Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1915 — DEMOCRATIC LETTER. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC LETTER.

[By Lew Ellingham.] Indianapolis, Jah. 14.—-Now that the legislature is ready for business it might be well for the people to rei ember that the duty of a legislator i- not only to make laws for the guidance and observance of society, Lit they spend the people’s money " s ;well. Every dollar spent by the 6 Indiana during the next • nnial J eriod will be found either the general appropriation bill of the genet 1 assembly of 1915, or ti e many < e ial appropriation i b i ■ -■'.an.» may consider :ro;er and necessary for the peace, .-. r.osj erity and happiness of the people they represent. It takes a lot of ti oney so meet the needs of so great ate as the good old hoosier cbm•monwealth. To hear some of the -r-wt statesmen and orators, and some of the near great statesmen end near great orators, during the : - a-on. of a political cam- • -'n. one would think that the bulk of this money appropriated in the general and special appropriation laws, goes into the hands of the ate officers apo that they spend his mopey like drunken sailors. In tr ith and fa t but a very small per bent of the total volume is used or required for this purpose. The fees received, by the auditor of state and the Secretary of state are sufficient to pay the salaries of every state officer, every employe, every appointive officer, every- board and commismission, the supreme and appellate court judges and every superior and circuit court judge and prosecuting attorney in the state of Indiana. ’ Should you read the record of the State Board of Charities—and their twenty-fifth annual report is now in the hands of the printer—you would find one of the big holes to be filled by the legislative appropriation laws. There are seventeen charities and correctional institutions in the state and a-year ago nearly twelve thous:nd inmates were being cared for by the state, he amount of money drawn from the state treasury in 1913 for the, regular maintenance expense of these seventeen institutions was■ $2,318,347.65. This was a little of the swag that those high brows at the state house failed to hang on to. The state institutions are doing a grand and a noble work, and while Indiana is not at the head, they are elefse to the front in their charitable and correctional work. It takes lots of money and each year it takes more, and if some of [hose critics who in every campaign cry out in alarm for fear our ship of state is going straight to port will the. riddle of maintaining these institutions, taking care of their growth and at the same time cutting down the expense, he will be a patriot. .

The one important thing we wanted to mention at this time is the fact that five of . these seventeen state charitable and correctional institutions were paid for since the date that Thomas R. Marshall, now VicePresident Aiarshall, was inaugurated as governor. The five in question are the Indiana Girls’ School, the Vil-lage-of Epileptics, the Southeastern Hospital for the Insane, the Tuber-

culoris Hospital and the State School for the Deaf. Added to these five is the State Penal Farm, provision for which was made by the legislature of 1913. Not only were these institutions paid for, but they also have to be maintained, and when this fact is noted, it is but another evidence of the judicious business administration of affairs by the democrats since ’. ey came into power in the sfate.

It is worth one's time to visit even for a short time with Mr. Amos \V. Butler, secretary of the state board of cl arities. He is filled to the brim with the work to which he has devoted so many years of his life. There are more than a thousand -.insane persons in the jails of the state, and five insane hopitais now being so crowded that room can not be provided. Statistics ghow that it will take a new insane hospital every ten years to provide for the increased insane population. Mr. Butler recommends the colony plan. This plan contemplates the purchase of one or more farms a little distance removed from the hospital, ye' near enough to be under its supervision and care. Patients whose insanity is of a mild and harmless nature could be placed in these colonies. Through this colony plan the state of Wisconsin has reduced the number of her insane, and it is to this end that Mr. Butler is trying to direct the attention of the people of the state.

Then every one knows the great work being done and the Xarge contributions being made to the educational departments of the state. We will not attempt to say anything about them further than to ask you to keep in mind that the educational, charitable and correctional institutions are in fact the only problems with which the state has to contend. It is to these causes that the good people of this state subscribe the great bulk of their taxes.

Reports just out show that the receipts for the automobile department at the office of the secretary of state, for the last year was $430,227.55, with expenses of $49,210.60, leaving a net balance of $381,016.95. Part, and it was the larger part of this sum,, was distributed to the counties of the state the first of last July. The remainder will go forward an early day or just as soon as the proper distribution can be made. The total number of' registrations last year was 66,500 ,and this year it v ill greatly exceed this number. Since the first day of January over 000 registrations have been made and more than seventy thousand dollars received in payment therefor. Among the first resolutions introduced in the House was one prohibiting lobbying while that body is in session. The resolution was offered by Representative Feick of Dekalb, and it passed without discussion. Another resolution passed by the House provided that all bills introduced shall be referred to the committee bearifig the closest relation to the subject matter -of the bill. Ihe appropriation bill carrying one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars was passed by both House and Senate. ■