The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-01-19

9
them without seeming to discriminate
against certain localities, Each school
has its special friends, and these very
naturally will oppose the whole system
unless their favoFite school Is retained.
As member Of the Board OF Regents, l
visited during the summer all Of the
Normal schools, and while am not pre-
pared to say that they are all Of equal
merit, or that they have been equally
successful, yet | can say that all have
done much good in supplying teachers
for the common schools, The weakness
Of our school system has been the want
Of sufficient number Otcompetent teach
ers, and the Normal schools are gradually
meeting this want by sending out annu-
ally a corps Of teachers, | earnestly IN
yite your attention 10 this subject with
the hope that you will take prompt
and decisive action, believing that the
services which these schools are render
ing the State will recompensc her for the
expense incurred.
The State Superintendent Of Free
Schools Is necessarily better informed as
to the condition and wants Of our educa-
tional system than any one else Can be,
aud there are strong reasons why he
should be partly entrusted with the man
agement OF the normal schools, but the
same reasons do not apply to the Govern
or, Auditor and Treasurer, | therefore
recommend that the composition Of this
board be so changed us to omit the Gov
ernor, Auditor and Treasurer.
HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE,
From tho report Of tho Directors Of
the Hospital Tor the Insane, you will
learn that there remained in the Hospital
September 80, 1874, 347 patients, that
during the year preceding there were 10
deaths; patients were discharged cured, 8
improved and 2 unimproved and one es.
capped. The very small number Of patients
cured was owing largely to the fact that
many OF them had been confined in iails
before they were admitted to the Hospital
and had not had the benefit OF medical
treatment; the fact, however, must not
only excite inquiry among tho officers oil
the institution US to the curative means
used, but also bring to your ccnsidera.
ton the wisdom OF the present policy Of
keeping in the Hospital so many patients
that are hOpelessly insane. Ninety per.
SONS were admitted during the year, and
the number of deaths and discharges
was twenty.six; therefore the net Increase
Of patients was sixty.four, While this
was an unusual increase, ~ many Of
them were taken from the jails, where
they have been confined for more than q
year, still the TACT remains, that the NUM-
Dor Of inmates increases from yeaT to
year, and that in consequence, the large
appropriations annually made for con-
structiOn purposes, have been insufficient
TO provide room to meet the demands for
admission? And II the present policy Ia
adhered to, appropriations must continue
to be made for M indefinite number Of
years for the same purpose. Some OF
these inmates have been insane for more
than thirty years, aud many Of them more
than ten. These IRE generally incurable
and harmless; the Hospital merely affords
them shelter and maintenance, As the
Hospital has been constructed with the
double purpose Of restraining aud taking
care Of the violent, and curing all pa.
ticnts us far IA possible, its cost has been
much greater than that Of any ordinary
building.
The Hospital has so lar cost seven
hundred thousand dollars that Is to say
il has cost about $4,000 to furnish room
for each patient, Now am satisfied that
these quiet ncnrablG patients can be Just
~ we'll cared for in Il building costing far
less money. | do not recommend that
this class Of persona he sent to tile poor
houses Of their respective counties; nor do
I advocate the establishment Of another
hospital with II new ret OF officers, but ]
do object to the policy OF devoting 80 large
portion Of the present building to their
use, to the exclusion Of those who may
be benefited by medical treatment. The
practice Of first combining the insane IN
jail has resulted in making most Of them
confirmed lunalics, and ought not to he
continued
The Superintendent reports that there
are six cOlored insane persons still In Jail.
No provision Of any kind has yet been
nude for this class Of persons, and ear
nestly recommend that some prompt
means may DO adopted for their relief.
Since the lust report, the temporary
brick building In the rear Of the main
building has been completed; il affords
accommodation for sixty patients. This
building cost about $4,000. and Is fiji
illustration Of the mode in which for the
present, ample room may be provided for
all the insAne nj moderate cost while the
main buildings are In course Of cOnstrIic.
ton. The section north Of the central
building il in course OF construction; II Is
under roof and the first floor finished and
occupied. The Board Of Directors ask
for ali appropriation Of $4,000 to com
plete II. They also ask for an additional
appropriation Of 100000 for ench OF the
fiscal years Of 1875 und 1875, for the con-
struCliOn Of another section OF the build.
Ing. ! recommend you make as liberal
appropriations ~ our financial condition
will permit. cannot endorse the request
for means to purchase the nd jncent lots
while there il such m urgent demand for
all available means for construction pur-.
poses. The total expenditures for the
hospital for tho last year were $50, 1873 o..
The Superintendent asks for an apprO-
priation Of $4,000 90 for the current
fiscal year, and $jG,lG0 90 for tho fiscal
year ending September 80, 1870, for cur
rent expenses.
THE DEAF AND DUMB AND BLIND iSsrITu.
TfoN.
Owing to the resignation Of the former
Principal Of the Institution for the Dpnf
and Dumb and Blind, during the session,
and other cailscs, the institution was left
In an unsatiSfactory and somewhat diSor-
gani1ed condition. deemed reOrgani-
cation Of the Board OF Regents the best
remedy, and consequently last spring,
appointed MI rhtirel y new Board with one
exception, not on account Of u want Of
personal confidence In tho old Board, but
because their policy had not produced the
best results. And The result has justified
the wisdom Of the proceeding, the mem,
bers Of the Board have discharged their
duties with zeal and intelligence, and the
institution Is now in n very healthy and
prosperous condition In all its depart.
menls. One Of the Board Mr.. Robert Il.
Kidd, died in OctOber-and in 6ppfecia.
ton Of his private worth nnd public ser.
vice, / make this record Of his name. His
successor haa since been appointed.
There are III attendance, in all, seventy!
six pupils-hfty eight mtlteS and eighteen
hind