Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-20
COTTAGES MAY BE BUILT,
FOR The WHITE PATIENTS
Governor Says the Old Building Is
Crowded and That Majority of the
Patients Are Negroes--Additionai
Room Must Be Provided.
Daily News Special.

Jackson. Miss, September 10
When Governor Vardaman came into
office nearly four years ago, he had
two pet plans witch he was anxious
to put through and on which he has
worked hard ever since. The first
and most important was penitentiary
reform and the introduction of humane
ity in the treatment of prisoners. He
had them supplied with knives, forks
and plates instead of eating with their
fingers from tin pan. He also had
tables provided. The custom had been
to give a man his tin pan and let him.
go off in a corner of the dingy dirty
odorous shack and eat it with his fin
gers. Other reforms suggested were
to preserve a mans self-respect to
him, and turn him out II possible a
better man than when he entered, in
stead of making him by rough treat
ment a professional criminal.
The other plan of the Governor ws{4
reform in the treatment of the insane
patients. He fought to have the
buildings arranged 80 that thesiRaf
tients could get fresh an and p1lr
enade on the galleries This h&1 a
accomplished by shutting ID ~ gal
leries with iron rods. He also took
up the fight for isolating the consump-
tive patients and to this end he recon-
mended a camp in which the patients
could live in tents. This recommends
ton for a tuberculosis camp was
adopted and 1t is now nearly ready
for occupancy.
In speaking of the new work and
various improvements Governor Var
daman said that these were all well
enough in their way and would admir-
ably answer present purposes. Il in
tend to recommend to the next legisla1
ture." said the Governor, "and shall
strenuously urge them to commence
at once the building of nice cosy cot
tages of six, eight, ten or twelve
rod. each fitted up comfortably
and in the most modern style with all
modern conveniences. AS rapidly as
these cottages can be built say one
or two or more every year, the white
patients shall be moved into them,
end when enough cottages are built
to accommodate the white patients,
want the old building turned over to
the negro patients, who are largely in
the majority throughout the state. As
the matter stands now the only avail
able space for negro patients Is
crowded to the utmost limit and negro
patients have to be turned away all
| the time for want of room. ! would
not ask for the building of any more
buildings on the old plan. The cot
| tage plan Is not only more humane.
more comfortable and home like but:
the patients can be better cared for
and better separated. AS II now stands.
the patients are all mixed together
and the durable ones are shut up with
the hopelessly insane ones, and often,
no doubt, to the injury of the former.
With the cottage plan the patients can
be segregated and the durable ones
kept to themselves. Then, too, me
others can be classified and separ-
ated according to their condition. 1
am anxious" continued the Governor,
ito have this plan inaugurated at once,
and instead Of asking for money to
build an addition to the negro wards
| am going to try to get an approprf~
alton for building some OF these cot
tages next year SO that the plan cez.
be tried thoroughly by the time ne
legislature meets again. and II found
} to work as successfully as am con-
} vinced it will. the next Legislatures can
} continue the policy The whole a.
J stitution is now over-crowded. and ~
J sides there are many patients scat
} tered over the state, some Of then
) In 1ails. who ought to be props<l
} cared for. Then, too, our populate
Is growing rapidly and WIN cont1
} y grow more rapidly year BY yer