The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-21
MADE ON
 INSANE HOSPITALS
Steward ". C. Harris Compl!-
 mented on His Ability
REPORT OF MR. RU1LEOGE
Only Fault Found Was High Freight Rate Charged By Tuscaloosa Belt Line Railroad-Rates
 Are Too High.


 Are Too High.
 Montgomery. July 2o.-(special) )-one of the most interesting reports of the state examiners of public accounts on a public institution was that filed today by Ex- aminer Rutedge on the conduct of the Alabama Insane Hospital, covering the period from April l. 1901 to June 30. 1903. There is nothing startling in the report but 1t gives a pretty clear insight to the good conduct of the institution, and furnishes facts and figures on sanity that are interesting
 The examiner checked up the books. vouchers. etc. of Treasurer John Little, Jr.. former Steward ". C. Perkins and Steward W. C. Harris. Notwithstanding that the number of these vouchers reaches nearly TOGO and the amount of cash handler amounted to s54S, ,101 45 for the period covered in the examination. everything is reported as absolutely cor rect. Added to this is the improvement fund amounting to $S 9S5 O. which is duly accredited for with a balance on hand of s93o 52 MT. Harris. the steward, is complimented by the examiner in these words:
 Mir. Harris Is complimented.
 This officer makes all purchases of every description for the hospitals. and upon examination I find that he has been diligent in the performance of his duties, and has availed himself of the advan- tages of the leading markets of the coun- try in buying supplies for the institution. The prices paid appear in all cases to be fair and reasonable"
 Mir. Rutledge shows fin his report that the per capita of support for the inmates of the hospital Is surprisingly small. Commenting on this. the report says;
 An inspection of the register of the hospital for the period covered by this report shows that the per capita drafts for patients from April l. 190O to April l. 1902. inclusive. was $2 10 per week; from July l, 1902. to January 1, 190S the per capital was g 9 per week. and for the quarters ending April l, 1903, and June 30, 1903, the per capita was $2.5O per week. This increase was ordered by the board of trustees and was deemed necessary for the purpose of permanent improvements. On June 3O 1903, there were in the hos pital at Tuscaloosa and Mt Vernon 1893 indigent and criminal patients as shown from an inspection of the register
 Compliments Management.
 '"rhe management of this worthy in- stitution appears to be in good hands. and the officers and subordinates fnlly in- terested in it's welfare. Like all good in- stitutions where there is so much to com mend, there are some things needing correction. but these appear to be more attributable to lax administration of the law and to defects in existing laws than to faulty mana cement.
 "The buildings and property of these hospitals represent investment to the state of about $75O GOO. The only insurance carried Is for GOO on the property in Tuscaloosa. 1 think that additional poli- cles for S50,000 each on the property To- cated at Tuscaloosa and Mt. Vernon should be taken out, and if necessary a special appropriation should cover the premium paid for this insurance.
 ,The steward has been paying pre- mium for exchange to pay bills at differ ent points where purchases were made. think that this should be avoided if possible, as the hospitals generally have q large amount of money on deposit in the bank in Tuscaloosa, and it seems a hardship to pay a premium on exchange under these circumstances.
 '1fhe Tuscaloosa Belt Line railroad op- crates a transfer line across the city for a distance of about three miles. carrying freight and passengers This road trans fers a large amount of freight annually for the hospitals. Its charges for this service appear to be very exorbitant, as the following examples will show
 Paying High Freight Rates.
 "On June 19 1903. five ear loads of coal were shipped from Blocton to Tuscaloosa. distance of forty miles, the railroad freight for this service being $7929 an average per car of $l5. .s6 The dummy line charged for transferring this coal three miles N156 an average per car of $9.51. On shipments of flour in car lots several charges were noted of $6.27 per car for three miles. At the same rate the raiI- road charge would have been $735 5O freight per car from the point where this flour was purchased. to Tuscaloosa It would appear from the above that these charges are much too high, and that a rate of $2.5O to B per car for freight trans ferred would be ample compensation. The freight bills of the hospitals amount to about s5OO0 per annum. large portion of this amount being paid to this local trans- fer line, and 1t will be readily seen that this is an important item in the expense bill.
 Mobile Leads In Patients.
 There seems to be a lax administration of the law in reference to committing patients to the institution from certain quarters of the state The reports of the superintendent shows that on Septem- Der, 1902 l64 patients were present from the county of Mobile. This is one patient for every SSs of the population, which IS 62. 70O by the last federal census The com bined population of the counties of Mont gomery, Barbour, Lowndes, Hale. Clark and Henry is 2S7,000, and there are in the insane hospital from these counties 1Go patients, an average of one patient to each l4SS of the population, as against one to each 3S2 from Mobile
 Again. the county of Tuscaloosa with population of 6,1O0, has 75 patients while Montgomery, with 72OOO population has only "A do not claim to be an ex' pert on the theory of insanity. but this Is condition and not a theory presented by the above statistics They indicate . very lax and easy construction of tha law in regard to sending patients fron, these counties, and it may be an iudus- triOuS effort has hpau t,ooda