Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-12-30
DR.. BOUGHTON'S DEFENSE.
HE REVIEWS THE SITUATION


DR.. BOUGHTON'S DEFENSE.
HE REVIEWS THE SITUATION.
Accompanying the report, is lengthy
resume, document of SO Ms. pages, filed
with the Committee by Superintendent
BoUsHToN, which is in the nature of an
answer TO the findings thereof. DR..
BoUGHToN SAYS, by way of preface:
The witnesses examined were for the
most part called by your committee, and
comprise the following classes of indi-
vlduals, viz Members of the Board OF
Trustees, resident officers of the Hospital,
physicians chosen by the Board to make
monthly visits Of inspection to the Hospi-
tai, certain members OF the Last Legisla-
ture, employees OF the Hospital, discharged
and resigned physicisus of the Hospital,
physicians IN no way connected with the
Hospital, but familiar with the State Hos
pital and other hospitals, few outside
persons, some of whom had personal
grievances, dischar1 ed employees and two
patients, friend OF a patient once treated
IN tn eHospital and one employe who was
| once patient.
Tne Superintendent then reviews the
points of testimony taken, dividing them
under II heads, and treating each he.d in
detail. ID the matter OF the supervision
of the Board of Trustees, he says that
their visits have not always been OF such
frequency and character that he could at
all times consult them as to the work
going on upon the Hospital premises, and
Us they looked to him to superintend and
execute this work, their failure TO live
up to the bylaws, requiring them to visit
the Hospital on the first of every month,
rendered it necessary for me to act upon
my own judgment" The Doctor says
that he frequently sought the Board for
consultation, but often failed to find them;
that he was driven either to suspend the
work ana delay the purchase OF supplies,
or else 60 on according to his best judg-
menf. He took the latter course Not
until the criticism of the last Legislature,
did the Board offer one word of objection
or protest, but in fact throughout tacitly
and virtually
APPROVED HIS WORK,
paid all the bills snd accepted all the
work. There is, so far IS he knows, no
charge OF the misrepresentation of funds
to any foolish or useless purpose.
The Improvements made are conceded
by the Board to be good, economically
carried out, and indispensable to the sue
cesstul management OF the institution. Ii
had allowed the work to stop for want
Of direction, would not graver censure
have fallen upon me as lacking energy
and other qualifications necessary to my
posi,ionY Is it fair and just to condemn
or cautiously crticise man under these
circumstances, when the action taken was
contesseoly right and recessary3
The Superintendent com plains that the
great amount of labor thrown upon him,
necessiiated his spending much of his
time out of doors in the summer season;
HIS CONSTANT SUPERVISION
was necessary, during the time the work
was going on. He had but once an archi-
tect provided for him, so he had to "de-
sign, estimate and carry into execution all
this work, with the single exception of
the Cross win gs"-ior which latter work,
an architect was engaged BY the Board,
though the daily oversight and direction
| fell on the Superintendent:
Any one at all familiar with the vsst
amount and variety of the Improvements
made during my administration, will con.
cede that the planning and executing OF
| this work alone, would have bsec enough
10 ask OF me; yet, during 1t all, gave
systematic attention TO the internal opera.
lions of the Hospital, as required.
To show something Of the magnitude
OF this part OF his duty, the Superintend-
ent inserts list of improvements msde
sud sn estimate of their value:
This value is not represented by their
cost In money, for much of the labor has
oeen done by patients, who would have
been idle unless thus occupied, and an
other portion by employees and teams
, when not engaged in their regular work -
These Improvements amount to grand
! total OF $50 l44 They were, the Doctor
says, ali done during period OF very low
prices for material and labor, and ceuld
not be duplicated for so per cent advance
upon their actual cost. The Superintend-
enl here details the various improvements
5 and expIsins
1 THEIR CHARACTER AND IMPORTANCE
: All this was brought out in the testi
mony during the investigation, and sp.
: peared in the STATE JOURNALS renortS
>. thereof. The Superintendent demonstrates
| that many of these works were construct
4 ed for far less sum than similar i'm
e provements at the Oshkosh Hospital. He
y continues:
beg you to remember that all these
/ things could have been had. and should
nave been had before the Hospital wa:
d opened; but having been opened without
IF them, 1t ran OF without them till came