The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-02-18
OF PATIENTS
Alarming Conditions at the State
Hospital at Morris Plains.


General Discussion Of the Needs Of the
Institution Threatening Evils froi
over Crowding Explained by Manage
j. M. Buckley, D D.. Medical Direci
Evans and speeches by Senators VI
land. skirm and johnson. and Lea
Gl dhill
Our lawmakers at Trenton frequ
indulge in theorizing on ecoN
they talk at length about pad
diency, rigid economy in the disl
of the states funds so that the
will applaud them as being swatc
of the treasury; they sometimes
bed at night and dream dreams in whfchF
they see the ciamoring voters rushing to
the polls to their support because they
cut off some appropriation here, or cut
down some expenditure there. In the
exercise of this prer0gatiye nc doubt they
are generally prompted by pure and
lofty motives, and when practical de-
monstrations are laid before them, such
as were exhibited at the great State Hos
pital at Morris Plains on Friday last,
as reported exclusively in the CHRONICLE
of last week, they readily recognize the
salient points of the situation and the
merits of the claims made on them.
The members who visited the hospital
were energetic in their investigation.
They went through the building from
top to bottom and questioned the
authorities about the details of the
administration, the dangers caus-
ed by over crowding and inconveni-
ences and embarassments caused to the
estimated cost of completing the new
building. Every member seemed inter-
ested in the task before him and bent
upon getting the facts.
At 1870 p. m. they sat down to a repast
which had been prepared for them, and
again demonstrated that they were
equal to the occasion.
After being at the table about an hour
Patrick Farrelly, vice president Of the
Board OF Managers, raped for order.
He stated in plain and 1orcible manner
the wants and needs OF the Hospital and
impressed upon those present the grave
conditions existing because of the large
number of patients and the limited ROOM
| He stated that with 1925, 900 the Board
of Managers would complete the new
| building, and assured the legislative
committees that every dollar that may
be appropriated for the relief of the dis
! tressing conditions at the Hospital will
be judiciously and conscientlously ex-
| pended.
| Senator William Fl. Skirm, president
pro tenn of the State Senate, was next
called upon and stated in emphatic terms
that he was convinced of the righteous
ness of the claims made for an appro-
priation for the Hospital, and that so far
as he was concerned he was heartily in
favor OF granting an appropriation that
would complete the new building.
He was followed by Senator johnson
of Bergen, who made a conservative
speech endorsing the appropriation.
Senator Vreeland, in his usual happy
style, made strong and eloquent review
of the situation, and pledged himself to
support an appropriation that wonId
complete the work of the new Hospital.
The next speaker was Rev. j. M.
Buckley, ID. D., a member of the Board
of Managers. The Doctor made it clear
TO all present that in spite of the close
supervision on the part of the Board of
Managers and the local officers, and all
concerned in the administration of the
affairs of the Hospital, the situation was
an appalling one. He said that the Hos
pital had been built upon a grand scale
and well arranged for the iudicious care
and treatment Of 800 patients; that it
was originally we'll suited to the purpose
for which it was intended, but that in
its present crowded condition MANY of
the daily complications and dangers were
to be compared with the asylums of
Morocco, or the county asylums of Ire
land, and many other places he had
visited His speech was thoughtful,
eloquent and forcible.
Medical Director, B. D. Evans was
then called upon and stated that the en-
tire building had been exhibited to the
members of the Legislature aud as far as
possible the sources offdanger, the causes
OF embarrassment, the daily complica-
tions and continuous anxiety caused by
crowding more than 300 people into q
building intended for S00 had been laid
bare. He stated that his life was one
of constant apprehension; that the ring
ing of his door bell filled him with fear
least some calamity had fallen in some
part OF the house in consequence of the
state of affairs which daily exists in The
institution. He said: "Gentlemen:
Our annual reports have plainly present.
ed these matters to the people of the
state; we have done our best to present
them to you to-day. The responsibility
Of this problem with the grave conse-
quence threatening, rests upon you and
! your colleagues. believe you thorough
/ " appreciate the merits of the claims
made by the hospital for an appropria-
! tion, and we can do nothing further than
leave it in your hands.
He was followed by Leader GledhiIl.
Chairman of the Committee on Appro-
priations, of the Lower House, Assem-
blyman Fairchild, DR.. james w. Smith,
member of the Board of Managers, Sena.
tor Martin of Sussex County, Warden
! Everett and others.
| We may state with assurance that the
members Of the committees were pro-
foundly impressed with the object lesson
presented by the crowded condition of
the wards, which necessitated the Sleep