The sun., 1908-04-13
ECOUOMIZING ON EPILEPYICS
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
CUT APPROPRIATION IN TWO. 4

Enough OF the Sufferers Now In This city
Alone 20 F1ll Up the Proposed New
Colony 10 the Capacity which IL IL
Proposed TO Diminish 30 Tremendously.
The establishment Of a colony for epilep-
tics and the feeble minded near Haver-
! straw Is urged by the various charity
| organizations Of the State. The need for
more and better accommodations for
epllepucs became so pressing last year
that a committee was appointed by the
Legislature TO report on a proper site,
The legislative committee, consisting Of
William Stewart, president OF the State
Board Of Charities; Franklin B. Kirkbride
and Alexander c. Proudht. reported that
they had secured an option on tract OF
land near Haverstraw which could be-
purchased for siSs 600. The site selected
consists Of i,267 acres, with $40 acres Of
mountain land ad joining from which TO get
a pure water supply. A bill TO appropriate
the money for the purchase passed the
Assembly, but the appropriation was cut
I'm two by the Finance Committee OF the
Senate The bill will be reported to the
Senate some time this week and tho MEM
bers Of the charity organizations are fight
ing to secure the original amount.
Robert w. Hebberd Commissioner Of
Public Charities, said yesterday that IA
this part Of the State supplies most OF the
funds and the greater number Of patients
to be trea ted in the State custodial asylums
he thought it only reasonable that one in
stitution for the care Of the feeble minded
and epileptic should be near New York
city. At present most Of New lork's
detectives are sent 10 the Craig Cylony,
$50 miles away This means practical
exile from their families for most Of those
sent out from New York The fare for
round trip 10 the Craig Colony is about
Si4 and Il has been estimated that the
annual income Of the average family from
which these patients come il 500. The
Commissioner is continually beseiged by
fathers aud mothers who want their children
brought back to New York and all kinds Of
political and religious pressure are brought
To bear
Aside from the desire to have an insti-
tuition Of this kind near at hand, Commits
sioner Hebberd declares that there are at
this time more than 1909 eplleptic patients
on the waiting list aud ,SOD in the aims
houses and other local institutions where
1t IL impossible TO give them proper care
and treatment. One Of the officers Of the
Charity Organization Society declares that
were the new colony established Il could
be filled to It's limit Of capacity, 300 al
most al once.
Those interested say that il the full ap-
preparation is not secured IN the present
Legislature the option on the land will
expire and that ultimately more land will
hnNF La uN tttF tstg
To cut down the Appropriation One-half
means, they say, that the colony will have
to be established ON 500 acres aud will be-
come a herding place where proper treat
ment and classification will DO impossible
and where sef-malutenanCe by agriculture
and bnCkmaking will he preCluded This
would also mean that a large number OF
detectives would have 10 be left TO shift
for themselye es and On this point the Chari-
ties Organization Society publication says
"Of the thousands Of destitute detectives
for whom We have not yet provided even
the protection Of the almshOuse many
are or will become prolific breeders Of de-
generates Every such offspring is likely
Judging from carefully studied past eN-
nerienCes, to become a burden 10 the State
either as criminal or dependent
Commissioner Hebberd said yesterday
that everybody in the State who was familiar
with tho conditions agreed that the new
asylum was urgently needed. He said
that the only opposition to the bill granting !
the appropriation came from Assembly |
man Nadsworth. Commissioner Hebberd |
said that Assemblyman Wadsworths OPP
position arose from the fact that he was |
interested in the Craig Colony and had ]
the idea that the establishment Of similar |
asylum near New York would hurt that |
institution. The Commissioner declared |
that such would not I've the case.
There is plenty Of room for two institu- |
tions like the Craig Colony in this State" |
said the Commissioner, and we need one |
near this city IL only for the sake Of show !
ing common humanity To these unfor-
tunate people