The Monroe journal., 1907-01-29
A Proper Bill to Provide for the
Unfortunate.

lniOf tundtc.
Four years ago the editor Of this
paper expressed the opinion that
there could never be any adequate
handling Of the charitable lnstltu-
tons of the State until the question
was taken up as a whole, the lnsiliu-
tons correlated and one responsible
management put to work, in place OF
the biennial scramble Of the more or
less rival institutions seeking help
before the legislature. The germ OF
this idea now finds expression in a
bill introduced by Representative
Beckett. which bill, we believe, has
behind it the endorsement Of the
friends Of the cause, both official and
unofficial, in the State. We are in
debted to the Charlotte Observer for
the text Of this excellent bill, and the
following summary OF it:
Summarized briefly, it provides
for a Hospital Commission 70 be com
posed Of the superintendent OF the
three State hospitals and four other
practical business men To be appoint.
ed by the Governor; that this COM
mission shall buy in some healthy.
and convenient section thousand
acres OF land upon which to erect
buildings in which white epileptlcS
and other mental detectives may be-
cared and provided for, and in some
healthy and convenient section five
hundred acres for the care and pro
vision for similar detectives Of the
colored race, that it shall buy for the
use of the three State hospitals add
tional lands, not to exceed two hun
bred acres in any case, and there
shall be erected on these lands or as
additions to the present buildings,
within the discretion Of the commits
sion, sufficient accommodations for
the mental detectives for the next
twenty years. The bill is wisely llex-
ible. 1t lodges large powers with the
commission, and under it the greater
part of the enlarged accommodations
may be made in connection with the
present institutions If the commits
sion so elects To accomplish its pur-
poses it provides for the issuance Of
100000 Of bonds or 50 many with
in This sum as may be necessary |
these bonds to run thirty years and
bear 3 per cent. interest OF course
in the terms OF the measure all nee
essary details are taken care Of Ill
is a most excellent bill. 1t is the re-
suit Of deep thought and careful in
vestigation on the part Of Mr. Beckett
for months past and meets the unani-
nous approval of the superintend-
ents and directors Of the three hospi- |
tails and the chairmen Of the Senate
and House branches Of the legisla-
ture on these institutions. Sub |
committees Of these committees were
at Morganton Tuesday, and while
there were Of course no specific com |
initials, it was judged from the tenor
of the conversation in the conference
upon the bill that these gentlemen
we're favorably inclined toward it,
We desire to givean unqualified en-
dorsement Of this bill. Its the most
statesmanlike, humane and compre-
hensive approach to this great sub
iect that has ever been made to our
knowledge The feature Of creating
institutions to care for epileptics and |
other mentally defective persons who
do not come in the class Of the insane,
is new idea, but in our opinion next
important to the great object Of car
ing for the actual insane. The issue
of half a million in bonds by the State
for this purpose is a trihe compared
to the object to be attained. We hope
the members Of the General Assem-
bly, will vote for the bill to a man,
regardless Of creeds, parties or inau-
ences.
We have been playing at this sub
ject. The legislature Of 1907 can
immortalize itself by the passage Of
this measure.