The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-04
HIGH PRICED CONTRACTS
Board of Charities Considers the Ex.
posure of Insane Hospital Affairs.
Secretary Instructed 10 Write 10 the Trustees
Mr.. Johnson's Discoveries in County
Jails-a Blskes Request.

The State Board of Charities was in ad-
journed session yesterday, the regular
meeting having been postponed on account
OF the death upon that day of Mrs. Harri-
son. The morning was spent at the State
house in consideration of Secretary john
sons report of the number of vista The
board did not take time TO review the de-
tailed reports of the condition of the jails
and poor-houses recently visited. These
were referred to the committees having
them in hand. and authority was given TO
moderate any conclusions of the
secretary which were deemed too
sweeping or too radical. The board
makes it duty to review these reports.
ana thus after amendments are made. If
thought needful. assumes the Responsible
~ before the people and the Legislature
for the state ments made.
The afternoon meeting was held at the
Central Hospital. The almost criminal ex-
travagance and favoritism OF the
board OF trustees in letting con-
tracts to Democratic bidders without
competition was investigated. The facts
regarding the plumbing supplies contract
and the yearly contract for buttermilk
nal articles which exposed the knavery. The
board was informed that the trustees are
paying too much for groceries. What ex-
act conclusion was reached was not an
nounced yesterday. The secretary was in
structed to write a letter to the trustees,
informing them of the course decided upon
by the board. This letter will be made
public later.
The board took up consideration of rec
concentrations to the Legislature for in
creased facilities at the State hospitals for
the insane. Secretary johnson presented
combined capacity of the four hospitals
may be increased to accommodate
80 per cent. more patients at q
9per cent. cost of construction. This would
mean room for seven hundred to eigh hum
dred more patients, with four hundred
dollar cost of construction per capita in
stead of 81, 200 cost per capita for the
patients now in the State hospitals. The
plan was Endorsed by the board. and the
secretary was instructed TO write 1t out in
detail for insertion in the printed report to
the Legislature. Briefly stated, it involves
the purchase of farm for the Central
hospital, with needed buildings, in order
patients light employment that will Ssnefis
their health. This will give much
needed room at the present build
inRs. The improvements at the
Northern, Eastern and Southern hospitals
assembly rooms. so that they can be utilized
for sleeping apartments. while new quar-
ters for dlning-rO are TO be constructed.
The enlargement of capacity is declared TO
be absolutely essential. There are hun
dreds OF applications on file for admission
of patients, for whom there ore no beds nor
room for beds. Should the improvements
suggested be authorized by the Legislature
the present appropriation would be suf-
cient to MAINTAIN two hundred more pa
tlents than at present are maintained for
the same amount OF money. The board
Will recommend as special need tina
the northern prison shall have an annex
to be used as a dinlng-room, in which
classification of prisoners may be possible.
The northern prison, it is said, should also
have larger chapel and fence or wall.
enabling the warden to use the chapel at
night. As it is at present 1T is not safe to
take the prisoners to the chapel after
night for fear of escapes. The chapel,
therefore, is never used at night, and hum
dreds of prisoners needing night schooling
are thus denied it.
The recommendation of John G. Blake,
superintendent of the School Cor Feeble
minded at Fort Wayne, for ad-
ditional quarters for the custodial
grades, was Endorsed. except as to the
full, which was $500, 900. The Legislature
will be left to use Its own discretion as to
the amount. The last Legislature provid-
ed that this institution should keep the
upon the world at majority to
live as they might and propagate
their kind for future mainte-
nance in the institution. But nothing was
and Mr.. Blake finds himself very much
pressed for room. The necessity OF quar-
ters for such grades was demonstrated
afresh to Secretary johnson at his recent
visits to the county poor-houses of Clay
and Crawford counties.
Among other recommendations decided
upon. one Is that penalty shalt be at
tached to the law requiring sherIffs In
transferring female insane persons to the
hospitals to be accompanied by woman
attendant. The absence of a penalty has
| led to repeated abuses of the most serious
kind. The board decided also to renew
every recommendation made two years
| ago which IVES not acted upon.
The reports of the secretary relative TO
| the visits TO poor-houses. commend many
] of them for improvements in cleanliness.
| healthfulness and character of inmates.
| Allen county has two INSANE persons in the
| poor house who should be in the hospital.
| The Carroll county poor.house is pro-
,nounoed "still q blot on the fair name of
| the county," The expense of keeping the
| paupers in Cass Is declared exorbltant.
while in Greepe county the scale of living
| IL too cheap. In many of the asylums the
! number of inmates IS decreasing owing no
| doubt, to the increasing prosperity OF the
| State. The decrease Is among the able
bodied class. A newborn illegltimate III ale
child was found in the Clay county
asylum, born of low grade feeble minded
| mother and an unknown father. The man.
| agement is, however, exonerated from
| blame for lack of care. such women being
properly subjects of the custodial care of
! the Fort Wayne institution were there
| room there. There is similar case in
| Crawford county. The occurrences are
| used to illustrate the point that unless
| quarters are provided especially for these
4 o<,f m nm nj a I'm
! prevent occasional instances of this kind.