THE RELIEF AND CARE OF DEPENDENTS 67

cient service. The selection of directors is the thing cf most vital importance in the creation of an institution. The selection must be removed from politics, and be such as to secure intelli- gent men. To remove the selection from politics, all oppor- tunity for financial gain, either by salary or in awarding contracts, must be removed. To secure intelligent service, appointments must be for long terms, and the board must be a continuous body. A brief notice of the appointment of boards of directors, their salaries, if any, and the appointment of officers for the sev- eral state institutions has been reserved for this place.

The boards of directors for the several state institutions are usually appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. In a few of the southern states, however, the (nominal) consent of the senate is not required. In Nebraska the members of the boards are elected by the general assembly. In a few of the western states certain of the state officers serve in the capacity of a board of control. The boards of directors are, with two exceptions (not including the salaried state boards of control, which will be discussed in a subsequent paper), unsala- ried, or have salary only sufficient to cover expenses.' In Georgia the trustees for the asylum for the insane receive 8300 per year, but this is in lieu of all expenses. In Colorado the trustees for the school for the blind and the deaf and dumb receive annual salaries of Si 50, while the trustees for the hos- pital for the insane receive salaries of g6oo.3 Fortunately no such flagrant case of salaried boards, such as Indiana formerly had, now exists. The provision that members of boards shall not be interested in any contracts awarded is almost universal, and in many cases penalties are attached for its violation, but it is doubtful whether such legislation is, or can be made, effective. Continuous boards have become quite the rule.

• In the following states the boards of the several institutions receive payment for the time spent in the performance of their duties (ranging from $2 to Sio per day, the time being limited to a few days per year), and mileage : California, Ari- zona, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, Maine, Texas, Washing- ton, and Idaho.

= 1343- ^2970.

<The boards of some, or all, of the institutions of the following states are so