Litchfield enquirer., 1877-04-05
state Charities,

state Charities
 Acting under a resolution of the legis- lature of 1876, Gov. Ingersoll appointed a commission to examine into and report upon the administration of our public charities and the legal provisions made for their regulation and support. The commission consisted of Messrs. H. Sid ney Hayden, of Windsor; Benjamin Stark, of New London; Gurdon W. Russell, of Hartford; Dr. 0. A. Lindsley, of New Haven; and Dr. William Deming, of Litchfield. On the 26th of January they. made their report to Governor Hubbard who transmitted it to the legislature with an able message calling attention to its chief features. This document is one of great importance from the light it throws on subjects not ususlly brought to the attention, of the public. The report is not in the least censorious in spirit nor denunciatory in language. It carefully refrains from attacks upon individuals while it tslls truths about systems with frankness rather unusual in public docu. ments of this kind.
 In the first place, though no such di- rect statement is anywhere made. the in- ference IS unavoidable that these gentle ment consider the erection of the State palace for lunatics at MiddIetown gigan- tiS blunder. The building is expensive, inappropriate and inadequate. The money Iavished on architectural display is now sadly needed for buildings for the accommodation of persons in the early stages of insanity, when alone cure is prac- ticable. This class are habitually delay cd admittance till the Hospital has prac- tically become an asylum for incurables not one in fifty of whom can expect recov- cry. The Commission say of the preva- lent extravagance that has marked the policy not only of this. but of adjoining states:
 The subject of increased accommoda. tions for the insane poor has come to be regarded as necessarily attended with great expense. This is not strange when we consider the amount which has been required in thls State, and the very large sums expended or contracted for in oth- CTS. It has excited the astonishment of foreigners that we have lavished SO much upon our pauper insane hospitals, and it is beginning to excite the astonish ment of rehecting men here, that it was ever considered as necessary. It is not unjust to the specialists to say that large share of this is due to themselves; it was to be supposed that the men who had given special attention to the subject were like ly to be the best informed. x The folly of a neighboring State which has erected buildings for this class at an ex. pense of thirty-six hundred dollars for each bed, and the extravaganza of another which has spent millions upon an untin. ished building. are examples of warning for us. Dr. Earl, of Northampton, is be- ginning to see that there is too much of ''extravagance," nor does he recognize that very expensive buildings or fittings are necessary for the care or comfort of these people. Speaking of the institution at Danvers, he says: "For at least one- half of the cost of construction of the hospital, nothing is added to it's excel- fence as a curative institution, and no compensation is gained in any way at all commensurate with the amount of money disbnrsed."
 While the accommodations furnished at MiddletOwn are inadequate, the insane poor of the State are suffering from neg. lect m tue various alms houses. Ten are in the State poor-house at Tarrifrville, fifty-four in the New Haven Almshouse some of whom were found ,.'lying upon loose hGy, without much clothing. in g very filthy condition p
 The commission close their report with a proposed Statute providing for the building of a second hospital for insane poor. large enough to accommodate two hundred patients. ''Plain and simple buildings"ouly, are recommended in some place "where board is cheap" in short, no more monuments of charitable extrav- agance like that of Middletown
 ? Another subject of importance is the treatment Of paupers, The State poor are kept at Tarriffville. They were for. formerly boarded by contract, apparently
 
 at ths rate of about S1 per week. Nov the State allows$2 5e week each for theil board and superintendence. The build. ings and accommodations generally are far from being proper or sufficient. .Al hygienic laws are heresset at defiance in the crowded and ill ventilated rooms, and seemingly nothing but the most urgent necessity should fill them to their present nanabsrs" The Commission further say
 We found e marked contrast in the con. dition of these persons when compared with those confined in the Hartford Coun. ty Jail. which was visited on another day. 1t IS not necessary to say that better pro. vision la made for she criminal than f6r the pauper; but aside from the areater restraint in the one case, the difference was more astonishing still in all that tends to good order, discipline, cleanli. ness, and hyRienic essentials. Such crow. ded rooms. i'll ventilated and narrow. if found in any of our penal institutions. would not be tolerated for a moment. There would come, a public ontcry against such inhumanity, that change would be compelled at once We have never seen m all our previous observations of hospi. t&ls. prisons, or almshouses. anything so denoralizing, so entirely opposed to all received ideas of the proper care of con. greg1sed individuals, as we saw at Tariff. vile. We are not disposed to place the blame wholly npon MT. Sanford; it is the fault of this system of providing for the poor.