The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-02


puted by any of your committee.
Great stress has been laid by the members
OF the committee signing the other report
upon the quality of the soil comprising the
TWO locations. and while 1t is essential that
the soil should be fertile and productive If is
by no means the only thing that should be-
taken into consideration in the location of a
hospital for the insane. While the soil Of
the two locations is radically different in
quality, We maintain that the value of land
IN the Anoka site is practically equal for all
purposes pertaining to an insane asylum to
mat in the Hastings site. 1t appears from
the report of the committee that the land
- eAitreinely productive, quick of action aud
PecuHariy adapted to raising such crops as
are heeaed by an asylum, and so far as at
pISseht advised we concur in that view
wren your committee visited the respective
stees tney were covered with snow and il
was al season of the year when it was inn
possible Tor the committee to correctly deter
[ llan tne quality of the soil. When the sites
were VISITED by the commission it was at and
aDout harvest season of the year and their
opportunities OF judging of the quality 81 the
=; Soi H. anu II 1tness for the purposes for which
II Is designed, were much superior to those Of
your committee. The appearance of the An
oKa site was particularly prepossessing II
i ini, along the banks Of the Rum river, ad-
Joining the beautiful city Of Anoka It's sur
lace Is undulsting, and parts of 1t are COW
ereu with thrifty growth of native timber.
AS an evidence of the value of the land wa
observed TOUR commodious farm houses with
out-bulldings. 1t was admitted before vonr
committee that water on the HASTINGS Site
coGid only be obtained from shallow surface
wells, while at Anoka a flowing well of nnro
water can be obtained at a depth of not to
exceed 400 feet We doubt whether This CON
templated institution could be supplied with
n nee water from shallow surface wells,
anu IL was admitted by the Hastings people
o.at no other water supply could be obtained
dt that time. We may observe in passing
mat such an institution as is Contemplated
water per day. P"io
we cannot concur in the language Of the
E tt report in referring 10 the Anoka site in
the Following words: "a large tract being low
ana SUBJECT to being overfiower in wet sea-
sons. AS matter Of fact there is only
ABOUT q, twenty acres Of this hay land, which
n realty IS more valuable to an asylum Site
tndIl any equal quantity on either site for
meadow land, and the statement that this
iand is liable to be overfCwed frequently
H. - toI 9orne out by the facts, which are
tudI sald land has not beel overlooked to ex-
ceea three times within % years. and every
year during that time has produced abundant
In dealing with the matter of convenience Of
pudding materials at these sites, il has
peen urged that open Quarries of stone eN-
ISL on the Hastings site, from which building
stone can be taken in unlimited quantities.
the undersigned observed no such open quar-
ries; and we submit that unless the state
departs from the practice and rules of modern
asylum building, and especially on the cot
tage plan, that the buildings for the fourth
asylum will be made of iron and brick. Brick
exists IN large quantities adjacent to the
[AAlOhIb SILS, anu we may ADD, as appears from
the evidence that wood at low rates can be
bught at Anoka but not at Hastings, where
coal is exclusively used.
|, AS TO the question Of drainage, we point
that the conclusions Of the other members
OF the committee are based on the state
mentS or an expert employed by the Hast
ngs people. The undersigned direct atten-
ton 10 the evidence o. W. r. ellis civil
engineer, bearing on the question Of drain
age. 1t appears fully from his testimony
that suitable drains can be constructed al
hfah N,tin
the cost OF drainage at Hastings, and that
ITS outlet will be practically into the Mis-
slss.ppl river. At Hastings the outlet will
be into small stream whose greatest depths
is about ten inches OF water 1t is doubtful
whether this stream can carry away the
sewerage from this asylum. Certainly the
large mills on its banks are in large part
r''n ny steam power. Further, if the evil
deuce and opinion Of Expert Wilson are Of
weight he seems 60 believe that drainage
by using rivers must soon be abandoned and
that more economical methods of drainage
are fast coming into vogue No apprehen-
sion need be felt that ample drainage facilities
at reasonable cost. whatever method is fol-
lowed, DO not exist at Anoka. The distance
from the outlet of the asylum sewer at
Anoka to the city of Minneapolis by river is
about twenty miles, and IN view of the fact
that running water purifies itself in less than
one-third if this distance the further fact
the city Of Minneapolis is abandoning the
use of Mississippi water for culinary pur-
poses, we may pass over the suggestion that
Minneapolis people may object.
A page is devoted in the other report to an
implied criticism Of the conduct OF the
secretary CT the commission in the matter
Of signing the minutes. We cannot see the
relevancy OF these structures. II certainly had
no bearing in this matter, and when taken
In connection with the part that Mr. East
man, the secretary Is expressly exonerated
by all your committee from any bad faith
or any dishonesty, we protest again that the
criticisms ought not to have been INDUCED
in In the same connection it is urged that
the majority of the commission should have
given notice Of an intention to reconsider the
Informal and incomplete vote in favor of
Hastings. To who and why? The commits
sion had the power and right tc reconsider
and 1t was by no means their duty, either
moral or legal. to apprice any one of their
intention Certainly this whole committee
exculpate them all except Mr.. Hopper
and only a part Of the committee, while
generating MIN Of any corruption attempt
that later. The promise Of the Chicago, Mil
Waukee q st. Paul r. r. to build railway to
the Hastings grounds was not in evidence,
but the other members Of the committee no
doubt had some warrant fer making the
statement in their report However this mere
promise, if 1t exists. by this company to build
a track where mono now is, cannot be held
to be Of much weight. 1t does not appear
what ofhcer made the promise or If he is
In position to make ii good
AS to the change Of position Of Mr.. HOPPER
1t seems almost enough to say that he had
O. right to change; no corruption is suggested
none is claimed: He was under oath. Ills
ascrlbe or suggest what cannot be proven
and Is not openly claimed. The asylum never
was located at Hastings. Mr. Hopper. in de-
Gliding to recede from his position It Is fair
to presume. acted in good conscience and a
review Of the whole case sustains this view.
His reasons are not given altogether or very
coherantly, but 1t seems that ne was netitioned
by large number Of influential persons in
the Seventh congressional distric. IS vote for
Anok$. It also appears from the evidence
IF tha
aSvum grounds, was misleading.
We cannot say it was purposeIy Sc, but mo
showing the shape of the grounds to be ma
tertally different from what they actually
were should have teen presented to the COM
mission. 1t seems als3 from his evidence
question Of location, On the day on witch
Hastings was informally designated and fur
ther thai the geographical location had great
weight Win S.r1 in changing his vote.
i IL not ~ record n &h4 sTiSence but It IS
none the less true that the grounds fer which
+he state p3id Arsok2 t15 905 cost that
community $I3 99e and We submit t5st In the
abserce oG ny corrnDtior IT fraud a propo-
sition Of the rL2j1rity 81 the COMMITTEE tc dis
pose OF the Anoka site at airy cbtainable price
would he gross wrong to the public spirited
citizens IF that place The action OF the a5m-
mission was sustained by two courts The
Hastings site was never legally selected or
chosen. The action in favor Of Hastings was
at best, but tentative and preliminary and no
act was done by the commission that Ii Gid
not have en- absolute legal right 10 do.
We hold that no lccati1n was ever made
except at An5ka, and the disappointment cf an
ether community in not securing this asylum
coveted by 1t Is not sufficient reason 20 set
aside the deliberate and formal action CT an
oathbound Docy Of men designated by the
state and in the service Of the state whose
integrity has never been anc Is not now In
this matter impugned.
We commend to the reading IT the members
IF the senate and the house sf representa-
ttyes the decision Of the supI9ne court Of his
state made am filed on Nov. IS, 1896, in this