Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1903 — WARDS OF THE STATE [ARTICLE]

WARDS OF THE STATE

STATISTICS COMPILED FROM THIRTEEN INSTITUTIONS. Amount Expended in One Year by Indiana for Maintenance of Public Dependents Exceeds $1,000,000 —Souk Figures of Interest. The annunl statistical reports of th» thirteen State institutions for the year ending Oct. 31, 11)02, have been compiled by the Board of State' Charities. The report shows tiiat during the year over 2,500 persons were received ns wards of the State at the various institutions. These, with the 8,500 present Nov. 1, 1901, make a total of more than 11,000 persons cared Jor within the fiscal year, the daily attendance having averaged 8,507. Tlie State expended for their maintenance over a million and a quarter dollars, and nearly $300,000 additional for new buildings and extraordinary repaires. The report continues: “Every person received into the State institutions during the year cost the public nn average of $153, ranging from $270.40 at the Institution for the Blind, where the expenses for administration and supplies are necessarily high, to $122 .13 at the Reform School for Boys. "The number of insane cared for by the State continues to increase. At the beginning of the fiscal year there were enrolled at the four hospitals 3,901, and by the end of the year this number had grown to 4,039, an increase of 78. During the same period the increase in average dally attendance nt the hospitals for insane was 131. The School for Feeble-Minded Youth shows an increase of 71 in average daily attendance, the Institution for the Deaf 3, and the Soldiers' Home 52, during the year. The average daily attendance at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphaus’ Home decreased 10. and at the Institution for the Blind 3. The net increase for the nine benevolent institutions was 239. In the correctional institutions the average daily attendance shows a decrease of 40 at the State prison, 9 at the Industrial School for Girls and 39 at the Reform School for Boys, while the reformatory increased 17 and the Woman’s prison 7 in daily attendance. The net increase amounted to 34. It, therefore, appears that the State is annually re« eeivlng into its care more of its defective and dependent citizens, and that tha number of criminals and incorrigibles sentenced to State institutions is continually decreasing. “The State employs 1,375 persons in the conduct of these institutions, of whom 155 are trustees and officers. The average number of inmates to each person on salary is five in the charitable institutions and twelve in the prisons and reform schools. The administration expenses during the year amounted to 5455.000, nn average of $01.45 per capita in the charitable institutions aud $44.91 in the correctional institutions. “The expenses of the thirteen institutions for the year amounted to $1,882,897.19 for maintenance and $270,851.52 for the construction of new buildings nnd unusual repairs, total $1,653,248.71. “The receipts and earnings turned into the State treasury amounted to $131,137.66, making the net expense $1,522,111.05. For the preceding year the net expense was $1,514,272.15. The regular running expenses of the institutions for the year just closed have been practically the same as for the preceding year, the per capita cost in some having increased and iii others decreased. The followiug statement will serve to show the per capita cost of maintenance for 1902 as compared with 1901: 1902. 190 L Central Hospital for Insane. J 180.55 $168.46 Northern Hospital for Insane 108.17 1 63.28 Kastern Hospital for Insane 174.27 179.26 Southern Hospital for Insaue 166.97 1T0.02 Soldiers' Home 167.30 165.51 Soldiers' and Sailors' Or-

phans’ Home 174.52 168.47 Institution for Leaf 261.66 215.13 Institution for Blind 276.40 247.86 School for Feeble-minded Youth 127.03 133.78 State Prison 133.32 126.86 Reformatory 130.68 136.69 Industrial School for Girls aud Woman's Prison 191.55 177.21 Reform School for Boys ... 122.13 113.48 “One of the important items entering into the cost of maintenance is subsistence, and tho reports show a noticeable variation In the per capita amount expended in the different institutions. Where farms and gardens are operated tho supplies furnished reduce this cost to tlie State. Tlie value of the farm products used by the institutions during tbo past year is estimated nt $56,981, nnd these were raised at a cost of about $28,000. There is given below the per capita cost of subsistence, and the estimated value of the farm products for the year ending Oet. 31, 1902: Subsistence. Farm. Total. Central Hospital for Insane J 64.70 $2.03 JC6.73 Northern Hospital for Insane 62.59 10.55 G 3.14 Eastern Hospital for Southern Hospital for Jnsans 69.94 8.37 67.31 Soldiers' Home 58.81 .4 5 69.26 Soldiers' aud Sailors’ Orphans’ Home .... 62.37 4 87 67.24 Institution for l>eaf. . 47.94 7.81 65.76 Institution for Blind. 48.79 .... 48.79 School for Feebleminded Youth 29.57 0 43 89.00 State Prison 87.66 4.54 42.10 Reformatory A. 40.97 2.25 48.22 Industrial School for Qlrla aud Woman's Prison 88.17 2.17 40.84 Reform School for Boys 28 20 22.73 80 00