New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-02
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES UP
HE TALKS PLAINLY TO SENATOR'S NCLEL
LAND AND FARMER
THE HEAVY rXPENsEs OF TIE HUDSON RIVER
HOSPITAL CAUSE THE TRouBLE-NoMI.
NATIONS "HU&G UP" ~ con.
Try 1rlIGHArn TO The TRiBrSEl

several months a.D Governor with to learn
ae what 1t would cost to support the Insane N
tie state hospitals. requested the tire" Commissioners
OF Lunacy. DR.. Carlos +. Macdonald, Goodwin Brown
and Henry 4. Reeves, TO prepare for him tabulated
statement showing the per capita cost Of maintaining
each Inmate Of the hospitals the price paid ;or frcsh
meats. poultry nOur butter cheese. milk, tea eggs.
coffee. sugar. fuel and lighting, and for wages and
clothing. As one result OF this comparison and In
stgatOn. the Governor had a bill drawn mp and
presented TO the Legislature fortnight ago impos-
ing upon the Commissioners In Lunacy the duty
OF auditing the bills Of the eight state hospitals.
The Governor satisfied that State supervision OF
thc ougOcs Of tho hospitals was absolutely essential
II they were be conduct d in economical manner.
Thl, reform was made the more necessary because
Controller Campbell had reported to the Governor
that II would cost the state 81 100000 support
the Insane poor I'm the hospitals This was an cnOr-
nous sum. the Governor thought 10 iniruot 10 tlo
trustees Of the hospital, without their brns any super
vision Of its expenditure by the state. Hence IT was
that he had the lii prepared aud submitted TO tho
Legislature putting upon the shoulders OF the Stio
Commission in Lunacy tho duty Of auditing the bill'
Of the hospitals. The financial system Of manas ment
copied was that Of the state Prisons.
The result OF the comparison Of tie various state
hospitals not at all pleasing To the trustees OF
tie Hudson River Hospital At PouehkcciSic. Two
OF trustees Of The Hudson River Hospital, Amasa
J. Parker and Charles p. McClcland are members Of
the state senate. They showed what they thought
Of IN" abuat,d statement making an invilou' com
parlson by opposing last week the confirmation OF
Goodwin ErDwn ana Henry 4 Reeves state COM
m>>iOners OF Lunacy, the Governor having rcnom-
mated them to the Offices which they have 50 ably
and crcdltaby filed MeSSrs. Parker ana Me- LELAND.
by their resolutc opposition the confirmation Of
Grown and Reeves. have hung up their nomina-
tionS for two weeks. This morning the Democratic
senator held another caucus upon the matter. and
again senators Parker and McCelland persuaded their
colleagues refrain from passing ~niion tAat
Mc,-as. Reeves ani Brown should be- confirmed Ar.
Parker gave rs hi, rNa-,- fer desiring poSponcm'nt
Of action on the nomination. that h. Is engaged
in co1lyig the unacy laws and prop'o-e' TO lerN-
late the state Lunacy Commissioners ont oi Office"
When Governor Flower heard Of this acton of the
Democratic senators. he said Indignantly
do thosc pcopl, refuse 10 confirm the nominations
Of men whose only offence + that they have per-
formed their duty' | will stand by McssrS. Brown
and Reeves bcclusc they have merely done what
requested them 10 do ia making This comparison OF
the expenses Of the hospitals. and I'll be ID II
III send in any other nominations until they are
confirmed bv the senate
\ little later In the afternoon. when Governor
Flower was ,l simmcrlnG with wrath. it - happened
that the trustees Of the Hudson River Hospital
arrived I'm Albany and going TO the Capitol, callrd
upon Mr. Flower
"Yon have come at an opportune moment, gentle
men, said the Governor my, "and We shall have
Il good talk about your expense account
Ticn the Governor sent for the state Lnnacy Com
missioncr, Mcs,rs. Macdonald, Brown and Reeves.
V-,cn all these gentlemen had assembled IN the
Executive Chamber, the Governor pulled out oi ms
desk the tabulaicd statement showing the cApen-"s
OF the various Institutions and began reading the
price, for beef and mutton for three month, past.
which showed that the Hudson River Hospital trustees
were paying 9l2 cents pound for beef and 10 cents
a pound for mutton, while the price for b""f at the
Utica ASYLUM only cents, at Buffalo 'lf
cents, at Middleton l cents at Bnshamron cents
At -, Lawrence d cents and at Rochester cents.
Governor Flower then compared the price of
chickens showing that AT Poughkcepslc chickens
were put down at % cents a pound. while at other
institutions the cost was from 10 IL 10 10 cents.
How do you account for this :" asked the "ov-
crnor.
We buy chickens AT all prices and at all places
was the reply "We get some at New York and
some at Poughkecpsic. superintendent Cleveland be
levcs that his patients Should have the best III The
market"
"Now we come to the EGGS said the Governor.
" How do you account for them!'
"Thc custom Of the superintendent" replied MI
Lord, is TO regulate the egg diet according TO The
market price When eggs cheap the patients
are favored with them three times day.
Senators Parker and McClcland then admitted tHe
truth Of the figures.
"why understand that TO be the object Of TINS
meeting" said the Governor, ana thus our ann 10
accomplished"
Mr. Lord said that Of the beef market Armour had
n monopoly in Dntchess County. Armour had sup
pled poor beef at : IL cents and then the trustees
lad got their beef elsewhere.
"WelLa said the Governor. at Is very apparent
bot the expenses at Tie Pousbkccpsle Hospital are
altogether too high"
senator Parker said lie could not see what me
trustees could do. They tried every means 10 oO'h
lower prices but were unable to do 30
Governor Flower then said | don't accuse seha
TOR p,rler or any other member of the Board OF
stealing money but somebody Is getting II. doh
nu.y ,lot Armour /, charging people at Ponghpe'p
se any more than people in other parts Of the eta'"
Some one Is certainly getting the difference
This remark naturally made sensation "oon'
win Brown then began reading the tabuatei co"'-
nori.on OF the expenses Of the hospitals
"wc don't want any more figures. exclaimed
Senator llct1eIand. and every one laughed.
You read those figures shIu 'o''I"o' ",'
noundlnc his desk with his hst' "mayDe you uo"
,r,nt 10 hear tlcm but do. ara tI"r'hpoh eehh''l
uccI.Iloud TANNED his hat down over his eyes ana
etrode out of the room. Mr. IHowh theh re'"
comuarison Of the prices Of coal at the various III
eu,n,ions addressing Mr. Parker rs senator
"uu, am here said Mr. Parker loitlly, " as pres
idcnt Of III" roard Of Trustees and not rs p''lc"'
Of the Board Of Managers OF the Hudson li'er HOS
plta" -,
Governor Flowers hst again c""' NV"
loud whack on the table. turning " S'"'''' ~
he Indignantly said
do you know sir. that as Senator you o'io"s
to the only body which can try Won ms HuS''
nm the charge OF mafeasancel Vow hive ho'""a''u
two men for Commissioners IN Lnhacy because
nm convinced they doing their duty. ""'''
them 10 supervise these hospitals and when they go
tlere and find ANYTHING wrong want Them W
toll me- | wont 90 back them. want tI'i'
underst ood That * the main point. Eut tlcI III"
stained in confirmation. aud that l. nhlpi ''n, ',
Mn thi. hearing was wanted 10 prove thht @ ,lfl
Ccnros wore wrong. II has failed of It's phiI",,;
I believe the COmml Ssioncrs hay. been h"n, it,,nr ~ m
,,ar h,vc attempted to do. You, sir are si',i'1
IN tbc scnntn Of this State and you NAV be 'ah'u
10 n act upon your own case on II charge vi "'"'
woiid act on such case rs fairly ana COZ, ~,