The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-01
100000 FOR STATE
INSTITUTIONS
Cost for Last Year - To Ask No Money
for Construction of Next Legis-
Iature, Says Director Weeks


MONTPELIER, April lin the con-
sideration of Vermont's expense problem,
attention naturally turns to the state
institutions, which cost the state approx
mately 100000 last year. These insti-
tutions are the states prison at Wind
sor, the state hospital at Waterbury,
which makes about half of the total ex-
penSe the house Of correction at Wind
sor. the industrial school at Vergennes
the women's reformatory at Rutland
and the state school for the feeble
minded at Brandon Is there any OPP
how can it be done? Judge John Z
Weeks. director of state institutions
since 1917, thinks that it can. aud in a
statement, says that it viii be done.
Maintenance, including salaries of en-
plOyes. and building are the heaviest ex-
penses. The only source of revenue is
the work of the inmates of the institu-
tons. which brought an income to the
stat" Of SSSG59.40 in the year 1920.
Maintenance. Judge Weeks states. is
going down. The prices of all commodi-
ties except coal have been dropping de-
cidedly. Salaries are about the same
now as in recent years. but Judge Weeks
states that he expects a reduction in
| this department. which will extend all
along the line. On this head however.
he believes in efficiency. preferring COM
petent employees to small salary scale.
Discipline Is thus Simplitied. and the
moral standard of the institutions is
kept where it should be.
New building has been a heavy eX-
penSe IN recent years, but an undoubt-
eddy necessary one. Relief is in sight.
| however. for Judge Weeks states that
! he does not expect to ask the next legis-
| lature for a penny for this purpose,
| This will be welcome news to the tax
| payers, as the list of new buildings to
| house properly the states dependents
and delinquents has been large
| During the period between July 1 and
! December /. 1921, the amount expended
| for new building was over 100000 The
| items in this expense were S17.J0S.55 on
! dOrmitOry for girls at the industrial
| school. S4,96T.72 on a trades building al
| the industrial school. 31.416.75 on q
new dormitory at the school for the fee
| ble-minded. and S44 99320 on new con.
| struction at the state hospital. For the
/ last named institution the legislature OF
| 1921 appropriated S2j0,000 for the con
| stTucton of a receiving ward, refrigera
I ton plant, dining room. laundry. work
| shop. and repairs to the kitchen.
/ During the fiscal year ending July /
/ 1921. the amount expended on buildings
/ at state institutions was in the vicinity
/ of S4S 900. Of which S46.24S.93 went to-
/ ward the building Of Il dormitory at the
/ state school for the Predetermined at
| Brandon. This latter expense came un
! der the 100000 appropriation to the
/ school made by the 1921 legislature. Al
| the state hospital there was an expense
| of S742 70 for building and at the state
/ industrial school the sum of S1.1S514
was expended on the construction of :
| dormitorv This last expense is a part
IF the 100000 appropriation made by
| the 1921 Legislature for this purpose.
At the present time. construction is
| proposed for this year on service build
| ing aud infirmarv for the school for the
/ feeble-mnded and a dining room. Kitchen
and refrigeration room at the state hos
! pital Appropriations for this work
| were made by the 1921 legislature.
| The production of revenue fer the
! state through the labor of the inmates is
! a good-Sized Offset to the maintenance
/ expenses. constituting in the vicinity Of
/ 20 per cent i'm 1920. when maintenance
ovneneo was $500. 191 GO and the revenue
/ SOS 6-I0 40 nc given above