Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-01-26
REPORT or 1TTIONS.
Insane Hospitals Have Many Faults =
RppOrt by SynODsis.

The four insane hospitals are given first
attention. A detailed account OF the
methods Of doing business in each one
Is given. In each of the three that are
now operating it is claimed by the COM
mittee that reduction in the per capita
allowance could be made If the manage
ments were at all careful in their admin
istration of affairs. Everything is done
by loose methods OF business, There is no
competitive system of bidding for the
construction of buildings or the purchase
Of supplies. The systems of bookkeeping.
where there are any, are defective, the
one at Mount Pleasant being the best.
Tho superintendent, except in the case OF
Clarinda hospital. are compelled to give
their attention to matters of building and
buying to the exclusion OF personal care
Of the inmates. They are paid expenses
for making trips to annual conventions OF
superintendents of the, United States.
which the committee holds was never con-
templated by law. The law passed by the
last assembly providing for the drawing
Of the quartely allowance of the hospi-
tails in advance Is said to have brought
no advantage with 1t except to increase
the daily deposits of the treasurer. The
last assembly reduced the salaries. of the
superintendents of the hospitals. A ques-
ton has arisen as to the power of the
legislature to change this compensation
which is fixed by contract with the board
OF trustees The committee believes that
in no instance will the trustees reduce
the compensation voluntarily unless adj
vised by the law officers of the state that
no greater compensation can be, paid.
Some of the evils of the different hospi-
tails are reviewed as follows:
At Independence one thousand dollars
has been expended annually in street car
tickets for the use of patients in recrea-
ton on street car line running between
the hospital and the city of Independence.
1t is largely bonus to the car company
to retain the operation of the line for the
benefit Of the hospital and the committee
recommends that 4 be abolished. 1t has
nected with the hospital, and employed
occasionally. at SIC, day to assist in OPP
erations and give lectures in the training
school for nurses, an unusual expenditure
and one made by no other state institu-
ton.
higher than at any of the other hospitals.
The steward receives 81 800 per year. Two
clerks of the two prisons render more
service and have greater responsibility
and receive but $500 per year. In spite
Of the law providing that no appropriate
lions shall be drawn from the state treas
ury unless needed for use within thirty
days from the date of requisition, this
hospital has at times drawn several thou
sand dollars which has remained in the
twelve to fifteen months unexpended.
The treasurere receives from $500 to 81. 800
year The hSspa has been
purchased at the banks where he keeps
his deposits. This is unusual; the COM
mittee says. but Is explained by the fact
that such, is the custom at the Mount
Pleasant banks. The hospital Is shown
to have paid $1,000 annually to a private
corporation for gas. The trustees do not
Justify this expenditure and the superin-
tendent claims that the state was asked
twice to appropriate money for the equip
ment of the hospital with gas plant.
The resident trustee owns shares of stock
in the gas plant. The committee recon-
mends that the legislature forthwith
equip the hospital with its own lighting
plant 1t Is shown that one of the trus-
tees is a member of the firm of Allen &
Co; at Mt; Pleasant. which has fur
nished much of the c. ,thing for the hos
pital. The COMMITTEE. is satisfied that
the trustees connection with the firm is
any merchandise to the hospital under the
statute.
Trustees Get Double Action.
At Clarinda when the legislature
authorized the building of this hos
pital the work of construction was
given into the hands of building COM
mission. subsequently the board of trus-
tees was created and the work of the
building committee done by this board.
which Is now acting in dual capacity.
The compensation of the members as
trustees Is paid by warrants out of the
state treasury the compensation of mem
bers for services on the building commits
sion Is paid out of the appropriations
made by the legislature for such build
tngs. The trustees have incurred more
expense and drawn greater mileage for
trips over the state and into other states
than those of any other institutions.
In investigating Cherokee hospital now
In process of erection the committee has
ascertained that II left in it's unfinished
condition for time no injury will be
suggests that further work on It for
time be postponed, In view of the present
condition of the states finances and the
increased facilities for patient s which
Clarinda now has.
TROUBLE AT SOLDIERS HOME.