Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18
committee believes that such disposition
Of pension money is fair. and that there is
no necessity for recommending any changes

committee believes that such disposition
OF pension money is fair. and that there Is
no necessity for recommending any changes
In the law"
A strong stand is taken against the prop
osition to create a lunacy commission for
the District of Columbia, the report stat
Ing:
1.-THE committee is of the opinion that. in
case there were several government hos
pitfalls for the insane, 1t would be the part
ton for the creation Of lunacy commits
sion, so that these several institutions
could be conducted along the same lines,
but. in the case Of the Government Hos
pital for the Insane. there would seem
to be no need for such commission"
Modification as to Commitment.
1.-THE report emphasizes the necessity for
the modification of the law on the subject
Of commitment Of persons to the hospital
and on this point says:
1.-The committee has no hesitancy in
saying that the law as it now stands Is
misleading, conflicting and ambiguous.
There is not before the committee evidence
of any injustice having been done to any
body by reason of this method of commit
stated. even If they be considered the only
proper construction of the statutes. are I'M
duly cumbersome, and that the procedure
in these lunacy cases might be improved
with beneficial results to all concerned.
1T Is the opinion Of the committee that
there Is urgent necessity for change in
the lunacy law. and it therefore recon-
mends that a new statute be enacted in
place of what 1t considers the vague and
conflicting law on that subject at the pres
ent time" :
Views Of Minority.
The minority of the committee agree
with the majority on the general propo-
sition that the treatment of the inmates
Of the hospital by the medical STAFF Is, on
the whole, humane; that the medical treat
ment is abreast with the times. and that
the STAFF in that regard ranks high. But
Messrs. Hay and Wallace are not in full
accord with their colleagues in other mat
tiers, as the following excerpts from their
report show:
ut appears that the staff frown on and
sternly forbid cruelty to patients by at
tendants. and numerous cases of dismissals
Of attendants for this reason appear in
the evidence. But that attendants have
treated patients cruelty, blow by blow and
neglect, Is proved beyond q doubt. 1t is
also true that there Is certain amount Of
callousness displayed both by the physi-
clans and attendants, we'll as want of
sympathy with these unfortunate people.
las to the food which is supplied to the
inmates Of the hospital. there Is con-
f1ict of evidence, but it seems that the
that the food is generally badly prepared,
badly served and oftentimes Is not of such
character as to be fit for consumption.
THE evidence taken shows very conclu-
lively, we think. that there are not enough
attendants employed to take proper care of
the patients. 1t may be true that other
hospitals have not as many. but this instI-
tuition has no excuse for economizing in
this direction. Cruelty to patients, neglect
of patients. the restraint used. and, indeed,
every fault in the management have their
origin in the fact that there are not enough
attendants.
1T has seemed to US that the manner of
commitment Of soldiers and sailors to the
hospital Is not in accord with those princi-
pies Of law and justice which should be
applied in cases involving the liberty and
property Of the citizens of this country
But the case Of soldiers sent to this hos
pital from the different soldiers homes is
hospital upon the order of the president of
the board of managers Of the national
homes. No process of any kind is invoked
From the evidence 1t appears that, be-
the support of the hospital large amount
of money Is derived from the pensions OF
the soldiers and sailors committed there,
and it does not appear that this money is
spent for the benefit of the pensioners, but
for the inmates of the hospital generally
and for improvements to the grounds and
buildings. A law should be enacted pro-
viding that these pensioners should get the
benefit of their pensions.
I'VE think the superintendent should en-
ploy those who have to serve under him,
but We believe Congress should fix the
salaries of those employed. There ought
to be separate bill prepared by the COM
mittee on appropriations. in which the
items for the hospital should be set out in
detail. The method of lump appropriation
has long since been recognized as vicious
legislation, and no valid reason can be
given for its continuance in this instance.
It also seems to US that the superintendent
should be appointed by the President.
Lunacy Commission Recommends.
I'VE recommend that commission Of
lunacy be created for the District Of Column
bia, to be composed Of three members
whose terms Of Office and compensation
shall be fixed by Congress One member
to be a surgeon in the army, to be desig-
mated by the Secretary of War: one to be a
surgeon in the navy. to be designted by the
Secretary OF the Navy, and one to be a
citizen of the District of Columbia, to be
designated by the Commissioners OF the
District al
your committee would also call attention
to the loose management OF the finances Of
the institution The superintendent seems
to think that he can take care In detail OF
all the affairs of the hospital. and from
this has arisen good many abuses, notably
the farm management"