The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-24
The Insane Asylum Contracts.


The Insane Asylum Contracts.
To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
have never answered any of the slanderous
statements made in your paper concerning the
management of the Insane Hospital, but it would
be unjust to the officers and board should pass
unnoticed your last Saturdays ISSUE You start
out by saying that the board has permitted in
terested parties to remain in the room while bids
were being considered. Such a statement is
positively untrue, and all the members of all
the boards which meet in the same room at the
same time will so testify; but not more so than
where you say shat the burned buildings are
not repaired and that the chapel and boiler
house are going to ruin" They were rooted as
soon as possible, and were put in a state of
preservation long before the Legislature ad-
journed.
You critcise the management for not supply
ing the institution with a sufficient quantity of
water, when only sixty days have elapsed since
inadequate sum was appropriated for that
purpose. 1t is fact that more than $50, 900
have been wasted by former arrangements for
that purpose and still there is no water 1t is
much easier for a newspaper to say what has
not been done than for the responsible parties
to determine what is best to do, but will state
here, that unless plan can be adopted that in
sures success, the money will remain in the
treasury. 1t shall not be wasted in expert
mentS or used in undue haste Thir ty five
years have elaped since the institution was
founded, during which time reckless exrendi-
lures have been made in search of water ard all
has failed, and now you criticise us for not Sc
curing it within sixty days with an insufficient
sum of money.
The board employed few extra mechanics
to work on the burned buildings and finish the
new store house, which was not completed for
the want of money. ard when the work was
completed the board discharged them in the alb
sence of the superin tehdent, keeping only reg
ular force. They kept the better mechanics and
discharged the others. Who is competent to
judge how many are needed; who they shall be,
or what their wages: the board of trustees or the
Indianapolis Journal
You say that Some time ago potato con-
tract was let to man at Lebanon, DR.. Harri-
sons town, but the name of the individual was
not disclosed to the public. These Lebanon po-
tatoes were not very good, but thrifty price
paid for them" This assertion is unquali-
fedly false. No potato contract was ever 'let
to man in lie banon," or to man in Boone
county by this board If the superintendent pur-
chased any potatoes that came from that county
the name of the party of whom they were pur
chased is part of the records of the institution.
Arthur Jordan bid 10 cents pound coun-
try butter for the present month, ard it was not
accepted, but better butter was contracted at
a higher price The Journal would join an in
dignant public and justly SO, in condemning
the act of giving to the patients of a hospital
10-cent butter. Everyone knows that country
butter at this season could not be secured In
large quantities. and get to indianapolis and
then pass through the hands of Arthur Jordan
or any other dealer, and be fit for anything else
but the slop-tub, much less for delicate patients,
who are diseased in both mind and body. 1t is
a fact that we do not always get the best article
when we contract for it, but we are sure to get
poor article when we buy it. All kinds of
country butter can be found in large shipment,
the inferior will spoil the better grade before it
can get to the hospital. We preferred choice
creamery, which has been satisfactory.
The board has not advertised for stock hogs,
and if they did, and took the lowest bidder they
would always have diseased ones. There is no
time that diseased hogs cannot be found IN the
State, and by advertising for them we would get
good supply at remarkably low rates. The
commission merchants at the stock yards could
constantly keep us in supply with dying porkers.
No member has purchased any young hogs ex-
cept when he was appointed by quorum to so
do, and then from the country on the farms.
The hogs purchased of Mr.. Landers by Mr.
Gapen, referred to- are all healthy and doing
nicely. The State will no doubt, realize at least
twelve hundred dollars for the slops fed to that
lot.
You say that lone member of the board has
friend in his pocket" How comical that must
seem in the eyes of your very virtuous paper L
have taken sealed proposals the streets and
in the hotels to the meeting of the board, where
they were opened in the presence of the mem
bers and considered with other bids, and fail
to comprehend wherein it was improper or in
evidence of fraud.
Now, Mr.. Editor, if you desire to publish truth
and not falsehood invite you 10 the hospital
where you will find the books, papers, contracts
and bids for each month of this and the two pre-
ceding years. They are always open for public
inspection and in evidence of our conduct. They
are public records and the public is always en-
titled to knowledge of their contents
You say in the heading that this is extrava-
CANT board, when the reports and records
show that the per capita expense is less under
this than during any former management in the
whole history of the hospital There is none
who knows that fact better than the Indianapo-
lis Journal If your paper will investigate the
management of the hospital and not take the
wild stories told by disappointed contractors or
discharged employees you will probably get the
truth However, no publication will intimidate
the board superintendent from discharging
incompetent and unworthy employees, although it
is fact that employees often threaten to go to
the newspapers if they are discharged. and they
are generally accommodated by both the dis
charge and the paper THos FL. HARRISON.
President of the Board