New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-08
STATE HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.
HEARING on SENATOR O'CONNORS BILL RE-
STRETCHING POWERS OF THE COMMISSION

HEARING on SENATOR O'CONNOR's BILL RE-
STRETCHING POWERS OF THE COMMISSION
IN LUNACY OTHER HEARINGS.
Albany Feb The Join. Finance Committees
gave q hearing this afternoon Senator OConn 0r's
bill abolishing the power Of the State Commits
sioners In I.unacy to supervise the accounts OF
State Hospital managers. Senator O'Connor said
that he had drawn the bill because he believed
that the Iunacy Commission disappearing
the law and because a great deal Of friction had
sprung I'D between trustees and the Commission.
He had discovered. however. that there was feel
Ing among trustees for the abolition Of the Lunacy
Commission. lie did not believe In such action.
He should oppose the bills which had been intro
duced looking that end. and he did not think they
would succeed. He did not think that the trustees
should have unrestricted authority to buy cham
pagne or anything they liked. did he think
that the I.unacy Commission should have authority
TO substitute It's Judgment for that OF the trustees
and the hospital superintendent. Since he had
found that his effort to abolish the friction had
only made It worse. he did not much care whether
the bill passed or not.
Dr. Carlos F. Macdonald. OF the Commission. said
that 1t had been made the subject OF attacks be-
cause It had enforced the law passed last winter
Under the system OF State audit the supern-
tendents We're no longer supplied with cigars cham
pagnes. clarets. madeiras. sherries. cor1als and
game which some Of them had enjoyed in the past
had insisted that the State should have the ad-
vantage OF ruling market prices in purchas-
Ing supplies giving preference 10 local dealers
If the estimate for the current year proved
correct the State would this year $4,000
and perhaps 10000 the per capita cost Of caring
for patients being s91. while under the old
system 1t was 1907. The fixing OF per capita al
lowance such as Senator OConnor's bill proposed
would surely lead TO charges OF unfarness. favor
itsm and ignorance. and II such allowance were
fixed II would leave the door open for local
speil ,n r nee "a ebocn r saS ,ba,
had not been forbidden by the Commission. The es-
innate for II had beeh stricken out Inc commission
had been mistaken in saying that the cost OF tobacco
for patients was $4,000 He not at all that
the Commission would persist In its course In regard
10 tobacco II II had made mistakes 1t was willing TO
correct them The samples If expenditures he pre-
sented only Scratched the surface OF the subject he
Dr. G. Adler Blumer superintendent OF the Utica
State Hospital asked that he might have as much time
the other side had occupied to what he called
DR.. Macdonald's slanderous charges. The committee
said that both he and the other superintendents might
present their answers next week THURSDAY. at3f M
Dr. Blumer said in conversation after the hearing
that he had never bought drop OF wine for himself
sensational charges to make at the next meeting Of the
committee. -,
bills providing for the formation OF building and loan
Attorney General Hancock to-day gave rehearirg
on the application of ilam ". Averell for the disco
of NewYork. The latter corporation was formed In
1880 but the complainant alleges that 1t has done no
business for year and that he believes 1t to be
troled by the Barber Asphalt Company. Mr.. Avere
is stakeholder and says he owns valuable patent
held by the company and alleges that he Is being de-
frauded ofhis rights Edward liassctt of New-Y York.
represented Mr. Ayerell and Niles johnson OF New-
York. were counsel for the company Decision was re-
served.
hearing Senator REYNOLDS bill appropriatine
10000 for repairing the 47th Regiment Armory In
Brooklyn. Henry a. Powell made an argument In
| favor of the bill.