The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-29
BIDDLE AGREES.
Approves Findings of Asylum
Investigating Committee.
Believes That Institutions
Should Be Free from Politics.
COST STATE S1,339.2O.
Expenses of Investigation Can
Not Be Paid.
COST STATE $1,339.2O.
Committeeman and Witnesses
Must Wait for Pay.

If the recommendations made by the
asylum investigation committee be fol-
lowed" said DIR. T. c. Biddle superin-
tendent of the Topeka insane asylum to-
day, 1T means that the expense Of
maintaining the hospital will be double
We would not be able to cut down the
working hours to eight without a very
large increase in force. The increase in
salaries would be large in the aggre-
gate.
L approve the findings of the COM
mission. I believe that they are on the
right track. The asylums should be
freed from political influence. Even at
the present time 7 never make any in
quiIies as to a mans politics when l
am employing him"
The most important recommendation
are just what superintendent of the
asylums both at Topeka and Osawato-
mie have been recommending for the
past ten or fifteen years.
In 1892 DR.. B. D. Eastman, then serv-
ing as superintendent of the Topeka
asylum, in his report to the state board
of charities, recommended additional
expenditures for salaries He stated that
it was impossible to get good service for
the wages which were being paid. AS
soon as we secure a competent attend
ant he said in his report, I'VE lose
him, becau ause he can get better pay
somewhere else. The people of the state
expect US to keep competent, well trained
attendants and nurses. but with our
salary scale it is impossible to do this
at all times"
1t was also along about 1890 that DR..
Eastman was recommending regularly
every year that the number of attend
ants be increased. so that there might
be more people to look after the wards
at night. This is practically what the
recommendation of the commission
amounts to.
DR. Eastman also favored the elimfna-
tion of politics from the management Of
the institution, though in his earlier re-
ports the state was so unanimously Re
publican that there was not much
chance for an argument on that Hne.
When DIR. Biddle made his first report.
in 1900, he started by recommending the
same things that are covered in the re-
port published in this paper last even
ing. He said in the 1900 report:
Il believe a separation of the elee-
mosynary institutions of the state from
the chances of political changes would
be of advantage to the state wards and
like all superintendents. am earnestly
in sympathy with the movement.
The same report contains plea for
more attendants, and better scale of
wages.
mendations concerning elimination from
politics. but laid great stress on the in
adequacy of the night service and the
poor salaries paid to attendants. He
said that he himself felt that the fact
that he is getting only a third or a half
as much pay as superintendents of sim
liar institutions tended to decrease ms
enthusiasm in the work. and judged that
the same effect was produced on other
under paid employees
The report of the investigation COM
mission recommends that supervisors
be paid $500 per annum, and that at
tendants be paid scale of from S25 to
$40 month. the hours reduced to eight
The attendants now work aabout fifteen
hours and get 80 to $26.
It is not likely that anything will be
done with the report of the commission
until the next session of the legislature.
NO MONEY FOR WITNESSES.
The total cost of the asylum invesu-
CATION. of which the report was fled
Tuesday, was S1,3S9.20, and there was
on hand to meet this debt the sum of
$2o7. G..
This morning the asylum investi-
cation commission met at the National
hotel with StenograDher James r
Wick and divided uD the small amount
of money available in the hands of the
state treasurer There was enough To
pay all the expenses of the members
of the commission. and give James r.
Wick $50 81 besides. The following is
the distribution agreed upon:
H. w. Conrad .......--....--..... S3I. 90
w S. jerks 26.O0
Geo. P. Hayden NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 29.O0
r. r. Campbell OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 81 %
G.. w. Gabriel ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2S-O0
w S. Fitzpatrick -..-.-----..-.-- $3.50
James r. Wick ...--...-...----.-.. 2I45
Fifty witnesses. who were also out
money for expenses, did not get cent.
They will be allowed to wait two years.
and then maybe the legislature will pay
a d11o To Wit
nesses is $101-10.
w p Mason. the sergeant-at-arms,
has a bill against the commission for
$S04O for serving papers, which will
made enough out of the house journal
to keen the wolf from the door.
There is likely to be a loud and pro-
longed complaint when the fifty wit
nesses who testified hear of what the
commission has done. They want their
pay, and there is likely to be something
doing unless they get it.
There is still 500 salary due to each
member of the commission. James
Wicks bill is S34S45. and as above
stated he has received a total of $SS. .36
on account, leaving a balance due him
of $26o0a.
The total deficiency which the next
legislature viii be asked to make up is
S1.O41.59.
When the commission came to Topeka
it had a plan to get the consent of the
state auditor to use the 81, ZOE left on hand
from the special session of the legisla-
ture to pay TIE commissioners claims in
full The appropriation made to pay for
the special session seems to have been too
large, and there is nothing particular to
do with the money except to turn it back
into the state funds.
But the auditor couldn't see it the way
the commission did. He contended that the
only fund out of which he could legally
pay the commission was out of the money
left over out of the legislative appropria-
tion bill of the regular session. Owing to
the high prices of senate and house jour
nails this year the surplus did not amount
to as much as 1t was expected to. and
there was only the paltry s297.61 which
could be used
IT sssnire@ : long End animet~d discus