The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-25
WARDS Of THE STATE
AS FARMERS
IN PAST TWO YEARS THEY HAVE
RAISED PRODUCE WORTH
$4,000.

+
Blind Between Seattle and Tacom.
contempIated-May Abandon ortino
Home.
Olympia, Nov. 19.-More than so4
600 worth Of produce was raised on
the farms and gardens Of the state
institutions, according to preliminary
reports covering the last two wears
made to the state board of control by
the various superintendent.
The Eastern Washington hospital
for the insane at Medical Lake makes
the best showing. 1t has recently in.
stalled an irrigation plant in connec.
ton with the water service of the hos.
pital and was able to bring small
portion of the hospital farm under
irrigation. The result was the pro.
duction Of more than million pounds
Of vegetables, all OF which were used
in the institution.
May Extend System.
This showing of the possibilities OF
using the labor of the inmates of
state institutions on farms and gar.
dens with the intention of raising q
large proportion OF the food supplies
and thus reducing maintenance cost is
apt to bring about important recon.
mendations to the next legislature.
The state institutions for many
years have been working along at a
minimum of expenditure, and few OF
them today have anything near what
the board Of control considers the
necessary accommodations for the
future. Important changes are de.
sired by the board.
Changes Favored.
The general plan seems to be to
amend the laws so that most Of the
convicts from both the penitentiary at
Walla Walla and reformatory at Mon.
roe will be employed on state road
work. The Eastern hospital for the
insane is overcrowded and new ward
buildings will have to be constructed
unless the feeble-minded institution is
moved elsewhere and the buildings
now used by the latter are turned over
to the hospital. Such turnover and
the extension of the hospital farm can
be accomplished on slight expenditure
and DR.. Semple, the superintendent
believes it will result in the saving OF
much money to the state. "A
Buildings Considered Dangerous.
The deaf and blind school at Van.
couver are reported to be old frame
structures and SO arranged as not to
offer the best facilities for the inmates
to escape in case of ire. The ex-
pense of maintaining these inatitu-
tions has been too high in the opinion
of the board and the state lands avail
able there is insufficient for a farm.
The board will probably suggest the
removal of the blind school from Van
couver to some point, preferably be-
tween Tacoma and Seattle or near
some large city, whence the blind can
make frequent trips to the larger
cities, where they can attend concerts
and secure education along the only
possible lines, that, chiefly by hear
ing.
The Soldiers Home at Orting will
be recommended for abandonment,
probably, and all the old soldiers will
be cared for near the navy yard, in
Kitsap county. In connection with this
latter move, the board of control will
probably amend its rules. Some Of
the inmates of the Soldiers Home to-
day have because Of age and infirm-
tiles become addicted to the use of
jntoxicants, and are too old and weak
to break themselves of this habit.
For Less Drastic Rule.
The present rules provide for the
summary discharge from homes for
intoxication. 1t is proposed In the
case OF veterans who are victims of
the liquor habit to have guardians
appointed to conserve the pension
money and to prevent alcoholic ex-
cesses of the owners. II this is done,
the board has announced its willing
ness to amend its rules SO that sum-
mary discharge will not necessarily
follow intoxication, and the attorney
general has decided that the board
may 30 act.
Another proposed necessary change
is the separation Of the sexes so that
either the boys or the girls will be
removed from the state training
school at Chehalis to some new
branch.