Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-12-30
NEED OF FURTHER AccoxMopArroS.

were needed; now we have a third Of /
large proportions at Milwaukee. and va.
rlous other county hospitals, vet the &C |
commodations are entirely Inadequate to |
the present demands.
CHRONIC INSANE
Your Committee believe separate
building for the chronic insane could be |
built on the asylum farm, where there is !
a most beautiful and advantageous site, (,
be conducted by the same management as |
the State Hospital, and the inmates be |
supported at one-half the present cost per |
person. We are aware that the plan Of |
separation is opposed by the theoretical |
and sentimental, but we believe The CD.
position is not well founded There is
such an Institution for chronic insane at
Tewkesbury, Mass, and the inmates of that
YUM are well cared for ana supported
for less than half what it costs in our
State institutions. Rhode Island has also
adopted the same plan, and the result
Is satisfactory, and saving of money.
Other states have taken steps in The same
direction We would suggest that Wis
consin might pursue the same course,
with great advantage, particularly as we
shall soon be compelled to do something
to relieve the overcrowded condition Of
the hospitals we already have.
DEFECTS IN SYSTEM.
But looking at the management as it
now exists, we believe two things are rad
ically wrong in the system - first, the
union of the medical and business de-
partments; second, the employment of an
unpaid board of trustees.
UNION OF DEPARTMENTS
The Superintendent cannot devote such
time, care and study, to the medical de-
partment as he certainly ought to do and
also have close and constant oversight of
the entire business of the hospital A
steward should be employed to conduct
the entire business department He
should be paid much larger salary than
that officer has hitherto received. He
should be the purchasing agent and held
to strict accountability under heavy
bonds. He should have marked eXeCu-
ii and business ability, and be thor
oughly experienced in business affairs.
Then the Superintendent should be
physician, being relieved from business
cares, he should give his study and at
tention to the treatment of patients 1t
is too much to expect a skilled expert
medical man to be able also to success
fully conduct the manifold and complex
business transactions of hospital
containing population of 700
people. The medical aud business de-
partments should be made distioct and to
large extent independent of each other,
and the incumbent of each be compelled
to pay strict attention to his duties.
UNPAID BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
The judgment of your committee,
reached after careful consideration of the
subject, Is, that the entire government of
our charitable institutions should be
changed That there should be one board
Of management for them all. That this
board should be required by stringent
laws to give their entire time and atten-
ton to these institutions, and be paid
reasonable compensation for their SER
vices; and such board take the place
of all local boards and the State Board
of Charities.
None but competent business men
ought to have control of the affairs of
these Institutions and il is too much to
expect that man whose time may be
worth S25 per day in his personal bust.
ness will leave his own affairs to serve
the State gratuitously, for any extended
period, yet some member of the Board of
Control ought to visit each institution as
often as once in 10 days, and stay long
enough TO thoroughly acquaint himself
with its proceedings. The Board of Con
troll should absolutely direct affairs, and
this 1t cannot DO hy infrequent visits. 1t
cannot shape the policy of the institution
unless its presence and power is felt con-
tinualy, as the inevitable tenden-
cy is for the superintendent to
feel himself Independent, and manage
according to his own notions, where the
hoard seldom appear. The actual cost of
such paid board would not greatly ex-
coed the sums now paid out to the several
local boards and to the State Board of
Charities We have not been able to get
exact figures, but as near as we can ascer-
tain, the cost to the State of the present
system, must be OYER $1,000 per annum,
and we think three competent men could
be found 10 do the business for 81, 500 per
year. Such a board could go into the
large wholesale markets of the coun-
try and purchase supplies for all
the State institutions in bulk,
and in this one item save to the State,
each year, many times the amount paid
them for salaries. They should have alb
solute authority and be held to the strict
est accountability. They could and would
prevent extravaganza, and stop the charge
that the Superintendent of Public Insti-
tutions are autocrats. We confidently be-
lieve such II paid board of control would
save to the State $4,000 per year, and
would do more TO elevate the character
and advance the work of our institutions
than any other improvement we are able
to suggest.
NEED OF SOME ACTION.
1t appears to your Committee that it is
time to seriously consider the problem OF
our Cha, We appropriated, last
year, owe. 1895 900 directly to our
Charitable Institutions, AMI consid-
ering the. money received by them
otherwise than through the legisla
ture, it will be safe to say that they
cost the people of the State over hall
amillion dollars per year for current ex
penses. The classes 20 be provided tor
especially the insane, are increasing II
percentage far more rapidly than our pop
ulation or wealth is increasing: OF thi'
there is no possible doubt, and prudence
calls upon us to prepare for the future
If fXtrayauappe and unhuSiupSS like way