The Topeka state journal., 1906-04-17

ages take care of many babies. Other
home finding societies or societies for
the friendless take care Of them and
get from counties so much for every
little human waif they place with
some family. No one thinks much
about the manned and helpless ones.
There should be d place, under the
control of the board, in its turn re-
spOnsible to the public. for the care
OF helpless little children of all
classes They have the strongest pos
sible claim upon society. 1t is often
said there should be no Orphanage
in Kansas. That children should be
placed directly in homes. Many of
the children are not fitted for suitable
homes. Their habits are bad, their
manners have had no thought they
come from the street dirty and unat-
tractive. The state should see to 1t
that they are disciplined, healed. and
trained to some extent, and then peO-
pie will want them. OF children
placed in homes nearly so per cent.
must be taken back because they are
not properly treated or the home is
unsuitable. The next legislature
should be asked to enlarge the law by
making it a state orphans home, TAX
ing in all children up to the age Of IA
years of sound mind. In order to do
this special cottage for crippled
children must be built, all on the
ground floor, so they may reach
school room, sleeping rooms, dining
room, without going upstairs.
Needs of Topeka Asylum.
The Topeka hospital with more than
LOCO patients has no ice and cold stOr-
age You know how much the lack of
this interferes with the comfort and
care of people. The OsaWatOmie hos
pftal with more than 1900 patients has
one good piano. The most wonderful
uses are made Of the power of music to
quiet violent, disturbed patients in
many hospitals. Without sufficient
help, without music, our superintend-
ents must use the various forms of
mild mechanical restraint for disturbed
patients.
It is universally agreed by physicians
that every ward in every asylum should
have woman attendant in 1t. 1t is
not possible with US when, for instance
at OsaW WatOmte the care and mainten-
ance fund was cut $40 600 for the bien-
nial period by the last legislature, and
the population of the hospital has been
increased to 200. In the plan for the
epileptic colony at Parsons, Kan, Is
the pioneer state. The thought pro-
jected into that institution is along un-
usual lines even for this humane age
as it is the first institution of its kind
If the legislature will be generous II
may be made the ideal for caring for
this class of suffering people. Many OF
the patients there are not insane. They
vary from little girls of s to men and
women of 90 years There are young
college women in the spring time Of
life. and all the way along, the various
paths of industria ism, the day labor
1 ers, mechanics, the professions, have
sent their stricken. Delicate, high bred
women, there are, who would grace any
home. There is a little school with q
children in it. The health, the daily
/ living, the social life, the intellectual
and religious privileges Of all these
/ people, are in the hands of those whC
/ control this institution. The grounds
should be made beautiful, and the pres
ent buildings and cottages furnished il
/ better shape There is no chapel and
! no assembly room. When there is