Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-02-01
Or, W A, CUSICK
A Well-kuOwd Salem Physician On
the Asylum Reform Bill,
Gives His Opinions Why the Measure
Should Not Become
Law.

tention to senate bill No, 8, the pur-
pose OF which seems 10 be to supplant
the present state board with a So
called commission or board of trustees.
The proposed commission according
TO the YariOuf provisions OF the bill in
| question, is to taRe sole charge of
every feature or insane asylum man
| agement, from the greatest TO the
least important detail. 1t assumes
absolute control OF the medical staff.
with the rest, and can make the
tenure of Office of each and every one
of them dependent upon tame sub
mission 10 the commissions dicta-
tion, This board can discharge
patients as cured or recovered in the
face of protests OF the medical stan
should 10 so desire and direct.
Rational men are supposed TO have
an object TO accomplish when they
act. What then, Is the object 10 be
accomplished by supplantlng the
present board for new and untried
one ?
The present state officers are all
men of approved character and intel.
ligcnce or they. would not be occupy
ing their present positions. Is a new
board at all likely To be their superlOrs
either from an intellectual or humane
standpointy Is 1t not rather a fact,
that, as all criticisms on account OF
mlsmanagemen will be directed
against the heads Of the state govern
menU. that the present state board
would be prompted to greater care on
that account? The thought intended
TO be conveyed IL, that the proposed
board will be nearer the people, and,
therefore OF necessity must be exceed
ingly in love with all types OF un-
fOrtunates, aud must be made To in
tervene between the heartless pOlI-
ticlans on the present board and the
wicked and designing medical stan 10
attendance at tile asylum. | am sure
past state boards will bear me out in
the statement that very frequent con-
situations between the board aud
superintendent, often weekly and at
least semi monthly, have been
found indispensable 10 order that all
concerned may keep fully in
formed as 70 the Infinite host OF de-
tails that must be understood by both,
factors OF control 50 as 10 conduct the
asylum in accordance with the best
Interests of the inmates aud also OF
the state. 1t must be apparent then.
when we remember the complexities
and intricacies OF detail In the con-
duct OF this immense eStabli Ihment,
aud that IL consumes about one third
Of all our resources resulting from
state taxation, that TO give 10 the
consideration It's Importance demands
the board Of control should be In con-
slant communication with IT,, or
within call. A new and untried and
in great part, most likely, non
resident board, who under the pro-
poeJd law AiN ANIhlANh bhib VI bhNih
at leastl 10 visit only once month
and ALL only once yearly, can
NEVER become SUN silently ac-
qualnted with the needs Of an asylum
OF this kind, 10 be In the least degree
helpful, TO say nothing OF exercising
full control. The superintendent Is
made wholly subserYient TO the will
aud pleasure OF the board, and abSO
lutely controlled by such bylaws as
they see proper TO make or he will be
"lired." You will notice also that he
is required u give $4,000 bonds. Tue
gall and impudence Of this proposition
becomes more than ever apparent as
we read further and observe that the
members OF the proposed board, who
are, really, the responsible parties, are
only required tOgiye 5000. This
tends rather 70 create the impression
chat the proposed board has been kind
enough 10 coucoct the bill One thing