Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-11

which We ought to fill now that We have
built them. ..<
Mr.. Holben. simply rise for the Dur-
pese of stating that I am not in favor Of
the amendment proposed by the senator
from Erie [Mr. Sill. The maximum
price is fixed only in this bill. 1t says the
cost shall not exceed two dollars and \
half per week. Now, this institution need
not charge two dollars and a halt. II it
costs an institution two dollars a week,
they ought to charge two dollars if it
costs two dollars and half they ought to
have that amount of money. am, there
fore. not in favor Of the amendment.
Mr.. Kaufman. / fully bear testimony
to what the senator from Elk IMr. HALL
has said in reference to the hospital at
Warren. At the close Of last session this
Senate appointed Committee Of three
senator's to visit the public institutions OF
the state Of Pennsylvania. Two OF these
senator's paid hurried, flying visits to scv
al institutions. / happened to be ono OF
that number, and l must say that for
completeness and excellency and every
thing that makes public institution Of
that kind just what it should be, SO far
as my knowledge Of building and architec-
ture and the mechanics arts and things Of
that kind are concerned. that the hospital
at Warren is q complete institution. l
presume there is nothing better in this
country, and probably not in the world.
and the only regret We had at that
time, when l visited that place, and
think my colleague who was with me will
bear testimony to the same effect, was
that we thought the hospital for the sec
tion of the country in which it was located
was entirely too large, and We did not see
where the custom, SO to speak, was to
come from to fill the institution. But l
say. if the policy suggested by the senator
from Elk MIR. HALL is carried out, it is
likely they will be able to fill to certain
extent, probably one half anyhow of that
building. If thought the amendment of
the senator from Erie Mr.. Sill would
have the proper effect, that is a dis
position on the part of the people who are
running that establishment to reduce the
cost, then should vote for it very cheer
fully but unfortunately ] am afraid our
experience will be of a contrary character,
and that instead of bringing down the cost
of keeping these people to two dollars a
week, the result will be that the state OF
Pennsylvania, as state, will be compelled
to reach into the treasury, aud pay about
two dollars piece additional for every in
mate that goes from county hospital to
this institution, because, il am not mis-
taken, think you will find the cost of
keeping these people is in the neighbor-
hood Of four dollars week all over the
state-at Dixmont, at NorristOwn and
elsewhere. In regard to Lancaster
county, We arc so fortunately placed
that we run our concern on busi-
ness principles. The people who manage
that concern are plain Lancaster county
farmers. who put down everything to the
last cent, and therefore we have not got
these high-fangled notions like some of
the people who run other institutions in
the state of Pennsylvania. The people
have to pay their taxes, and therefore will
hold these managers to strict accOunta-
bility, and they manage to run the con-
cern with such economy that they reduced
the cost to the figures have stated. If it
had not been for this senatorial muddle
our committee expected to make small
report upon this question, although we
have not yet been able to visit them all.
We were working for nothing and finding
ourselves, and therefore suppose the
Senate has no right to call US particularly
to account. But, Mr.. President, cannot
for the life of me see why it is that in our
public institutions it costs four dollars a
week for keeping every inmate; why it
should cost such very large amount of
money, and yet we could see no irregulari
ty. Everything seemed to be all right SD
far as we could see in all the institutions
we visited but the county of Lancaster
keeps her poor and insane people for
less than two dollars a week in 4
building with conveniences equal to
any hospital in Pennsylvania not
quite rs fine, but nearly as fine as
some of tho better hospitals here as
good as the one at Norristown but not
so large. We have about ono hundred and
fifty inmates and we keep them for less
than two dollars 4 week. We have ply
scans who visit them, aud all that kind of
thing, of course, not with the same skill
and not in the same manner as they would
be treated at Warren or elsewhere. but yet
we keep the cost down to less than two
dollars q week, and yet our state institu-
tions cost us about four dollars and twenty
cents a week. cannot see how this can
be, unless it is because We have the treasury
of Pennsylvania to draw upon for the sup
port of these institutions and the institu-
tions are not managed with the same dc
gree of economy that our county institu-
tions are. should be very glad to make
a trial of this amendment il thought any
good would result from it. If had any
assurance from the senator from Elk Mr..
HALL, that these would be managed with
more economy in consequence of the
amendment, would very cheerfulIy vote
for iI.
Mr.. Schnatterly. desire, sir, to reply
briefly to the argument of the senator.
am sorry to learn that they manage the
INDECENT insane. in Lancaster county On
business principles. That is q little the
worst I have heard of Lancaster cOu't ty,
that they keep insane asylums for the in
diseUt insane for the purpose of making
money out of it. I unfortunately repre-
sent the same kind of county, and am
ashamed of it in that particular. We
keep our insane, too, in ten cent hos
pital out of debt thirty thousand dol
lars in the treasury not bond out, and
keep the INDECENT insane in a hovel, where
it costs within a fraction as much as it
docs at the best hospital in Pennsylvania.
1t will not do for the senator now to say,
that insane asylums in this state, for
which the state has spent millions upon
millions of money, are not better prepared
in every appointment to keep insane peO-
pie than county asylums. He might as
we'll tell me that he is prepared to give US
a capitol building in Lancaster county,
with all appointments, as we'll as this
building, for the same purpose.
Mr.. Kaufman. Will the senator allow