Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-12-30
SUPERINTENDENT AN STEWARD.

Slblhty OF the place. As the result the position
has been poorly filed the books and accounts
have become confused, and almost yalueleSS
the personal accounts of the steward of the hos
pltat short, and the employment of another man
as bOOkkeeper neceSsitated. The Superintendent
Is a man OF positive energy. of mechanical and
architectural skill of diversified requirements and
most winning address, but in the OpiuiOn Of your
committee, is poor business man. However,. he
is or should be, employed for his professional ac
quirements, not for his business ability. His per
sonal accounts with the hospital is also short as
above noted. We also found that the the Superin-
tendent had been in the habit of borrowing large
sums OF money from his employees, and when our
investigation began such Indebtedness amounted
TO over 50 600. This he assumed to pay while our
work was in progress, but the evidence of pay
ment was not entirely satisfactory He seemed to
think there was no improperly in such borrowing
but We evidently convinced him TO the contrary.
FIRE APPARATUS ESCAPES.
The recent disastrous fire at an insane ASYLUM
in a neighbOring state leads US to question the
etlcOncy OF the fire apparatus and means of escape
at our state hospital. The superintendent thinks
he has very perfect system but we do not feel
sure OF 1t, while we were at the hospital the work
OF efficiently Of throwing water on fire depended
on the presence and skill of the principal engineer
He lives a long distance from the hospital and
spends his nights at home so that in case of fire
at hight much damage might be done before he
could be on the ground. At least we would sug-
gest that the organizing of a fire department.
| among the employees to school them in the use of
the hose and famiiarze them with their individual
duties IN case of fire.
REVIEWS AND GENERA l SUGGESTIONS.
On review the committee thinks that the most
prominent failures in the management of the
hospital have been loose and in business like
ways and extravaganza and unauthorized expen-
diture, of funds and this to large extent has
come from a lack of close supervision on the part
of the board Of trustees 1t is but simple Justice
to the board to say that more than a wear AGO
they began to realize this tendency in the conduct
of affairs and took some steps to counteract it.
For instance they then for the first time employed
| a competent book keeper and since that time they
| have greatly sharpened their watch and while we
were persuing our Investigations at the hospital
we were much pleased to note evidences of econ
omy which the present administration
! had not before manifested: but we believe still
| greater retrenchment, practicable. 1t seems to
your committee that it costs too much to support
| the insane in our state institution viz: from
| S4.25 to S4.75 per person. In county hospitals
| the insane are supported for half that sum. OF
course the state hospitals give better care but the
population is farlarger in the state institutions
and the expense ought not to be doubled. 1t is
evident that there is not the careful economy
exercised in the state that there is in the county
hospitals, and there is need of thought and work
in this direction. A state institution can and
should be a model in economy and business man
agement, but we seem a long way off from the
ideal. That it costs almost as much to support an
inmate Of an insane asylum, after the state gra-
tituousy provides commodious and well furnished
buildings, and large and well equipped farm
and garden as it does to board at first-class no.
tel, seems needless We are aware that the aver
age cost of maintaining our hospitals does not eX-
coed that of majority of similar institutions but
we believe the entire plan of management of in
sane aSylums is too magnificent from the laying of
the corner stone. Each of these institutions is
planned, finished, equipped and supported on a
scale Of grandeur that ill-befts public charity.
NEED OF FURTHER ACCOMMODATIONS.
We must further reflect that twenty years ago
one hospital was ample for all the needs of the
state; ten years later two were needed, and now
we have third of large proportions, at hiilwau-
kee, and various other county hospitals, yet the
accommodations are utterly inadequate TO the
present dem ands.
CHRONIC INSANE.
Y our committee believe a separate building tor
the chronic insane could be built on the asylum
farm, where there is Il most beautiful and adyan-
tagOuS site; be conducted by the same manage
ment the state hospital, and the inmates be
supported at Onehalf the present cost per person.
We are aware that the plan of separation is OPP
posed by the theoretical and sentimental, but we
believe the opposition is not well founded. There
is such an institution for chronic insane at Tukes-
bury, Mass. and the inmates of that asylam are
well cared for and 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 a saving Ofmoney. 9th
er states have taken steps in the same direction.
We would suggest that Wisconsin might pursue
the same course with great advantage particular
ly we shall soon be compelled to do something
to relieve the 0ver-crOwded condition of the hos
pitfalls we already have.
DEFECTS IN SYSTEM.
But looking at the management it now
lists, we believe two things are radically wrong in
the system. 1st The union of the medical and
business departments. I'd. The employment of
an unpaid board OF trustees
UNION OF DEPARTMENTS.
The superintendent cannot devote such time,
care and study to the medical department 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 con-
duct the entire business department. He should
be paid a much larger salary than that officer
has hitherto received. He shonld be the purchas-
ing agent and held to strict accountability under
heavy bonds; he should have marked executive
and business ability, and be thoroughly experience
ed in business affairs. The superintendent should
be physician. Being relieved from business
cares he should give his study and attention to
the treatment of patients. 1t Is too much to ey
pect skilled and expert medical man to be able
also to successfully conduct the manifold and com
pick business transactions of a hospital contain
ing population of 700 people. The medical and
business departments should be made distinct and
to a large extent independent from each other,
and the incumbent of each be compelled to pay
strict attention to his duties.
UNPAID BOARD oFTRUsTEEs.
The judgment that your committee reached
after careful consideration of the subject is that
the entire government of our charitable institu-
tions 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 attention to these insti
tutions and be paid reasonable compensation
for their services, and such board take the place
= IL, 4 +dI,
None but competent business men ought to
have control of the affairs of these institutions and
| it is too much to expect that a man whose time
may be worth S25 per day in his personal business
will leave his own affairs to serve the state
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