The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-04-01
STATE EXTRAVAGANZA.

II HAS DecOue lAe CUSTOM IOr Iegisla-
tive bodies to make great pretense of
| reducing expenses. Ordinarily the re-
duction is sought to be made where it
would work very iniudiciously and great
leaks from the treasury fail to receive
any attention. Some years ago move
ment was started in the interests OF econ.
omy to reduce the salaries of judges o.
the supreme court. The sum total of the
( reduction would be q comparatively in
significant sum, and it is we'll known that
| the salaries of the judges at present are
! less than they could secure through the
practice of their profession. But there
are many state institutions and branches
of the government in which expenses
could be curtaiIed without detriment to
the interests of the state.
When we come to examine the amount
expended annually by the state on its in
sane asylums, and find it reach hundred
thousands, we are naturally inclined to
ask whether extravaganza has not found
Judgment here. OF course it viii be
difficult to estimate what the cost of the
care of an insane person should be, from
a comparison with what it costs to main
tain a sane person. But it certainly
should not cost greater amount TO care
for certain number of insane near
Madison than it does near Oshkosh, and
if in the one institution the cost per CAPT
ia greatly exceeds that of the other, there
is abundant reason to believe that tne in
stitution is not managed as economically
as it might be.
Up to the year 1876 there were large
amounts expended yearly in improve
ments and construction, at the Oshkosh
Insane Asylum. From that time for
ward the items in this particular between
the two state institutions more nearly
coincide and our comparisons will date
from that year. In 1876, there were ex-
pended IN construction at the State Asy-
lum S2o, 822, and the weekly average cost
per patient amounted to So So. During
the same year S39, 861 were expended IN
construction at the Oshkosh Asylum,
while the weekly average cost per patient
amounted to $5.14. If the Oshkosh
Asylum be taken as the standard, a
saving of S0.71 per week per head could
be made or S36 90 per year for each per-
son, which on 557 patients, the number
confined during that year 10 the State
Asylum, would make an annual saving
of S23,670. This added to the difference
III the amounts expended in construction,
81, 139. gives $34, 800 squandered by the
State Asylum.
The curious reader may make his own
figures for the subsequent years from the
data here given. In 1877 there was
nothing expended in construction at the
State Asylum and the weekly cost of each
patient amounted to 5000. During the
same year $4,000 We're expended in
construction at the Oshkosh Asylum and
the weekly cost of each patient was
94.6S. In 1873 the State Asylum ex-
pended nothing for construction while
the Northern Asylum devoted $16.019, to
that purpose. But the weekly cost per
patient IN the former was S4.S1, in the
latter $4.61. In 1879, $50, 726 We're laid
out III construction at the Madison Asy-
lum and $l1,788, at the Northern. In
the former each patient cost 81. 70 in the
latter ST.
But this is not all. The Madison asy-
lum IS in debt and has expended every
cent OF the moneys received from the
counties included in that district, no
inconslderabie sum. At the time of the
report Of the state board of Charities and
Reform, October l, there was at the dis
posal of the trustees of the asylum $780,
| 364.75. There were bills unpaid amount
ing to S21, O66.92. The estimated
expenses from that date to March l, 1880
We're $50, 1918, leaving a deficiency of
sc, 459 SO.
The same report in noticing the fnan-
cial condition of the Oshkosh asylum at
the same date, gives $104,27S.7O, on
| hand, with $500, outstanding bills.
The estimated expenses up to March /,
1880 are $51, 1928, leaving balance on
hand of $50, 612.2S, against deficit in
the other institution of 6,459.33.
Does it not seem that there is room
for retreatment herei And does it not
seem that the management of the Mad
ison asylum is faulty in the extreme ?
Who will say that change of admin
i5tratiOu is not advisable