The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-01-29
WOULD REDUCE FEES.
Prospect of Change in Law Relative
to transportation of Insane
Patients.

If the board of control takes up re-
form that has just, been strongly urged
by the Minnesota board of control in its
recommendations to the governor and
the legislature, the fees of the sheriffs
will be cut down considerably.
The Minnesota board of control has
recommended that the practice of hav.
Ing insane sent to the state hospitals
in charge of the sheriffs or their
deputies be stopped and that the
patients be accompanied instead by
guards or nurses from the hospitals.
Up in Minnesota it is found many
abuses exist because of the present
practice and the legislature is called on
by the board Of control to adopt sys.
tenn wherein such abuses will not be
possible. Here in Iowa the same prac-
tice is followed, and while there is no
particular evidence of abuses, 1t is un.
questionable that the counties pay out
large sums in per diem and expenses to
the sheritfs and deputies for the trans
portation of insane patients that are un.
necessary.
Judge Robinson, whose. attention was
called yesterday to the recommen-
dations of the Minnesota board, said
the Iowa board might well take up the
same recommendation. He said if the
patients could he sent to the hospitals
in charge of guards or nurses from the
hospitals, the saying would be large.
In the FIRST place, there would be no per
| diem, as the attendants at the hos.
pitfalls are paid at fixed salary. More
than this, in many cases the expense
would be less, as the experienced atten-
dants OF the hospitals are able to care
for insane patients much more eff.
| ciently than inexperienced persons.
The practice now is for the sheriff when
taking a,nale patient to the hospital to
take With him.e male assistant. If he is
taking afemale patient for commihne mt
the law cequires him to have female
assistant. The county is out the
per diem axpenass of both the sheriff
Tor the one or more aides he may. take
along Enequently one experienced at
tendant could Transport The patient un-
aided.
| One of the Recommendations OF the
Minnesota board is that the cost of
keeping the insane in the state hos.
pitfalls be borne by the counties, which
in turn are to recover from the estates
I OF patients or their relatives. This is
already the law in Iowa. 1t is interest
ing to note, however, that the board of
control in this state does not fully
approve this system, and is friendly to
the system of having the support of the
insane met by the state tax.
The board of Minnesota recommends
measures to exclude from the insane
hospital persons who are suffering from
the mental weaknesses and infirmities
incident to old age. The board of con.
tool does not attempt to !exclude these
persons, and there are many in the
state hospitals. In speaking OF this
yesterday, Judge Robinson said it would
be inhuman to turn them away. He
does not deny some abuses arise as the
result of permitting such persons to be
committed. For instance, an old man
was committed to Clarinda hospital re.
Gently, through the efforts of daughter.
ln-law, who got tired of having him
around. The doctors watched him, and
became convinced he was not insane.
Just as they were about to release him,
along came two daughters who had not
been known in the case before and took
charge Of him, taking him to their
homes to care for him.-Des Moines
Register and Leader.
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