The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-13

would be in a bearable mental condi-
ton, and in leaving to the counties or
families as We are now doing to a con-
siderable extent the support and re-
Straint of these u~nfortunates, we draw
upon the wealth of the state for Their
support as certainly as if the state
directly cared for them. Nor is it pos
sible TO say any insane person is harm
less.
Common humanity demands that the
chornic and helpless should nave the
best of our care, but ii is tbs class
who may best be cared for by the ouu
ties if any are to be sent there. The
state has assumed the care OF the first
and second classes but not fully.
1t is calculated hat there are two
insane persons to every n thousand
of population. This gives US 400 whit
insane in the state. At MOrgantOn
and Raleigh we will soon nave pro-
vision for 1900 Of the white insane. IT
seems hat there is almost If not quite
sufficient hospital accommodations for
| all the colored insane at present. There
have been applications made to the two
hospitals for whites for 500 persons
more than room can be provided fo".
OF these probably three hundred under
our laws should be admitted. We must
face the fact that there are ~sixty-fvn
| more persons becoming insane each
year thar there is available room made
by the removals from the hospitals.
There is apparently need of increased
! accommodations at the state hospitals
both at Raleigh and at MorgantOn.
They 10Th have the most expensive
part of the plant already in operation
and provision for others may be made
by a cheaper construction Of small de-
tached buildings and by farm colonies.
| At the hospital in MOrgantOn thew have
available land for immediate increase
| in this direction. The state hospital
in Raleigh is in need of additional land
for this reason and for industrial pur-
poses which will serve TO further the
efforts OF the authorities to restore pa
tients and decrease materially the cost
of maintenance. 1t is generally a.
| copied that the cultivation of the OF.
not only is the best treatment for the
insane, but it makes the hospitals more
nearly self-sustaining, and this is 4
| plain mandate of our constitution.
he demand of the state hospital at
Raleigh for a better water supply IS
urgent I invite your special atten-
ton to the note made bv the board OF
examiners Of state institutions as to
this condition and the remedy which
they suggest. The directors ask for
construction of an additional wing at
the hospital at Raleigh. 1t is very
much needed
1t is noteworthy that our people,
burdened as they have been by the in
cubus of adverse political conditions
and the problems resulting from the
enfranchiSement Of the negro, have
supplied the needy negro insane with
necessary accommodations, nOtwith-
standing the fact that many white per
Ons from time to time have been o
necessity confined in the jails as the
best protection available.
THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,
This institution which has for its
purpose the investigation of the min
eral, timber and general natural his
tory of the state, has consid-
erably enlarged it's wor during the
past two years through q more liberia
cooperation between it n the sew
eral government scientific bureaus il
Washington. The general basis of thi.
cooperation is an agreement on tine
part Of the several government scien-
tiflc bureaus that for every dollar eX,
pended in these Investigations by tn
state survey they will expend an equa
amount toward helping the state Il
carry forward these Investigations in {:
more elaborate and satisfactory man
ner . During the past two years thi:
arrangement has been carried forWar,
on a basis ever more satisfactory to tn,
state than can be indicated by thi;
statement. The Investigations mad
have been mainly along the followin,
lines:
a. AS to the present condition an,
possible methods Of extending the pro
ductiVe oyster beds in the waters o
eastern North Carolina.
CO. AS to the artesian waters am
conditions under which these water
may be obtained in eastern North Car
] 1;~ o~l l-;-Iyi~~ --o+or ,,rr1;o fo
the towns in our middle and western
counties.
So The methods of highway i'm
provement and an investigation of tn
materials suitable for road building il
North Carolina.
~ The forest of the state
the forest conditions bordering tn
larger rivers and on the swamp land
owned by the state board Of education
the influence of forest ~clearings il
western North Carolina in causing de
structive floods. During the past tw
years the damage caused by thes
mountain floods in the state has reach
ed $4,000. 000.)
60 The water powers on he stream
in the midland and western counties O
the state and their development TO
manufacturing purposes.
(6.) The miscellaneous mineral re
sources and mining development in til
midland n western counties.
The investments in the development
Of our mineral and timber eSource
have been larger than usual during tn
past two years n they are now pro
crossing satisfactorily in many of thes
counties. AS illustrating the growth @
the good road movement in North Car
Olina-due largely to the geologics
survey-it may be said that ten year
ago the cash expenditures for TIL
work in the state did not exceed $50, 0(
per n It now exceeds $500, 900 pc
annunc: and the survey has in it's en-
ploy n expert whose sole duty is t
aid counties in the wise expenditure {
this money The oyster industry j
our state has been little understoo
and is greatly in need of just such il
v~estigItions as are now being carrie
on by the geological survey with tf
, { aid of the United States fish commi:
, sion.
The report of the state geologist d.
. scribing the above Investigations in d.
tail and also giving a full detaile
statement Of the expenditures of II
S1rrypv on6 n licf Of tina narS0nS cOl