Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-02-16
Senator CasheI's Plan to Divide
the Work of the State
Asylum.
BY Removing the Feeble
Minded to the. City OF
Grafton
Scheme Was Turned Down by
a Vote of the People
Recently.

Senator CRshel is visiting the state
hospital to day getting information
about the number of feeble minded, the
needs of the hospital ETC., with the object
of pressing bis bill before the legislature
to establish feeble minded institution
at Grafton. This proposition embodied
in proposed amendment to the state
constitution was recently voted down by
the people of the state, who said they
did not yet care TO invest IN two sepa-
rate institutions for this public charity
Mr.. Cashel says the U. S. government
has given $4,000. which is now in the
treasury, for building a feeble minded
institution at Grafton and that there are
forty acres OF land ready for the purpose.
He erpues that to take sixty OF the state
hospital inmates from this institution
would relieve the overcrowded condition
and that the two classes OF patients
should be KEEP separate.
Mr.. Cashel says be does not care to in
teriere with the appropriation for new
ward building or to cripple the lnstitu-
ton, but as there Is no other institution
which can be located at Grafton, he
hopes to convince the Legislature that
the creation OF the proposed addl-
tional institution is what should be
done. It would save paying interest on
the bonds proposed for the needed build
inRs at the insane hospital he Gays.
Senator Cashel also says that under
the terms of the enabling act OF congress
and subsequent acts, Grafton is the To-
cation OF the feeble minded institution,
but the state constitution OF North Ds-
kote distinctly says that jamestown
shall be the permanent location OF the
Estate hospital for the insane and instl-
tuition for the feeble minded in connec-
ton Herewith" and the Legislative as
sembly appropriated 10000 acres of land
granted by congress, for "the benefit and
endowment of said institution"
How the present legislative assembly
can legally appropriate any money for a
feeble minded institution at any other
place than Jamestown is not seen. This
in addition to the inexpedienoy and un-
necessary cost of the same.
Grafton and Walsh county no doubt
desire some recognition as the location
OF a public institution aud the taxpayers
OF the state would have no objection to
the expenditure OF portion OF the pub
lilo funds there; but 1t does not seem the
part of pu blio economy Or good sense as
yet to MAINTAIN under separate man
agement two distinct institutions for
what is practically the same purpose.
Senator Cashels bill provides state
appropriation OF $22,800 for furnishinR
and maintaining the Grafton branch for
two years. The original appropriation
from the y. S. was for penitentiary,
but the Bismarck people do not want
their institution divided and the project
is now to divide the insane hospital
charges lnstead. The other argument
for the new institution is that Walsh
county is deserving of this recognition; !;
she is the third largest county in the
state and will have no state institution
until this one Is built, which ls neces-
sary 10 the near future.