New-York tribune., 1902-02-18
LUNACY BILL TO BE LAW.
GOVERNOR DETERMINED TO SIGN IT IN
PEOPLES INTEREST
WRONGDOING. HE SAYS. PRACTIsED BY
CERTAIN MANAGERS CHARITIES ASSO-
CATIONS ARGUMENTS USELESS
Inv TELEGRAPH To THE rRrHuxE.I

Inv TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE-T
Albany. Feb. 17.-Goveruor CdelI will sign the
bill which abolishes the board of managers of
the state hospitals for the insane and puts their
control and management in the hands Of the
State Commission IN LunaCy.
The Governor made public his intention in
most emphatic language at the termination OF
the hearing the bill this afternoon in the
executive chamber at the Capitol where he was
asked by Professor George F. Garfield. Of New
York president of the state Charities Aid so
ciety. TO delay action on the BILL for the purpose
Of giving opportunity to obtain amendment
to H. In reply the Governor said,
have no desire to break down this or that
system. but l am here TO do my duty by the
citizens Of the State and the taxpayers Of the
state III the two years or my term no matter
what happens afterward | think this bill is
all right. and for that reason and no other
am going to sign Il You Who nave so vigorous
lv opposed Il need fear to the results.
When you see the new law in operation YOU. too.
will commend il.
Now I am in earnest-in dead earnest. This is
not a new scheme. 1t has ben favored by every
Governor since the time of Governor Flower.
There has been wronGdoing prsctised IN
der the present system. and there are
certain managers implicated in this wrong
doing. These men have got to go. I have
no contest with the state Charities Aid So
cicty, hut the letter which Its secretary
sent out to the effect that had muzzIed
superintendents of these institutions ought
to he contrndicted. L understOod
that I have muEEIed one. As a matter Of
fnct. the Commission in Lunacy requested
these stay away from the Capitot
only prevent them from log rolling for
more extrnvagant appropriations.
The Governor also said that he had consulted
with the Attorney General as TO the constitu-
tionality of the bill, and that the latter had de-
cided that the measure was sound in every par
ticular.
When the Governor met the correspondents.
later in the evening. he was asked about let
ter which, IL had been alleged. had been sent
out TO Clergymen, asking them to preach
mons against the bill. He said;
of the letter. This letter seeks TO give the i'm
preston that the bill is aimed the charitable
interests OF the State. | would rather cut of
these two hands before would sign bill that
would deprive one of these poor creatures in the
State hospitals for the insane Of a single thing
1 would not have recommended this measure
had not believed il would bring about a better
management of the institutions affected, as we'll
as that il is in the interest Of economy.
I look upon the management of these institu-
tions business proposition. Here, only the
other day, we had a request for an appropria-
ton for one institution amounting to $4,000 for
improvements to be made. and some Of rba
members OF the board of managers OF that in
stitution came 10 talk the matter over with me
Now. of those items was $4,000 for a smoke
stack AS it happens. have built some smoke
stacks for myself, and know something about
their cost I asked them the height Of the
smokestack and they said sixty Feet 7 asked
them whether they had ever built anv smoke
stacks before or knew anything about yhe busi-
ness. They said, No.
Well. gentlemen" I said II built two smoke
stacks over one hundred feet high, and together
they cost s. 200
The same estimate included an item for S:o
600 for an electric light plant. l asked them il