Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-10
To REDUCE THE FEES
Many Iowa Counties Want to Pay
Sheriffs Less.
NO DISSATISFACTION IN WApELLO
However, 1t is Claimed That in Some
Counties Fees Paid Sheriffs and As.
sistants for Trips to Insane Hospi--
tails Amount to Large Sums.

Wapello county seems to be fortu-
nate in one particular that is evidently
worrying some Of the other counties
ed any trouble here This is the charg-
| ing of fees for assistants for sheriffs
or deputies in taking insane people
to the state hospitals. In this county
when an insane person is sent to Mt.
| Pleasant there is but one officer, either
the sheriff or his deputy in charge, but
it is evident from the complaints that
are registered with the board of con-
troll that some of the counties regard
the per diem and other expenses charg-
ed by their officers and assistants on
such trips as unnecessary. There is
a movement on foot. as result Of this
dissatisfaction, which. if looked upon
favorably by the board of control, will
reduce the fees of the sheriffs, although
the reduction in this county will not
lamount to as much as it will in some of
the others which are farther from the
places where the state insane hospitals
are located. The reform which is want
ed is nothing more nor less than chang
ing the plan of sending patients to the
hospitals AT present they are in
charge of sheriff or deputy, but the
plan urged upon the board Of control
is to have them taken by a nurse OF at
tendant from the hospitals.
In Minnesota it is found that many
abuses exist because of the present
practice and the legislature is called
on by the board OF control to adopt a
system wherein such abuses will not
, be possible Here in Iowa the same
practice is followed, and while there
| is no particular evidence of abuses, il
is unquestionahle that the counties pay
!. out large sums per diem and expenses
i to the sheriffs and deputies for the
l transportation of insane patients thai
: are unnecessary.
: A district judge whose attention was
:. called to the recommendations o.
the Minnesota board, said the Iowa
;, board might well take up the same rec
= ommendation. He said if the patient
. could be sent to the hospitals in charg'
!, of guards or nurses from the hospitals
= the saving would be large. In the frs
> Mace there would be no per diem, a
the attendants at the hospitals are pal,
:, a fixed salary More than this,in man
:. cases the expense would be less, a
- the experienced attendants of the hos
. pitfalls are able to care for insane pa
:, itients more efficiently than ineXperient
"a ed persons. The practice now is TO
- the sheriff when taking male patien
- TO the hospital to take with him NAL
assistant. II he is taking female p;
tent for commitment the law require
him to have a female assistant. TIL
county is out the per diem and expen
Is es Of both the sheriff and the one c
more aides he may take along. FIR
uuentiy one experienced attendar
could transport The patient unaided.
n. One of the recommendations of til
re Minnesota board is that the cost
Z keeping the insane in the state no
10 pitfalls to be borne by the counties,whi
M. in turn are to recover from the e
or tates Of patients or their relatives. Tn
ID. is already the law in Iowa. 1t is /
NJ. teresting to note however, that Il
70 board of control in this state does n
nd fully approve this system. and is frien
nd ly to the system of having the suppo
mt OF the insane met by the state tax.
he The board in Minnesota recommen
ne measures to exclude from the insal
in. hospitals persons who are sufferil
of from mental weaknesses and infirn
ng ties incident to old age. The board
he control does not attempt to eXclu
as these persons, and there are many
de- the state hospitals. 1t is not deni
eat that prominent Iowans say it wou
Ter be inhuman to turn them away. Sor
abuses arise as the result of permitti
at such persons to be committed. F
instance an old man was committed
Clarinda hospital recently. through
efforts of daughter-in-law, who {
tired of having him around. The d.
tors watched him and became convil
ed that he was not insane. Just as tn
were about to release him, along cal
two daughters who had not be
known in the case before and to
II charge of him, taking him to tn
homes to care for him.