Evening star., 1905-09-21


Commissioners to call In . visiting physi-
clan at any time when necessary to exam
Inc and make out certificates of insanity
FOR mental suspects. 80 that they might be
promptly transferred. and to pay q fixed
amount to the physician for this special
During the year three payflfops were
erected on the hospital grounds to prevs0e
opeu-atr treatment for tie growing number
Of tubercuions patients.
The city OF Washington peeds q well
equipped sanatorfum for consumptfveS. Il
should not be on the grounds OF the Wash.
fngton Asylum, but on site that Is attrac-
tive and apart from other institutions.
put In uniforms and were commissioned as
additional prfyates, having power to make
arrests.
In the female workhouse the discipline
and moral atmosphere were greatly Inn
proved by assigning female officers to lock
and unlock the cells.
In the new workhouse basement WE'LL
appointed Kitchen and dining room have
tuition. who formerly had their meals served
In q syery small apartment In the almsh0use.
The asylum grounds are better lighted
than In former years, but It Is still very un-.
all the buildings and grounds. It would be.
cheaper and better than gas.
New cooking appliances had been placed
In the hospital kitchen. and tho wards have
and rocking chairs.
.An appropriation of 1900 has been made
to install a steam laundry plant in the fe-
male workhouse. This plant is to be SUM
ctently large to take care Of all the tnsti-
tuition washing. and 1t will also undertake
to do much sof the laundry work for the
departments of the District of Columbia.
The laundry Will be put in operation late
In the fall.
sAn appropriation of $3.50 has been made
available to install new baths in the work
house buildings.
"a dining room for female prisoners Will
be provided as soon as the laundry plantzis
completed.
"The principal buildings OF the Washing
tom Asylum are connected by telephone. but
the Instruments are nearly all worn out
and the wiring Is defective. 1t Ii absolutely
necessary to have new telephones for the
local service. with a central switchboard.
An appropriation OF 500 will cover this
work.
Revision Of Pay Roll.
'I cannot urge too strongly the necessity
Of revising the pay roll so that the principal
officers in the workhouse may receive more
compensation The present wage RANGES
from $s65 to $500 per annum. With
board From the officers standpoint the
board amounts to very little, as the most
of them have families. An increase OF SlO
per month, with the condition that they
take most of their meals at home, would
mean much more to them, and the fnstftu-
ton would probably save the whole OF the
difference in the cost of the board. Living
expenses are high in Washington, and the
officers have difficulty in getting along on
their present salary. In other institutions
this kind Of service is better paid. and IN
truth 1t is difficult to secure good ofncers
at our present rate of pay.
'~rhe asylum Is greatly in need of CEN
trail heating and power plant. AT present
there are six distinct plants. entirely sepa-
rated one from the other, each requiring an
engineer. To make needed repairs to
boiler it was necessary to secure portable
boiler for use when any of the others had
to be thrown out OF service. A centrai
plant would result In great economy. not
only in the use of fuel, but would reduce
the number of engineers by one-half. and
vet give much better service.
1T Is also important that we should have
a thoroughly competent chief engineer.
The plant Is a large one and the response
bility great The right man cannot be Sc
cured at 5000 per annum.
Il strongly recommend an appropriation
of from ten to twelve thousand dollars to
erect a house of detention for mental sus-
poets. The Number of patients Is constantly
Increasing and our room Is 1nadequate
Sometimes we are opifged TO place theH III
rooms with other sick patients who are not
insane.
Il would also emphasize the recommen-
dation of our resident physician that some
provision be made for special articles OF
food for some Of the very sick patients. An
appropriation of about $40 per month. with
which the superintendent could directly pur-
chase little extras, would be great beneht
to the sick.
The following live stock, belonging to
the District of Columbia. Is accounted for
on the farm: Twenty-three horses, ~ COWS.
heifers, bull 3 calves. 43 hogs. 70 shoats.
so pigs. The farm also furnished for food
of Inmates during the year :.621 pounds o:
pork, 1,423 pounds of beef and 1,O21 poundA
of veal.
Seven hundred and thirty-three burials
ae1d drYrfn "a
past year-an increase of fourteen over the
preceding year.
I'VE wish to acknowledge the following
items contributed to the Washington Asy-
lum during the year: Thirty-two hair mat
tresses from No. police station: twenty
four iron lamp posts and lanterns, from
tile electric department.; 1po Old cement
tiles, $50 feet of tagging three old patrol
boxes and IA feet of sewer pipe, from the
engineer department. We also ackno VI
edge a donation Of books from Mr.. II. b.
Wyman; tuning Of piano by Sanders q
Stayman; donation OF twenty-five Christ
ington Times; series of entertainments
and refreshments by various churches. and
helpful services on each Sunday by Chris
tian workers, both protestant and Catholic.
The main services In the workhouse are
now held in one Of the large corridors.
where 1t is possible to accommodate all the
prisoners at one time. This arrangement
has made the services more interesting and
helpful"
Estimates for 1907.
Accompanying his report. Superintendent
Zinkhan sent his estimates for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1907. In these he re-
quested only a few minor increases in sal
aries, the total amount deemed necessary
for the conduct of the institution, lnclud-
ing the almshouse. which will soon move
to the new site, being estimated at 500 OOO
in salaries and $64, 600 in contingent ex-
penses.
In summarizing the work of the entire
institution under his care Mr.. bingham
states that the daily average number OF
inmates for the year reached a grand total
of GIL, Of which number 3A were In the
workhouse; 223 In the almshouse. and 14I
in the hospital. The cost per capita to the
government to maintain the inmates of all
three branches of the institution during the
year was figured by the superintendent to
be $125.T5.
Died From Injuries.
WILLIAMSPORT. Pa. September 21-
David Brady. a Greenwood township