The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-15

and unltness OF the attendants ana assissa
physicians employed He then said referring
specially 10 the Insane Hospital: 1.-The superin-
tendent Is poweress regarding what the trustee
purchases, and, with other officials Ieagued
against him, cannot know II the quality or guam
tity is correct, If the food is wholesome or not
The whole institution is afestering mas or poit
ical corruption wherein the innocent are made 70
suffer, and the only alienation for those sHuer-
ing will be to carry the next Legislature. with
each member pledged TO support the state CIVIL
service plank 10 the Republican platform
LAS to the socslled outside employees OF tie
Insane Hospital OF Indiana, they have been Tor
years directly under the fostering wing or one
or the other members OF the trustees iney are
called in counsel by them IN all matters politi-
cal, and it is no uncommon thing for tr1stees to
visit the institution without calling upon the
superintendent They may be seen comforting
IN secret places al any hour OF night or day
with special political magnates, such as the ooss
carrenter the fremen, upstairs physicians, the
gardener tho hostler giving orders which only
the superintendent should do and making
promises which degrade the service and desract
from the influence Of the superior officer. The
trustees make themselves perfectly at home.
night or day, with their friends, when they have
no more right TO do so than they have
to lodge az the Bates House free OF charge
With this sort Of MANAGEMENT what can be the
condition of the patients behind the barsi
Tine hospital has been continuous political
pesthouse. and place, too of refuge for spe-
cial political work of visiting and other states
private rooms in hotels were too public for their
work.
The trustees, during my observation. set
their faces against any Improvement IN the hos
pital. so far the treatment OF patients is con-
cerped. They did not forbid the abolition OF re-
strain,s, but cautioned against innovations so
unusual. They grumbled sbout burning the
wagon-loads of apparatus OF tortures and bond
age, but when il was found a success, they were
fond of talking Of what wonderful reforms they
had made When schools were opened for pa
tien;s they waited until they cot the benefit OK
some public commentator, and the Legislature
adjourned and .hen ordered the teachers dis
charged, and the schools closed This was done
because the teachers We're women who were un-
able TO vote, and beside had friends in another
political faction. Notwithstanding II was a
g.eat detriment 10 large number OF patients.
the schools were abolished
"A school for the education and training OF
attendants was carried through one session,
from which fourteen attendants graduated: but
they were so superior In their ability that 10
caused bad feelings among the more indoent
ninety aud nine. that they were mostly dis
charged. As a recognition OF their superiority
all OF them who desired 1t found better situs-
tionS in the hospitals OF other States. When
some OF the daily papers mentioned the fact that
most of the educated nurses were discharged,
communication from the hospital was sent IN
tha. they had only DISCHARGED few of the old
siurian attendants, who had been pets 200 long.
IL was noticed that the same authorities soon
from that strata geoloeicslly known "a the drift
| period for several women who had been dis
| charged for errors and direct abuse of patients
| drifted back into the service III q short time.
The abuse OF patients IN tie hospital Is matter
that cannot be avoided unless the utmost care ia
exercised IN the selection OF the attendant, who
| should know nothing but obedience to his or her
superior otiicer-and trustees are not officers
OF the medical department The present board
| Of trustees is. in my estimation. guilty of dis
| charging persons without authority, and Of
Keeping persons in place on large salaries WHO
are useless aud incompetent. Their means OF
conducting the financial matters of the hospital
should be left 10 future proof rather than present
| aspersion. but IL IL a ptiable spectacle that
man trusted with the responsibility as trustee
| OF q great and noble charity, should be at the
same time interested in a commission house
! which ten times in twelve months carried of
the most profitable contracts of the institution,
aud, notwithstanding his pretended advocacy OF
economy and reform, whereby schools
are closed and physicians discharged.
| the record shows that with fewer
patients In the hospital and provisions cheaper,
| the expenses have increased. As the basis OF
| these comparisons and contrasts, L have taken
| figures and statements found in vouchers on file
| N the State Auditors Office for period or SIX
| consecutive months in 1887. and covering CORE
| spending period in the year 1855. The total ex-
| pendtures during the said six months IN 1887
were sl3i, 1871, under the following heads:
Maintenance, Sl26 62S. 10; clothing, e sos %
pairs, -. COL. 30. For tie corresponding period
during the following year llsssl. the total ex-
penditures amounted TO Sl43. 1872 G. For usaiss.
tensnce, $50 60 81; clothing, s5.1IL3s; re-
pairs. 50. Goa o. By comparing these figures We
! find that an increased cost OF running each sep
arate department of the institution results in an
| increased total expenditure OF nearly ten thou
| rand dollars fsS. 9S4 So for six months OF the
| year 1888, over that OF six months in the year
previous.
IAN examination of one branch of the depart
meet of maintenance Is especially interesting. l
| refer TO the purchase of that class of supplies
designated In the account "a produce Under
| this head. which includes the items butter.
| poultry and eggs, there purchases during
six months IN 1887, amounting 10 &C, 290.24 For
corresponding period 10 1855 these articles
cost so, 1892 making an increased expenditure
| in six months in 1883 OF nearly four thousand
dollars So S23. 36) over an equal period in 1884,
| Probably some facts in regard to the number of
| inmates at the hospital during the period rs-
| ferred 10 would add 70 tie force OF this argu-
| menr. But closar examination of this subject
develops further interesting facts. ln six months
OF 1887 the monthly estimates of the superin-
tendert were exceeded by the amount furnished,
at least paid for. by the board by 5,650 dozen
eggs and l. 551 pounds of poultry. The rejection Of
butter on account Of its utter unftness for use
| resulted in the supply Of that article falling
| 26S6 pounds short Of the requisition. During
six months Of the present year this excess prin--
| eiple has been allowed TO develop in the same
| proportion that other expenditures have in
creased. In actual figures. II appears that ,645
| dozen eggs, $3.50 pounds Of poultry and 5, S39
! pounds OF butter over and above the amounts
| called for in liberal estimates have found their
| way into the produce bills which have been
allowed by the board However, o still more
| interesting feature of the produce business re-
| mains to be disclosed. During the twelve
months under consideration there were given
contracts for furnishing butter poultry and eggs
amounting 10 the aggregate TO gle, 403. sc. Out
or these twelve separate contracts ten were
awarded to John +. Sullivan J. X. Budd e. Go.
are made 20 figure on two occasions the con-
| tractors and IN one instance G. M. Coates & Co.
| are permitted to furnish 46l pounds of butter,
| being little more than onetenth the amonnt
| OF the requisition for the month while the bal
! ance Of the contract goes to j. L. Sullivan.
LET rs look q little further and see whether
| produce contractor j. f. Sullivan merited all
these contracts by virtue OF being in tho lam
guage of the printed form of the advertisements
| for bids, the lowest and best bidder. have
satisfactory evidence that on three separate oc-
| casions, bids were made by firm in this city to
| furnish the produce at q lower figure than the
| price at which the contracts were then awarded
| to John Il. Sullivan and J. X. Budd the differ
ence In one instance being over 500 in favor OF
the bidder who did not get the contract / re-
| fer TO the bids made by Arthur Jordan in April
| 1887. Wien his bid $lS.6T the lowest again
| in March. 1888, when there was difference
| of Gil. O6 in his favor and again in June of the
| present year. when his bid was $20l 90 below
| that Of j. II. Budd, who received the contract
In other instances the difference between the
| amounts of the bids of Mr. Jordan and those of
| John 4. Sullivan trihingly insignificant
| in favor OF Mr.. Sullivan as to leave room for