The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-24
CURFEW IN MICHIGAN.
Representative Donovan's Bill
Receives Favorable Report.
MEASURE VERY LIKELY TO PASS.


minded at Iapeer-Home Rule for Cities
mortgage Tax Repeal BILL Governor
finsree and the Beet Sugar Bounty Bill.
Lansing, Mich. March 23.--It looks as
IL children under 16 years of age will
nave to keep clear Of the streets of cit
les and villages after . o'clock in sum-
ner and o'clock in winter, Represent
tative Donovans curfew bill embodying
thls provision having received favora-
Die report from the judiciary committee
OF the house. The sentiment in both
houses is In favor Of the passage of the
bill.
There were but eight adverse votes
cast in the house on the Kimmis bill
providing that female patients in asy-
lums for the insane shall be treated by
female physicians. The bill has, how
ever, encountered a snag i'm the senate
where ii is in danger of either being
killed or amended so as to require the
employment of single female physician
on the staff Of each asylum. The asy-
lum authorities say that by the terms
deprived of the benefit of the skill of
the leading male specialists in female
diseases who are on the consulting staff
or the asylums although not directly
connected with the institutions. 1t Is
also claimed that the bill would render
the medical superintendent of the asy-
lums liable to the penalty prescribed If
he should even visit the female wards.
The house very sensibly made sweep
ing amendments 10 the bill relative to
the correspondence of inmates of the
asylums for the insane. AS introduced
| the bill was vicious and dangerous in
| the extreme. 1t provided that all let
| tiers written by inmates should be for
| warded by the asylum officials without
| inspection, and that all mail addressed
| to patients should be delivered to them
unopened. A moments reflection would
| seem to convince most any one that
| these provisions were improper, yet
| there were some directors to the amend
| ment made. Manyof the patients imag-
| inc themselves the husbands, wives chill
dren or other relatives of this, that or
the other prominent person, and are
constantly writing them letters. Many
of the letters written by patients are
obscene to the last degree The folly of
| forwarding all these is obvious. But
the most vicious provision of the bill
was that requiring that all mail adj
| dressed to patients should be delivered
to them unopened.
Some Patients Are Foxy.
The fact is that some patients are SO
foxy that they have to be examined
several times a day to keep them from
concealing articles which they could use
to the injury of their attendants or fell
low-patients, while it is quite necessary
to search nearly all of them when they
come in from taking exercise. If the OF
fcial9 were to be required to hand them
unopened all the mail matter sent then
many would soon be armed to the teeth
This provision was even made to apply
to the inmates of the asylum for the
criminal insane, the inmates of which
being criminals, have pals on the out
side who would like nothing better thar
an opportunity to send them weapons
tools or poisons in mail matter For
tunately the asylum authorities sue
ceeded i'm convincing majority or TIT
| members of the houses of the DANCE
lurking in the bill, and it was shorn o
its fangs. The asylum for criminal In
sane was exempted from its operations
the section requiring mail addressed t
natients to be delivered unopened wa
stricken out, and that relative to for
warding letters without inspection
amended so as to apply only to nea
relatives, guardians, etc. This bill /
noticed at this length for the purpos
of giving an idea of the ill-advise'
measures which find their way on to tn
files.
, May Fall into Error.
In its desire to be economical the leg
islature is in danger of falling into
crave error with reference TO the ap
nronriation for the home for the feeble
minded at Lapeer. At this institution
~ is absolutely necessary, for obviou
reasons. to keep the sexes separate
, consequently in providing for the car
az natients il is necessary to construo
, cottages i'm pairs. The time has com
u,ban something should be done for tn
oniIentics. as there are now on file
tbo home applications for the admis
sion If 23l of this class Of unfortunate
Tbis does not take into considerable
tbe numerous epileptics in the severe
oevlums for the insane, where they al
, a constant menace to the other patients
II will readily be seen that it must nav
: had effect on a convalescent patient
have an epileptic fall down in III !
his presence several times a day, bu
This is constantly the experience, for IN
reason that there are noseparate accom-
nodations for them at the asylum
The law provides that epileptics sha
no treated at the "home for the feeble
minded and epileptic," and yet the leg
l islature has thus far persistentiy re
: fused to make provision for their &C
, commodation there. The pending az
nronriation bill calls for appropriation
Gov three cottages for epileptics, ther
hoing one cottage that can be USED &c
Ills nurpose. thus making two for boy
and two for girls. The disposition
.he mart of the legislature Is to mate
rally cut this appropriation ana tha
. asi,ad for additional cottages for othe
8 classes of patients. There are now o
, Ale all told, a total of nearly 'oo app
cations for admission, none OF which ca
, 10 Granted. owing to lack of accomme
, cations The total number OF inmate
=. ooo and the institution Is full TO Over