Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-02-16

over the matter.
Mr.. Ryland was of the same mind as
his associates on the committe SO far as
regarded the matter of waiting but
thought the present law would not be
repealed. He regarded the repeating of
that law as u breach of faith on the
part of the state and Il rank injustice to
those counties that have already pro-
ceeded TO the erection of county asy-
lums.
The views of Mr. T. n. Hubbell were
the same rs expressed in recent issue
OF HE HERALD accompanying a letter
from the Hon. f. |. Kidd.
Mr.. Rodolf, secretary of the commit
tee says Some counties have already
built and others are now building and
have made preparations to build. 1t
is error to think that these counties can
now be taxed All counties that have
built or are building, ale protected by
the present law, and no other legislation
can pass laws that will interfere with
the rights, benefits and privileges of
these counties that have built or are
building under the present law And
as our legislature has been in the habit
of passing laws one session and repeal
ing them at the next, | don't think it
best for Grant county now To DELAY
much for future action of our legisla-
ture. My view is that the committee
shall act without any great delay upon
some plan, advertise for bids to be re-
ceived by about the 10th or 18th of
March next. Should the legislature by
that time pass a law for the State to take
immediate care of the chronic insane
and make provisions therefor by imme-
date building, or otherwise. the com
mittee would still baye it in their pow
er not to build. As far as Grant coun-
ty Is concerned, am perfectly satisfied
that we can build and keep the chronic
insane cheaper than we can keep them
in the State Hospital under the present
lawand legislation. | could only feel
favorable for the State to build, provid-
ed they build plain tenement houses for
the chronic insane, in close proximity
to the present Hospital.
We in this county have had some ex-
perience of the expense of conveying
and re-conveying our chronic insane
from and to the Hospital. which expense
can greatly be lessened when the county
takes care of its own.
Smaller and new counties generally
have but few chronic insane and until
they can take care of them, they can
get them kept as cheap by other coun-
ties as it would cost them for the State
to keep them.
Economy is now demanded, and the
nearer home you have your insane the
better and cheaper can you attend to
them.
Merely TO build up local interests
with the public's money ought to be sus-
pended. CHAs G.. RoDoLF.
Mr.. John Heir writes | think it
would be well to wait and see what the
will do in regard to repeating
the present law, but in the end | think
we had better provide place for our
chronic insane. W. have had promises
made us fifteen years ago, that when the
Oshkosh asylum was built there would
be ample room for all. and yet with all
the additions that have been built to
the Madison asylum we are still in the
same fix that we were before the Osh-
kosh asylum was built. Mr.. Kidd states
in his letter that in case we build
county asylum, that we would still have
to be taxed to fake care of the ms ane of
other counties. As | underestimate each
county under the present law pays for
their. insane that they send to Madison
and Oshkosh Even if we build coun-
ty as5lum we would still have the right
to send patients to the State asylum for
therefore we would be bound
to help to keep up and support it. If
the State undertakes to take care of the
chronic insane, Mt the present session it
will be a long time before they will be
able to take care of all the chronic pa
tients in the State.
As | stated before | would prefer to
wait and see what will be done with the
bills that have been introduced in the
present session, before our committee
should commence to build, or take any
further action in the matter. | am not
though in favor of giving up building
some place - keep our chronic insane,
as we have mad promises to that effect
before, but still they are sent back on
us. am respectfully,
JOHN HER.
Mr. Robbins writes | would say
that | am not in favor of building an
asylum for the chronic insane in our
county if we can help it, 50 say wait
until the legislature ha passed upon
that question. Lope we may be saved
the expense and trouble of resorting to
the county asylum, in regard to our in
sane Yours truly.
II. ROBBINS