Conservative *
It shall constitute a misdemeanor for
members of the board or an official
thereof to exert any influence with the
superintendent in the selection of em
ployees.
This law has now been in operation
for two years with most gratifying and
encouraging re-
out of Politic , , .
suits. In the first
place the manner of appointing the
board of control removes it as far as
practical from political influence , and
the severe penalties fixed by the law
restrains the exercise of political pressure
upon employees. Under the old system
not a little difficulty was experienced in
securing competent men as superin
tendents , and for other positions of re
sponsibility , because of the uncertainty
of the tenure of office. The present law
makes impossible the removal of a man
at the whim of a state executive. He is
guaranteed a hearing and can only be
removed upon the grounds of proven
iucompetency. Thus far , in making
appointments , the board has reappointed
the old officers with but two exceptions ,
one of resignation , the other death , and
has shown a determination to make
faithful service in the performance of
duty and not party fealty the basis of
tenure.
The system of quarterly conferences
with the heads of institutions and the
board has resulted in greatly unifying
the work , arousing a feeling of mutuality
of sympathy and interest , stimulating
each one of the head officers of institu
tions to do his best , and at the same time
enabling the board to obtain more com
plete knowledge of the work.
Not only is the management more
efficient under the new than under the
old system , but
Costs 1.688. , , . . ,
the cost is less.
The board of control has published the
report of its transactions for the first
year of its management. The expense
of operating state institutions was
$180,688 less than the preceding year ,
under the old regime. Speaking of this
saving , the board says , "the natural in
ference would be that the efficiency oi
the service had been impaired , while the
fact is the service has been greatly im
proved ; the inmates are better fed , bet
ter clothed , and have better care than
they ever had before. The rule now is
to purchase no supplies of inferior
quality , and only the best of meats
flours , groceries , and other goods are
accepted. Supplies are purchased a
wholesale prices and under competitive
bids. A full appreciation of this reduo
tion in expenses cannot be understood
without reference to the fact that there
has been an advance in the prices of
supplies of nearly all kinds during the
lost year of from 20 to 80 per cent , as is
shown from the commercial reports
Had prices of two years before pre
vailed , it is safe to say that there would
have been a reduction of $150,000 more
ban the above table shows. "
Assuming the estimate of increased
expenditures , because of the increase in
prices , to be correct , the total saving
over the preceding year amounts to
$880,688 , a reduction of 80 per cent ,
or an amount equal to the present cost
of maintaining the following institu
tions : Soldiers' orphans' home,1 sol
diers' home , college for blind , industrial
homo for the blind , school for the deaf ,
ndnstrial school for boys , and state
penitentiary. It must be admitted that
; ke board of control has been at least a
mying investment for Iowa tax-payers.
To illustrate one way in which the
) oard economized in the institution
. , for the blind
. .
Methods of Economy. „ „
fifty names were
on the pay roll or three for every
student. The number was reduced to
thirty-seven , thereby saving over $6,000 ,
and this without , as Mr. McOune , the
superintendent says , in any way impair-
, ng the efficiency of instruction the
only hardship resulting to the super
numeraries who were deprived of com
fortable , but unearned salaries.
These are a few of the reforms brought
about by the Iowa board of control the
first year of its administration. It
should be kept in mind that the board
of necessity worked under great dis
advantage because of their nnfamiliarity
with the work and the embarrassments
resulting from adjusting the institutions
to the requirements of the new law.
Their report , however , bears out the
statement that they have at all times
been sensible of the best interests of the
inmates under their charge and keenly
alive to the interests of tax-payers.
Governor Dietrich gives promise of
making an excellent chief executive.
In the appoint-
Governor Dietrich. ,
ments , thus far
announced , he has shown patriotic dis
crimination and recognized the best type
of citizenship. The gloomy part of it is
that we have no assurance how long these
appointees will remain. Upon the first
political change in the state they must be
replaced with a new set of officers. There
is but one way to secure permanent re
form in state administration and that is
by adopting a law similar to the Iowa
statute , which will enable the retention
of competent men and no longer leave
their positions dependent upon transient
political fortune. To enact such a law
in this state , placing all state institutions
under the control of a single board , an
amendment to the constitution would be
necessary. According to section 15 o :
that instrument all institutions , except
educational ones , are under the super
vision and control of the board of public
lands and buildings , consisting of a
number of the state officers , who are
elected every two years , hence quite
susceptible to political influence.
Governor Dietrich will be remembered
AT *
as one of the state's most able and con
scientious executives
Constitutional
Convention. tives if he will aid
in the enactment
of laws that will compel the administra-
iion of state affairs in the interests of
honesty and economy rather than mere
> arty expediency or advantage. In his
naugnral message he should recommend
that the legislature submit to the electors
of the state the question of calling a
constitutional convention to revise the
constitution so as to permit the establish
ment of a Nebraska board of control for
state institutions and to make such other
changes in the constitution as may sug
gest themselves to the wisdom of the
convention.
Let Nebraska lawmakers and adminis
trative officers be guided by the counsel
of that profound
Just , Not Generous.
jurist who said :
"Government cannot at one and the
same time be a fountain of generosity
and of justice. Government cannot
create anything. It has nothing of its
own to bestow. If it undertakes to
enrich one individual , the thing it gives
to him it must take from another. A
government cannot be just and generous
at the same time , for if it be generous
to one , it must be 'oppressive to the
other. A government is al ways j ust and
always beneficent when it is absolutely
impartial. "
A customer calls
COMPULSORY
ARBITRATION. at the boot and
shoe store of one
of the largest dealers , declaring that he
wishes to buy a pair of heavy-top boots
with cork soles. Immediately the desired
article is placed on the counter and
priced to him at $15 for the pair. The
seeker after boots declares the price too
high and offers $12. The $12 is indig
nantly refused by the boot and shoe
merchant. Immediately the man who
wants the top boots declares that he will
have the question arbitrated and calls
in the police , to have them fix the price
of top boots by arbitrating the difference
in opinion between seller and buyer.
With a club and abilly" compulsory
arbitration is brought about. To perfect
and perpetuate this sort of interference
in business affairs and wipe out indi
viduality and divorce the right to own a
thing from the right to control it , there
has been a large convocation of alleged
economists , mouth-workers , spellbind
ers and vagarists in session at Chicago
during the last two weeks.
In Iowa the state
A CONTRAST.
institute for the
blind , at Yinton , maintained one hun
dred and twelve pupils two years at a
cost of forty-nine thousand dollars.
In Nebraska Oity the Nebraska blind
institute for the same length of time
paid out , to care for forty five students ,
about fifty thousand dollars.
Let us have a board of control in
Nebraska.