For "light" the several institutions have different modes of supply At Elgin, gas is made on the premises, from petroleum, of which about ten thousand gallons a year is required; the price paid in 1877 was eleven cents, in 1878 nine cents, At the soldiers' orphans' home, the state reform school and the southern insane hospital, gas is made from gasoline, by passing atmospheric air through gas machines. amounts and prices are as follows: The The petroleum used at Elgin, during the past two years, cost one thousand, eight hundred and twenty-eight dollars and seventy cents. The gasoline used at Anna cost two thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three dollars and seventy-five cents- an apparent difference in favor of Elgin of more than five hundred dollars a year. But for the manufacture of gas from petroleum, heat is necessary, and a more expensive system of apparatus. At Jacksonville, and at all the other points where we have institutions, they take gas from the city. The cost of gas, for two years, at the Jacksonville insane hospital, has been three thousand, five hundred and eighty-three dollars and ninety-nine cents. The total amount paid for gas by these five institutions, in two years, has been nine thousand, six hundred and thirty-six dollars and twenty cents. The price of fuel declines, but that of gas remains unchanged or even advances. It appears very evident that it is good economy for the Elgin hospital to manufacture its own gas, and the question arises whether it would not pay the state equally well to put in apparatus for its manufacture, wherever the amount consumed is equal to the consumption at Elgin. The next item, "medicine and medical supplies," is in part a misnomer, as it embraces not only medicine and medical instruments, but stimulants, tobacco and druggists' sundries. Next follows the great item, "salaries and wages." On pages 38 and 39 will be found a table of the number of employes (and wages of each) allowed for in our estimate. The necessity for a large number of employes arises from the helpless condition of the insane, the idiotic, the blind and the deaf and dumb. It is because they need personal care that these immense establishments have been created. With regard to the salaries and wages paid, we are of the opinion that in many cases these might be somewhat reduced, without impairment of the public service. The cost of living has so far declined, and there are so many persons out of employment, that equally good service costs much less than it did five or ten years ago. ten years ago. The purchasing power of money has appreciated to such an extent that if wages are not reduced they are raised, without appearing to be so. We commend this subject to the attention of the various boards of trustees, who are best able to deal with it properly. In some instances it appears to us that salaries have been increased without necessity. For "books and stationery" the educational institutions naturally spend more than the rest, as they furnish school books to pupils. In this item, too, are the subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, which perhaps are more strictly chargeable to the library fund. It is customary to allow to several of the institutions a special appropriation for the purchase of books for ihe library. "Printing and advertising" is a constant expense. Many blanks are required in the business of a public institution, which must be renewed or changed from time to time. In consequence of the insufficient number of copies of institution reports allowed to be printed under the law governing state contracts, the institutions are compelled to get out special editions, the cost of which, in 1877-8, has been a little over one thousand dollars. The advertising is mostly for bids for contracts. The only institution in which "music" is much of an item is that for the blind, where music is one of the principal pursuits. Music is sometimes furnished for dances and other entertainments for the insane. "Amusements" is a similar expense, covering everything bought to lighten the burden of institution life-games, birds, fish, pictures, etc., etc., of which the young children and the insane especially feel the need. In "freight and transportation" are counted not only freight and express charges, but all hauling; and also the traveling expenses of trustees, officers, inmates and workmen. Of the freight bills the greater portion is for coal, and might be added to the cost of fuel; but for convenience of reference it is placed here. The principal items of expense under this title, for four years, are shown in the following table. In expenses of officers and inmates are included the cost of returning escaped lunatics and reform school boys, also the amounts advanced for sending pupils home in vacation and afterward repaid by their friends or by the courties. "Postage" needs no explanation. "Farm, garden, stock and grounds" covers all out door expenses of every sort. The eye and ear infirmary, for example, at Chicago, has neither farm nor garden, yet it has expenses connected with its barn and stable which can appear nowhere else. An analysis of all which enters into this item will be found in tabular form, on page 40 of the present report. "Expenses of shops" is an improper classification, because the whole classification of expense is based upon articles purchased, and not upon the use made of them afterward. Under this head, heretofore, have appeared all articles bought for or charged to the industrial departments of the state institutions, but in the new blanks for quarterly statements, adopted by the board, this cross-classification disappears, and shop and farm expenses will hereafter be stated in such form as to admit of a just estimate of their value to the state. The remaining items require no special notice. |