The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-08-14
me INsANn mosplrAL.


Some Reforms Demanded III tho Dunrd Of
DireCIors-r hS management Not Tuund
Satisfactory, RcpOrt' tn tho Contrary
Notwithstanding Soma Things That
Need Correction,
10 he Editor OF IA, hteRiqMer.
SIR;--I observe that Weston society
correspondent Of q Wheeling paper goes
out OF his way In ono or moro instances
TO assert that tho board Of directors OF
the hospital for tho Insane ut Weston
atthelr recent meeting Expressed them,
selves rs vol pleased with tho manage.
ment OF that institution. Ii this ho trus
that body has Avery peculiar way OF
expressing its pleasure. Tho truth 10
that the management and two or three
subordinRtes, whose conduct in various
directions had become very odious,
wore Nrraigucd by the directors and
severely reprimandod. Such was tho
diSploa,ure OF the board that these mon
were warned that tholr conduct must be
improved in tho future.
II may be OF interest to your readers
to know that aomo very important or.
doris along that line were passed, which
OF themselves will oonCIusively show
whether or not the board was plensed
with the work being done. In tho fret
place that body decided that tho birth
OF child to female patient, who had
for yGarl been undor tho care OF tho
hospital, was fault in tho manager
ment, and an order was passed. prohib'
iting any man from taking his insRus
vito out OF tho institution, on bond or
otherwise, for tho purpose OF lodging or
cohabItlng with her in the town Of
Weston.
Special privileges OF FREQ trips having
been given at the expense Of the state
to special favori,6a about the iusli,u.
ton, in tho name oil going to distant
points tor patients, was another evil
aimed at, aud An order was passed to
prohibit in the future anyone, other
than an experienced attendant, being
sent away to convey insane persons to
the institution.
The superintendent has long been
known TO employ and dismiss subordi.
mates in the most arbitrary manner,
Men are NrrNignsd and discharged with.
out cause or for tho most trivial reasons,
unless thoy stand in with tho manage.
ment, and have outside supporters,
when they enjoy special privileges and
stand in no danger OF losing their jobs,
even for tho Grossoat shortcomings.
The board undertook to remedy this
matter by passing an order which 70.
quireS all future charges to DO sub.
miItcd in writing in ink and to ho
placed on file by tho superintendent 80
that they may DO inspected by tho
board ut any time,
These are some OF tho things which
show whether or not tho board was
pleased with the management.
There are some other things which
need correction. II is tho practice OF
the hospital to go out OF tho state for
everything used ut that institution II 1t
is at all convenient to do so. It's no
credit to the state to 90 outside her bor-
ders for superintendent. 1t is as bad
or worse to 90 away for labor, as has
been done in the awarding OF the con.
tract for the annex for colored patients.
1t IL still worse to so to other states Tor
80 many OF the provisions, thereby boy.
C0ttiug West Virginia enterprise and
sendinG the taxes OF the people entirely
out OF the state.
It would seem that Wheeling, Park.
ersburg and CRrksburg houses. which
arc within our borders and help to sus.
tain our institutions, ought to have at
least an equal chance to compete with
Baltimore and other outside points.
Ihu is not all. There is now in vogue
practice at tho institution which is m
outrage on every farmer within reach
Of the place, and IN insult to tho law
makers Of the state. To rid themselves
Of the necessity OF purchasing tho farm.
era butter they have for some time
been using oleomargarine; and to evade
tho law they have it shipped to Weston
labeled cabbage" or fine fruits" 1t is
indeed sad that law passed for tho
protection OF our farmers should DO
ignored because the managers Of
state institutions SEQ fit to continue its
violation. OBSERVER
Sutton, W. Ia, Aug. IL.