New-York tribune., 1880-03-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
COST OF CARING FOR THE INSANE.
DEMAND FOR A COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE THE

! DEMAND FOR COMMISSION TO INVI sIIGATE THE
Nfw-JERsEY AsYLUMs.
| To The EdttOr Of me Tribune.
SIR: Governor Mcclellan, in his messages,
has called the attention OF the people OF NewJe TO
their reckless local expenditures and the consequent
burdens Of municipal debt These suggestions are
Timely. But there other abuses OF public trust and
It is too for the people Of this stale to call
halt upon the cxtravagant administration of our char
liable institutions.
The report OF the Committee Lunatic Asylums re-
Gently published takes OF the fact that The cost per
week II each patient in the MOrrisown Asylum Is 20 3d.
while the cost per patient IN the Essex County Asylum
il only - 81. Besides the cost OF maintenance aud
treatment in MorrisOwn it should he remembered that
the asylum there the State $2,4jO,000. II there
800 patients under treatment (and there
are accommodations for that numbeD. the origi-
ual cost per patient would amount to S2,722. In
reality the cost greatly eds this ure for the actual
patients number about 500 This liberal expenditure
does not to give The favorable results predlced
for while the annual cost Of each patient las sweicd
from s15l71 in 1851 S253 SO in the Trenton
Asylum. and T2s7 rs in ;hc MorristoNn Asylum, the
percentage OF reported rccoveies has fallen of from
3G27 IN 1891 TO 2727 M 1879 at Tie Trenton Asylum
ana 20.l2 n The MoIri,towu Asylum. This percentage
ls estimated TIE annual admissions, 50 that the per
ceutage OF the hOpcics, insane Vhen osnaied on The
to,al number %, patients, Is constantly increasing It's
within bounds 10 pronounce 9curaJlc s. per cent Of
inc inmates Ui the two asy lumr
There sCcu.a to reason Wny the lrcurahe class
least, slUui need moro for tncr support than tie
patients at NortLJmltOU Ia-s., require where by the
way. the pcrc utagc oi tuics is igr tldu in Ne" ~
stf The weekly D-e per p1tI'Lt ~ Nor Hampton $
- 81, against - 80 at NuuIstOWu. The hOpciessY W
rp, pie GO Hut require the elaborate OiJrCt
les OuS, Dor iEr tciu "a tS lua tuc'ioh ana eA
c.orc which modern nee tllNrs fur cd~rs "Etlc
irpgovcmcnf is 20 bic. An intelligent committee OF
Essex County FIccIuil,rS reported m 1876 that We
know 0i ~ h,cr-itg for -ur Ilce- those charged 10y
the STATE cXccpt To- create an Indulgence iund No III
ituuOu snow qulcCr wWGa or better icc ss IMAM
cug county Uu aud D. is maur-rd & I's- tAan
hall tne cost c ssaiurc allows TIE state Institution
/ 90 charge
Tie people Of this state not laoHrg I'm Aun7n
sympathy Or CIis uor charity. Dgt ihcy Naat 20 sec
thr fruls Of t-cr uurlallty u TIE cf Of sun Iii-
r.cf ho m cstray lan' salaries or officials, or n
IItg Il"eu structure, n co. u" Tor snow tt.cr % u irf
us. TIE Vi-atic Was elected u t-c interest
81 D. t,rH. not max, move $50 this "a clo1f an
dc view Dl lhc lu. O' fIr-r I'D UtuUOIf ls WAtt
the people want. Let thc LEGISLATURE appuut cur-
mission Of Its ONu members 10 lhhC ukait, WIN
power tu for persons ami paper, ttd .Hih'H d O
report 90 the next Le.l-luturc. L. the commission uc
composed ui men whose character aLd saudluR would
Dee guarantee against thc Influences winch have so
often captured tie ldw-iuakug power of the state.
These evils v not correct themselves, aud tie l. SsI2
turr 4tould take had OF them win % vigorous grasp
B0rrtA county, " D., March ., 1850. n j.