The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-08
STATE HOSPITAL LUXURTES.
COSTLY WIVES AND CoRDESLs <ED
ICE CREAM AND BR0fIERG p

E~ioy Co ThisGs rt tie ststs's EEpenss
ALBANY. Fsb. THE Joint Finance Com
mittees gave a hearing this afternoon
on Senator O'Connor's bill aboiishnG the
power Of the State Commissioners ia
| Lunacy to supervise the accounts OF state
hospital managers Senator O'Connor said
that he had drawn the bill because he be-
lieved that the Lunacy Commission was misin-
| terpretinR the law. and because great deal OF
| friction had sprung mp between the trustees
| and the Commission. lie had discovered.
| however that there was q feeling among
| the trustees for the abolition OF the
Lunacy Commission. lie did not believe
| In any such thing, There ought to be
| q State Board OF Audit. lie should oppose the
| bills which had been introduced looking to
| that end. and he did not think they would sue
| coed. He did not think that the trustees
| should have Unrestricted authority to buy
| champagne or anything they liked. nor did he
think that the Lunacy Com mission should
have authority to substitute their judgment
for the judgment Of the trustees and the hos
pital superintendent. Since he had found that
his effort to abolish the friction had only m ade
| II worse. he did not care much whether the
bill passed or not.
Senator O'Connor gave several instances in
which he thought the Lunaoy Commission
had exceeded its authority and used bad
judgment In the IN anagement OF the Bingham
ton Hospital. OF which no was a trustee. The
Commission had decided that patients should
not use tobacco. 1t was not the purpose Of the
State in putting people in asylums to prolong
their lives so much as to make them comfort
able In the Bnghamton Hospital the tobacco
cost only $3.50 year. and more was used there
than anywhere else. He thou ht that tobacco.
used In moderation. should be allowed to the
patients. The Lunacy Commissioners had not
acted In the broad minded way they should
have acted.
DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald OF the Commission
said that the Com mission had been made
the subject Of attacks because 1t had enforced
the law passed last winter. Senator oCon-
nors bill aimed practically to destroy the State
audit system. The superintendents OF hospi-
tails and the assistant physicians and hospital
officers are we'll taken care OF By the State.
The superintendents receive salaries Of 81 600
to 5000 q rear. are provided with fine living
apart m ents or expensive houses, such as that
built By tho trustees OF the st. Lawrence State
Hospital at q cost OF $685. 900. sxpensively fur
nished; are supplied with horses and oar
riaRes. coachmen and servants. and have no
expenses except their personal expenses. Un-
der the system OF State audit the superin-
tendents were no longer supplied with cigars.
champagnes. clarets. madeiras. shorries. cor
dials and game. which some OF them had on
joyed in the past at the expense Of the State
The Com missioners had insisted that tho
State should have the advantage Of ruling
market prices IN purchasing sppplie. giving
not permit such abuses as those at Pough-
keepsie, where beef was purchased a. p,
town, for eents and at Buffalo for q since
Oct. l q better grade Of necossariss had been
the estimate for the current year proved COR
rect the State would save this year sl6O-
CAPITA cost OF caring for patients being
SOL. while under the old system II was S2oL.
sons TO be made OF purchases for the, various
hospitals. and permits restrictions to be made
essary suppIies The liking OF a per capiia
allowance. such as Senator O,oonnors bill
fairness. fsvorltism. and ign ORANGE. and IL
such an allowance was fixed It would leave
ss, ESQ., money ops9 at ther own CAPRICE
Dr. Macdonald cited legislative reports to
q aa p
tho vouchers Of hospitals to show how money ,ss9
Pss 'n sais Hospital "a ST
1892 bought champsgne eL a sherry and
ne tSs Of ass hae
Of chapter los. Laws Of 1881 The Utica state
s sss LONG a 81 h.
S1d 81. woodooeS ss % per DOZEN. ms.i;
at ' from s. to $40 dozen. s2s worth q Ice
cream. and game and wines at corresponding
f again ant
broilsrs being most frequent. Besides; the
pairs Of ,shssts at $50. and table furnishings
The Middlstown Hospital trustees had
Tokss at $50. sherry at $50. Tokayer at 1886
perntsndept at various prices. They had sent
their superintendent TO scotland and sweden
aid thought that il man went to Europe to
study lnsanity he would not go TO Scotland or
cocoa mat at So So t%el WE'VE sugars at Sal
eighteen creamers at $40. much plush at S2.25
at SO each p Crescent brandy az $40 a gallon
champagne at S32.25 sherry at SIS. clArst at
sn %sts:es al Il Ssasa de sn al 8
Chosen Few" whisky at 1881. AngostuTa
oil and at
pound; There N TsEH MAN. more Items OF the
As to the use OF tobacco. DIR. Macdonald said |
that 1t had not been forbidden by the Com
mission. The sstimste for II had been stricken
out. The Commission was opposed to it be-
cause many patients ate discarded chews OF
tobacco in their craving In some hospitals
knoWisds sd While 10 the ' SutsiSs World 10.
was on the incrsSsc IN the kOspiyss The
Commission had been mistaken in saving |
900 lie was not at, ali sure that the Commits
slon would perslst In It's course In regard to
ing to correct them. Tie samples Of expendi- |
lures he presented only scratched the sur |
face" Of the subject. he said.
., DR.. Bumer, superintendent OF the Utica |
State Hospital. asked that as much time be |
given him as the other side had occupied to |
answer what he called DR.. MacdOnads Sian |
deTOus charges.
The COMMITTEES said that lie and tho super
intendsnts OF the other hospitals might pre- |
sent their answers next week Thursday Al 3 |
T. NJ II they cared to do SO, aud the hearing |
adjourned.
Br. Bumer said in conversation after the |
wine for himself with state money, The trus-
tees met once a month and as they served |
without pay il was no more than fair that they |
should have a good luncheon. The wine. |
game, and cigars had been purchased for such |
occasions. The candy had been bought for the !
patients. who often purchased IL with thsir |
own money as q person buys cigar. DIR. |
BlumeT said that he would have some sensa- |
tiOnal charges TO make At the next meeting of |
the committee.
May RArrou eIIns sits Up Five Hour.