Arizona republican., 1899-01-18
THE REFORM SCHOOL OR HOSPI-
 TAIL FOR THE INSANE.

By an act Of the Seventeenth legis- lature a reform school building was authorized to>be constructed at Flag staff, in which to care for the vicious youth of the territory, and provision
 was made for the expense of construc- tion by special tax levy. Act No. p of the Nineteenth legislature, entitled An act to establish home for the in sane near Flagstaff, Arizona" provides
 that the tract Of land now held in fee
 simple by the territory of Arizona, To-
 cated near Flagstaff, COconino county,
 being about one hundred and thirty
 acres of section twenty-one (210 in
 township twenty-one (21). north range
 seven CD east, Gila and Salt river me
 ridian, secured by virtue Of Act No. S1
 Of the Seventeenth legislature, and the
 building located on said land, now un-
 der construction, heretofore known as
 the reform school, shall be devoted to
 the uses and purposes of the home for
 the insane. and provision is made in
 the act for the operation of the home
 A fine building has been erected. by
 far the largest and finest in the terri
 tory, and the work upon it has been
 firSt-class in every particular. The
 building is not yet finished, although $33,116.02 has been expended thus far
 in it's construction. There is now in
 the treasury $12,800, and there will be approximately 5000 more available from incoming taxes during the pres ent month, making S21. 800 in all with
 which to complete the building. This amount will no doubt he sufficient, ex-
 cept possibly for furnishing, although that depends largely upon the use to which the building is put do not think it practicable nor expedient to use the building, either as a reform school or home for the insane. We have very few vicious youths in the territory, and it is very probable that arran gements can be made for their care in the reform school of southern California upon terms more advantage | GUS in every way than to maintain a separate institution for them here; or, | if it should become necessary to pro- vide for them within the territory. An 1 annex to the penitentiary or to some of our educational institutions could | be constructed for the purpose, which | would suffice fer many years, and ! which would not be expensive to main tain. As to the building being used as i a home for the insane, branch asy lum, so to speak, l do not think the ex- Dense of maintaining such an institu- tiCn justifable. I Cl0 not think the territory can afford to conduct two lsylums for the insane at this time, and if the inmates of the present asy-
 um were to be all moved to the Flag staff building and maintained there disposition would have to be made of
 he asylum building, improved grounds md 160 acres of very productive land in Marlcopa county. The land upon which the Flagstaff building is located 5 not productive and cannot be made o contribute to the maintenance of an asylum, and the general expense of supplying and caring for the Insane would be much greater in Cocoaino han in MarieOpa county. It may be
 ontended that for climatic reasons 1t ( would be more humane to keep the un- ortunate patients in the north, espec- I ally in the summer but this is dls- 'uted, and under the circumstances, , or economic reasons especially, cannot veil be considered. l
 The fact remains that g very fine
 nearly completed, with money
 vailab.e to finish it, is owned by the at Flagstaff and the question o be decided is, For what purpose can I be best and most benefcially used? t has been suggested that it should be q nished for an educational institution s nd used as a Normal School North" |
 believe such a school would be well f atrOnized, and if the building is to be Il nished and maintained as Territorial Y nstitution Of any kind, I recommend i hat it be used as a normal school, and s
 fund be provided by taxation for it's , upport I believe, however, that 1t Fould he beet, if possible, to sell the rOHerty. if purchasers can be found
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