Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/239

 POLITICS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS 221

such selection shall constitute a vacancy, and thereupon the superintendent shall make other selections until such consent be secured.

An officer of the Southern Hospital for the Insane, at Evansville, states :

No formal rules adopted by the board of trustees in regard to appoint- ments, except that no more than one member of a family may have employ- ment in the institution at the same time. This is an excellent aid to discipline.

The Institution for the Education of the Deaf has, by its board of trustees, adopted a very complete set of rules, an extract from which is as follows :

The appointing power.

The superintendent shall be the executive head of the institution, and the organ of communication with subordinate departments. Into his hands is committed the management of the institution in all its departments; and the subordinate officers, teachers, and employes are to adhere to the plans of operation which he may mark out, and promptly and cheerfully comply with all his directions, not only in the performance of the duties as may be by him specified in " rules of the superintendent," but also in such others as it may be deemed just and proper to assign them.

By statutory enactment he has powers concerning operatives, as follows : (i) He shall appoint all officers, teachers, secretaries, assistants, physicians, attendants, and employes as may be necessary, but the board of trustees shall prescribe the number thereof, confirm or reject the appointments, and fix the amount of compensation. (2) He shall take personal charge and super- vision of the institution and of the pupils thereof, and have the direction of all persons connected therewith, subject to the order and control of said board. (3) He may, for good cause, discharge any of said persons and appoint other competent persons in their places. He shall report such changes, and the causes therefor, to the said board at the next meeting thereof ; and also the appointments made, because of such changes, for con- firmation or rejection. If rejected, he shall make other suitable appoint- ments.

He shall frequently inspect all parts of the establishment, and take the most efficient, or even stringent, measures for enforcing neatness, order, and regularity in all departments. And it shall be his duty to discharge imme- diately any person employed who shall appear inefficient, neglect allotted duties, or manifest a spirit of insubordination.

The following reply was received from the School for Feeble- minded Youth, at Fort Wayne :

There have been no rules adopted. The law is so plain and straightfor-