The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-05
NEED MORE ROOM
Next Legislature Must Enlarge
State Institutions.
WOmen's Ward for the Topeka
State Hospital.
CROWDED AT WINFIELD
More Incurable Cases of Insanity
Than in Past Years.
Many Cases Being Cared for in
POOrhOuses.

The next legislature will have to
make appropriations for additional
room at a number of state institu-
lions. The school for the feeble-mind-
ed youths at Winfield is crowded.
The Topeka hospital for the insane
is taxed beyond its capacity, especial
" for the care-taking Of women in
mates In fact all of the institutions
with the exception of the Parsons state
hospital for epileptics are but a lit
tie under the limit.
1.-THE Topeka insane asylum needs
an. additional building for women pa
TENTS" said Sherman Elliott of the
board OF control. 'svve are crowded
out there right to the limit all along,
and sometimes beyond it. We have
no money to make the additional
room now. The next legislature viii
have to be asked for it.
1.-The cases of insanity seem to be
on the increase right along" he con-
tinued. t'Why this is I don't know.
The per cent of men and women is
just about equal. But the grave part
of the situation is that there are SO
many more incurable cases now than IN
past years. do not know what the per
cent of increase is, but I do know
that it is considerably larger"
The closest condition obtains at
Winfield at the school for feebIe-mind-
ed youths. In what is known as Ncus-
todia." there are 165 beds, used by
III inmates. In the main building
there are So beds and 81 population.
In the west building" for girls, there
is a capacity of 126 and population
of 100
At the Atchison soldiers orphans
home there is now room for seven
more boys and thirteen girls. At the
Topeka reform school there is room
for seven additional boys. At the girls
industrial school at Belott there IS ca
pacity for five more girls. At the Par
sons hospital for epileptics there is
room for thirty-two males and twenty
four females. This is a comparatively
new institution. At the Osawatomie
state hospital there is room for nine
males and one female. At the Topeka
hospital there is room for eight males.
The capacity for females was two over
the limit today.
Altogether there are $500 persons
at the Kansas state institutions. A
list follows:
Topeka state hospital. .04S
OsaWatOnie state hospital. s26S
Parsons state hospital. .--.-.-.-.....-... 315
Winfield school for feeble minded. 554
Atchison Soldiers Orphans Home. $50
Bows industrial school. Topeka. 213
Girls industrial school, BelOit...-.... III
Olathe school for deaf (pupils) ........ ia
Kansas City school for blind (pupils) 1oS
Total.............. .......... ...........s.sos
Every day the board of control re-
ceives a. report from each institution
telling just what the population OF
each institution was at the close OF
the day preceding.
I'VE must have room at a number
of the places said Chairman E. 3.
Schermerhorn of the board of control
today. There are Quite a good num-
Der of persons in the state who ought
to be cared for in some Of these places
right now who belong there. Now
many of them are being kept in poor
houses and poor-house annexes."
How much will you ask the iegis-
Iature for?'' was asked.
81 do not know" he replied. THAT
is something that must be gone over
carefully. Then besides it should not
be announced as yet. We will, how
ever when the time comes"