat
h 20 gooj-si2sd OFFSET to the mainte
r ance expense, con tiCuting in the !
"A Gin ty Of 30 per cent IN 1920. whom Il
d maiut nance expeus, was S422,l9tI
h and the revenue $SS,6J940 as Civ,
\ above.
y Dinareut kinds Of work are done
" tn different institutions From Il
n Industrial School at Vergennes, whe
n common tinware Is made, revenue
\ about $4,000 was obtained last year
( carpentry shop Is running and it
; proposed to do mendlng and TO mal
= tools and furniture. The mstmt,
E also has a printing press equipmen
K At the States prison, shoes are ma
ufactured, the men being shareholder
. in the revenue Of their work to the e