The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-04-01

the minutes OF the Quarterly County
Court, the committee appointed to in.
vestigate the county asylum at its
open session Tuesday afternoon CON
cluded to defer action for the present
and to go before the court at its
meeting next Monday and ask for en-
larged powers and a construction of
the resolution
Prior to inspecting the minutes the
committee had been under the impress
sion that it was empowered to make
recommendations and to conduct a full
investigation. When it became appar-
ent that the only purpose of the COM
mittee was to report on existing con-
ditions" it was the unanimous opinion
that the best interests of the county
could be served by asking for more au-
thority.
1t was pointed out by DR.. o. j. Por-
ter and DR.. George H. Mack, who APP
peared before the committee, that the
purpose of the investigation was to
consider change of system, the sale
of the property and the re-investment
of funds; that otherwise the appoin-
ment of the committee was a farce,
as it had never been charged that the
present management of the county
asylum was not reasonably efficient
and admittedly a big improvement
over the management of the past The
committee concurred in the view of
the speakers and voted unanimously
to defer action until further instruc-
lions could be had from the court.
The committee met Tuesday after
noon in the directors room of the
Maury National Bank, with only Judge !
q. E. Erwin absent. The following
were present: J. F. Brownlow, James
Esquires Fariss, Hayes and
Guest. Chairman Brownlow presided
at the meeting and asked for an ex-
preston of opinion from those pres
ent. He first read a copy of the reso-
luton under which the committee was !.
saying THAT he was very
much surprised to find that it was of
such limited scope.
Or. Mack Heard. I
DR.. George H. Mack, who as cores
,ondent of the State Board of Chart !
les was responsible largely for the {
Investigation, was rendered the floor 6
nd spoke at some length. DR.. Mack 8
gain reiterated his charge that the I
sylum was a disgrace to Maury I
ounty." He said that the manage
1eent was possibly as good as could
Q expected; that Superintendent Err 8
lin was honest, faithful and efficient p
nat no criticism had been made OF Il
ne management but Of the institution o
self 1t was pointed out by Dr. Mack h
lat the insane patients could not pos I,
bly, be properly cared for under pres d
ut conditions; that there was a short G.
&c of water for bathing purposes for II
lie reason that II was necessary to h
TRY water for several hundred yards; u
lat the inmates used oil lamps and Il
at there was constant danger Of the h,
Hiding being set on ire. fr
He again called attention to the fact tn
at the sexes were permitted to min al
e too freely He also stated that &C
ere was a lack Of system and that CT
had been told by Judge Gordon
at an aged and infirm woman had OF
cen sent to the institution on a cold alb
inter- day, that on arrival there the pc
refused to permit her tel
enter, and that she was brought els
ok to town and was sent back a we
,ond time. This lack Of system he re,
plored. But he especially deplored col
! fact that the institution was too in
from town to permit frequent in -
sction. II Il were closer to some