New-York tribune., 1902-03-05
MANAGERS REPLY TO ODEbL
PRESIDENT OF LONG ISLAND STATE
HOSPITALS SENDS LETTER
TO GOVERNOR.

Alexander z. Orr. president Of the board OF man
ayers OF the Long Island State hospitals Ho9 o.,
dressed to Governor Odell a letter II aiS"e ~
Is,-ar,s criticism of the boards management mac
a. the time he signed the bill amending 'le - -
lrnacv law At the beginning Mr.. orr says ina
me purposa Of the board Of managers III ~ a.- 80
,be f;oyerucr is not IN any way 10 to"' =.
-. ~, legislature in passing the Dill OF lNe
. c-,,,r,s action in approving II; that i 'he SCI
vices Of the managers are not cohslutisI ~. .,at,
- beneficial to the state. the board Goes No'
INV right 10 object TO being legislateo ou' % -
IT, ,eobers Of the board feel. he continues 'ha'
.t c,,,.e-nor has been sadly mlsihloIileu a" ~
-. -.t-.re The letter refers 70 Governor Oo-E'
crtticism Of the coal contract which was as io''''
- the Long Island Hospital contract g for eGai snd
Was given in lS6 to a men ntIhpet ~ ,baf the state
gommiFsion in Lunacy ntertered and otTsGt a[teT
effort. secured the annument ol the N''''
In reply President orr writes. in part:
This statement contains elements Of TACT 29t is
very misleading The Long Island 91ate i5 time
we're traIsieFrea 10 sT was appointed AS there
was no coal on hand contract was
IN Lunacy with the same contractor VINO haa - pe,L
supplying the hospitals pT9r 70 m bne erSsno1sibie
short time after the gGa&E ~ o[ san+ I Of the state
Commission in Luna2y his con{aacI l va autboritv
from the State Commission IN L,oISg' ,ad au nj
10 purchase coal supply. that IT was leat5eg & I!ab
cos9 ring and hat the hospitals were in bad
repute with the coal trade ne t + hoard and
the carrying Of the details OF the purcnase ,r
act This board is entirely ignorant OF any great
effort" made by the State Commission in Lunacy 10
cancel this contract
Governor Odelrs second criticism as follows:
In order 10 transport the coal to the asylum a
small railroad owned by former msmber @ ol th the
board OF managers for a small sum. The offer was
refused.
In reply 20 this point Mr. Orr says, in part:
The railroad was simply makeshift Of the build
s~- ragTE n very
was of narrow gauge, uneven and out OF line, anG
" Was s. offered for the sum Of 5000 together with
some rolling stock but eyem II i Ina aao s eef IN 10 the
hospital, the canal had been agreed uIo 5s aS -
in Lunacy FOR its construction had been 2nt$iheG nee
Under these circumstances If the railroad had Pel pee
eeSsansG' ceSsure '"' DO
Quoting the Governors further references-"an
expensive canal built in 1897 at cost OF $500"
which was abandoned short time after its COM
pIetion" and "a spur OF the Long Island Railroad
was then substituted, and it has been stated that
one Of the board Of managers at that time WAS a
sub-contractor upon this work'-the letter con
tinues:
effort had been repeatedly made TO obtain hospital
freight service over the Long Island RaliToad az
then that the construction Of the canal was urged
the State Commission in Lunacy. After the canal
was constructed, and il was demonstTated mat TIE
fions had with the present railroad manage
the freight to Kings Park over 80 per cent and
to build a spur from that depot to the hospital
divided between the State and the railroad com
pany. 1t is error 10 suppose that the canai has
been abandoned 1t is used for the transportation
opinion Of the board. is worth the State much
more than II cost because Of the conveniences and
economies It has insured.
The letter then refers 10 Governor OdelTs objec-
tion that "one OF the first acts OF the managers
OF the Long Island Hospital was TO attempt TO
award contract for construction 10 the second
third highest bidder which only prevented
by the Intervention % the State Commission IN
Lunacy."
The board says Nj orr. being unable recall
the above transaction. wrote TO the secretary Of
the Commission Lunacy for information on the
subject but received none the secretary feeling
authorized to grant the request before the commits
sion met. This Information will be forwarded 10
Albany as II IS received.
In replying 70 the sixth reference made by the
Governor TO the boards management that the
Long Island Hospital shows an average OF two
visits each year sOr each manager: the hospital at
Flatbush received one visit for each manager"
Mr.. Orr writes in part:
The board pleads guilty TO some shortcomings in
thls respect II was not understood by the mem
names In q book each time they visited 2 h0sDiraI
ana some or the members have not visited the hos
necessary comply with statutory reGIireTre7rs
and 70 this extent they admit failure q obligation
t.ti IteTe 80 question important hos
Sssi "a s.-lllIislItllon or Development decided
untll II was carefully considered. and when 1eces-
sSJy crltcay investigated by special visitation 10
noHtllSl N question The board Is oF opinion
sltholgn they cannot present legal proof IN sun,
slenEauon that the estimated number OF visits
LneHOonsu N your memorandum does NOT fully
represent the number OF visits actually made
BISHOP HAS EDITOR ARRESTED