The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-28
Institutions Should Be Divorced
from SpOils System.
Recommendation Made by Asy-
lum Investigation Committee.
Employees Should Take No Part
in Campaigns.
POORLY PAID LABOR.
More Attendants Necessary to
Care of Insane.
Thirteen Cases of Extreme
Cruelty Are Found.
Report Delivered to Governor
D-.H... mNs- Feo-.oo~,
POORLY PAID LABOR.
Report Delivered to Governor
Bailey This Afternoon.

At o'clock this afternoon the asylum
investigation committee filed their re-
port with the governor. 1t is a long
document and takes up the conditions
at each of the state asvlums as the
committee found those conditions to be.
The reDo.t is in part an exoneration
from blame of the officials of the
Rsylums. It closes with number of
recommendations for the betterment of
the institutions. Chief among the rec
concentrations is that the asylum man
agement be divorced entirely from pol
ttics.
Two members of the commission are
said to have tried to 'whitewash" ev
erything connected with the asylum
management. The other four were not
quite so careful as to the wording of
the report.
1t is not yet known what action Gov
ernor Bailey will take in regard to the
report He had a conference with some
of the members of the committee at the
time it was placed in his hands.
The report in full is as follows:
TO the Governor of the State of Kansas.
and the State Board of Trustees Of
Charities and Corrections:
The legislative committee appointed
under house concurrent resolutions No.
n and No. p, to investigate matters re-
lating to the state hospitals for the in
sane at Topeka and Osawatomie, having
concluded its labors. respectfully submit
the following report:
In the prosecution Of it's investigation,
this committee has not investigated
anything pertaining to the financial af-
fairs Of either hospital; neither has the
committee undertaken an investigation
relative to the work or conduct OF the
state board Of charities, but has con
fined its Investigations, in accordance
with the resolutions above mentioned,
TO the material conditions of the insti-
tutions, the patients therein and the
manner of their care and treatment,
carefully avoiding in this work of in
vestigation anything that might in any
degree tend to the prejudice of the case
of Peterson and Neil. now pending in
the district court of Shawnee county,
growing out of an alteration at the
Topeka hospital with one Maxwell. The
committee has avoided the investigation
Of that particular case upon the grounds
and for the reasons that that case is in
volved in the prosecution above referred
to and will be fully and fairly disclosed
by the testimony produced upon the
trial of such case.
HOSPITAL AT TOPEKA.
Concerning the affairs of the hospital
at Topeka, this committee examined
thirtyfour witnesses. whose testimony
the committee has caused to be tvpe-
written, and a COPY thereof is herewith
transmitted and IS made a part OF this
report.
From a personal examination of the
Topeka hospital and the evidence con-
tanned in the record the committee
finds that the sanitary conditions of the
institution are as nearly perfect as II
is possible to attain. The patients
about one thousand in number, are well
led and we'll clothed, and provided with
competent medical attendance, so that
n MT
sible medical treatment demanded nv
his or her condition. The buildings and
grounds are substantial and attractive
and the surroundings of the unfortun-
ates confined in this hospital are in tn.
judgment of the committee. as favor
able to the betterment of their mental
and physical condition as the same car
be made.
The committee finds that the facili,
ties of this institution for the separa-
uon and treatment of female patients
although now good. would be materially
improved by the erection of detached
Dulidlng for female incura bles tbs
same as Is now provided for the male
incurables. ma
The rate of mortality at the Topeka
nospltal for the year 1902 has been onlI
S,,riPL iPei Seht. OF the number enrolled
tnls TO be remarkably low rate ot
mortality, IN consideration Of the condi-
tons, mentally and physically. of the
RNe .cAAeo Ia tHe INSTITUTION, and bV com
parison with the mortality of about D
other institutions of like cbarac+e1
throughout the United States II is
found to be the lowest
The committee finds that there EXISTS
upon the wards, among the attendants
careless practices in the handling NJ
patients, that frequently amounts tc
unwararntcd force and punishment and
sometimes amounts to cruelty There
exists among the attendants kind of
secret understanding which has the in
fuence of restraining one attendant
from informing the superintendent OF
other superior officers of misconduct
and abuses on the part of other attend.
ants toward the patients.
The wages paid for this class of ser
vice range from sixteen dollars to TWEEN.
ty-six dollars per month, with board
and washing included. Under this scale
OF wages the management of the in
stitution has found it impossible to pro
cure help of the high moral and intel
lectual character demanded for this
particular class of service. Those of the
proper mental and moral character dc
not long remain in the service at thai
wage, and the management of the in
stitutton is consequently embarrassed
by the constant change in the personne
OF TINS force. Upon this line we quote
with approval. the testimony of DR.
Biddle, superintendent at page of the
record as follows:
q. Have you had any difficulty II
finding satisfactory help as attendants!
A. Yes, sir.
%. In what way doctor? A. Well
ploy these people for this work, that in