The record-union., 1895-11-23

| different view from that of the Gov
ernor The burden should be borne by
| the people generally. The law should
be SO amended as to prevent persons
| being sent to aSylums who should not
be sent there. The larger number that
is collected together in a body, the
/ cheaper they can be cared for, and #
the counties care for them it will be
more costly and the money will be
wasted. If they do it will cost
more than under the present system
Those who are able to support their
relatives should be forced to pay for
them. The asylum was no benefit to his
county.
Mr.. McDougald and others said that
it cost far more to support them in the
| county hospitals than in the asylums.
Mr.. Seawell resumed that if we are
going to maintain these asylums we
should do it properly and with all due
regard to humanity and economy. He
| thought the remedy would be to stop
sending people there simply because
they could not make a living.
The Governor said that if the asylum
was of no benefit to his county it was
not benefit to the State, and the law
providing for it should be repealed.
The Senator explained that what he
said was that it made no difference to
the county whether the State or county
maintained the poor, except that men
could be cared for more cheaply in
large bodies.
Mr.. Shurtleff said that the present
system was robbing the really insane
of their opportunity of being cared for
by the State.
Mr.. Gibson of the Southern California
Asylum thought that one reason why
these unfortunates should not be cared
for by the counties was that they could
not be cared for as we'll as they could
by the State. He thought there should
be central State institution for in
curables of this type
The Governor pulled out a contract OF
the Southern California Asylum and
asked concerning the difference in
prices, compared with the other insti-
tut1ons. Butter was worth % cents,
while at some other asylums it was II
cents. Potatoes were 81 10, and at the
northern asylums they were 30 cents.
Salt was 81, and elsewhere about one
half. Tea was % and 24 cents, while in
some other places it was from to 10
| cents.
Tea at cents is vile stuff, and I
would not buy it,, said Mr.. Miller las
| for the salt, we only used So % of it.
! We cannot get as good prices where we
BUY only small quantity as for a
large one. These contracts are all
made on bids, and transportation is
| high with us. Wages in our institu-
ton are lower than at the others. Our
potatoes come from up north where the
other places are"
You stirred this matter up yourself,
/ Mr.. Miller" said the Governor
''Oh, no, Governor" was the reply,
you are mistaken. We have been
fighting shy of it for the past two
years" Iaughter)
Mr.. Steffens moved that it is the sense
OF the Directors that the Superintend-
ents should be urged to discharge, as
lar as possible, all persons who are not
| tit subjects for treatment and if the
law does not give them power they
favor its amendment SO as to give
them power
DR.. Hatch said they should be dis
charged, and if the Supervisors would
rot receive them, they should be sued
and test made.
DR.. Gardner of Napa said that Super
lntendentS have discharged patients in
the past who We're not cured, but there
was no law for it. The whole question
of commitment isis the patient dan
gerous to himself or others? If he is.
he should be restrained. He should be
discharged when it is safe for him to be
at large, and the question of his being
cured should be left on one side
Mr.. Martin said that under the pres
ent law it is an inducement for every
county to send as many of its paupers
as possible. There is no remedy except
to make the counties each support their
own patients.
Mr.. Upham of San Francisco thought
the discussion was taking a very wide
range, and that the whole morning had
been consumed without advancing any,
but the Governor said he thought it
would be profitable to the people of the
State.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
a recess was taken till 2:30, after
which the motion of Mr.. Steffens was
taken up and carried.
Mr.. Hall moved that a committee con-
siSting of one from each asylum be ap-
pointed by the Board of Directors, to
act on all the questions under discus
sion, to act in conjunction with the
Board Of Examiners, and the motion
was carried.
Mr.. Shurtleff moved that in case of a
vacancy in the committee, the Gov
ernor should fill the vacancy.
That means, I suppose, that you
think there will soon be some vacancies
among the directors, said the Gov
ernor, amid a general laugh, and the
motion was carried.
The discussion then turned on the
question of improvements.
DR.. Gardner of Napa said that for
S3,UOO each he could build three cot
tages for the physicians and accommo-
date a hundred more patients in the
present administration building.
The Governor believed that should be
done with all the aSylums.
Next came the question of equaliza-
ton bf salaries in the different institu-
lions.
Mr.. McDougald explained that the
Stockton Asylum has three plumbers,
as the state Of the plumbing was in
such a condition as to require it,
The Governor called attention to the
fact that the Stockton Asylum paid its
engineer $3.50, Southern California
Asylum paid S10S0 and Napa 81 800.
There is widely different list of sala-
I'ies in the three asylums also for their
druggists.
Mr.. O'Connor thought that there
should be considerable reformation He
had always argued for it, but was in
the minority. There are too many en-
"