State Control of Charities and Corrections 31 



constant lobbying of institutions against each other. It is well 

 known, that under the old system of advisory boards superin- 

 tendents of state institutions and local trustees spent many days 

 lobbying with each legislature for appropriations. Those who 

 are most skilful in such business secure large appropriations, 

 often more than actually needed, while other institutions are left 

 to suffer because of inadequate appropriations. No difficulties 

 of this sort arise under a state board of control. 



Tenth — A state board of control corrects abuses, makes needed 

 changes, and enforces recommendations. An advisory board is 

 powerless to enforce recommendations. It can investigate, ad- 

 vise, and report. The testimony in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minne- 

 sota is that since boards of control were created no complaints 

 against institution management have arisen which have made 

 formal investigation necessary. The moral effects of the exist- 

 ence of these boards are everywhere recognized. 



VIII 



OBJECTIONS TO STATE BOARDS OF CONTROL CONSIDERED 



First — It is urged that a state board of control is in great dan- 

 ger of getting into politics. This objection is based upon the fact 

 that such large powers are placed in the hands of a few men. 

 This objection has arisen because the experiences of a board of 

 control in Kansas have been exceedingly unsatisfactory, and the 

 board has been under the manipulation of politicians most of the 

 time since it came into existence. Two explanations are found 

 for this condition of things in Kansas. In the first place, the law 

 creating the board was an unsatisfactory law and failed to pro- 

 vide against such dangers ; and in the second place, men secured 

 membership on this board who were totally unfitted for the posi- 

 tions. The experiences, however, in Wisconsin since 1898 and 

 the experiences in Iowa and Minnesota 'have been just the oppo- 

 site. Especially is this true in Iowa and Minnesota where the 

 board of control law is so constructed as to divorce politics from 

 the board of control, and the experiences in those states since the 

 boards were created have demonstrated that this is true. What 



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