The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-27
WILL NOT CRIPPLE
INSANE ASYLUMS
Failure to Provide Appropriation
in Lieu Of Fees Offset by
Other Increases.
SENATE REFERS MESSAGE
Because OF Established Rule, No
Action Could be Taken to
Increase Fund.
SENATE REFERS MESSAGE

Senator Saezell, chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee, was Of the
opinion last night that the danger OF
crippling the work or the State hsy-
lums for the insane. through the pas
sage of the bill which cuts off their
fees from pay patients. had been great
ly exaggerated. The Rockingham SEN
ator said that all of the insane asy-
lums had received large increases on
while it had no doubt been the inten-
tion of the Legislature to provide in
the appropriation act for additional
sums to take the place of the abolished
fees, still the institutions could get
along very we'll with their increased
amounts. and II there was any small
deficit 1t could be made good by the
next Legislature.
The institutions get from 100000 to
la sl35.o00 each for support under the
appropriation bill just passed. and no
$4,000. while two of them have never
received as much as $4,000 in one year
from fees of pay patients.
The following increases were given
In the appropriation bill of this year
over the bill OF 1906:
To Eastern Hospital. $4,000; to
Western Hospital. s21,5Oo; to South
western Hospital. 1000.
1t Will readily be seen that even
though the Legislature inadvertently
omitted to give them an allowance in
lieu OF the abolished fees the institu-
tons will not be justified in denying
admittance to patients, as has been
suggested.
Governors MessnEc.
The possibility of shortage in the
frr ~. 4,
insane was called to the attention of
the Senate yesterday morning by a
message from Governor Swanson, call
ing attention to an act passed by this
Legislature abolishing certain fees OF
pay patients at the Western. Eastern
and Southwestern State Hospitals on
account of the passage of this act the
Governor stated that these institutions
would face a deficit of from $4,000 to
$1,000 each. and he therefore recon-
mended an additional appropriation
Senator Echols favored immediate
action on the message, saying that the
present appropriation was barely suf-
ficient to support these institutions.
Lieutenant Governor Ellyson read the
joint resolution under which both
houses were working. and ruled that
II would be necessary TO rescind this
joint resolution in order to make an APP
preparation or, in fact, take any con-
venient action except on matters re-
lating to the Blackstone affair.
Senator Keezell said that the loss in
fees to the three institutions would be
from $12 900 to $4,000 in all, and stated
that while he regretted the inadvertent
action taken in cutting off this source
OF income without providing any other.
still the institutions had all received
large increases this year. Should they
come in next session with an over
drawn balance sheet the facts would
be understood, and we could make good
the deficit at the next General Assem-
bly,. Should we let down the barriers
by taking this matter up there will be
no end of trouble.
The Governors message was referred
to the Finance Committee, the whole
trend of the discussion showing that
there was no probability of this SEES
sion taking up other business than
that growing out of the Blackstone
affair