The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-20


| contract at Norman can be trans
( ferred.
vinita Asylum.
At your last session YOU made an
appropriation OF 100000 TO build an
Eastern State Insane Asylum near
the town of Vinlta on 100 acres OF
4 land TO be furnished by the citizens
Of that community Before beginning
tie expenditure OF the 100000 in
buildings on this land | advised the
other members of the state asylum
board to visit the several insane asy-
lums In the states OF Illinois and In
diana In order to better qualify our.
selves to properly handle such an I'M
4 portant question, This committee
visited these institutions, made a
careful investigation aud reported to
me In writing "a copy OF which hand
you herewith). From this report you
will observe IL was universally uged
upon us by men Of great experience
that in order TO be efficient and eco.
noudcal an insane asylum was essen.
TALLY a farm proposition, and that the
best results were obtained where the
area of land was equanl TO substitn-
italy two acres per Inmate, and that
from 500 to 500 inmates was the mum.
ber most economical TO maintain at
each separate institution. therefore
felt that to spend 100000 building on
100 acres of land at vipila would
no, be q sensible thing Tor
the state TO do. dl not
desire, on account Of the great neces
sity Of same, to delay this building m
til a future session OF the legislature.
neither did deem 1t good judgment
10 depend on the state having IN up-
portunity to buy additional land AZ a
& fuir price after the state miRht have
expended 100000 In buildings. and
therefore be irrevocably bound to
Y tiiat location and be at the mercy OF
land owners who might fix extraordi-
nary prices for their land, and hcnce
before taking any steps to invest any
OF the states money In building j sent
an agent to Vnita, who was able, and
greatly assisted by the Vlnlta Gem.
mercial Club, In securing legal options
executed and recorded upon about
LOO acres or land adjoining this III.
stituti0n, and which options and a
plat OF the ground | hand you here
with showing that the stats may pur.
chase any or all OF the several farms
at acreage prices, averaging about
thirty.odd dollars per acrde. ! am In
formed by those who know, that
these prices are not above the pres
ent fair market value of these ssy-
eral farms. And, therefore, the lceIs-
latur now has an opportunity. should
Il deem Wise, TO buy such amount OF
fhls additional land as In It's iB IL
ment may be proper. and ! do rec.
ommend that out Of the proceeds 5l
the sale OF public building land. iirst,
that thls additional land be purehlsed
FOR the state for the use OF said asy.
lum and the site vhereon 10 build and
maintain the same; and I do fuiaher
recommend that in order TO give said
asylum institution capacity 50 H.
Client for from 500 TO 600 patients, i,ai
an additional appropriation be made
for building purposes out OF the pro
ceeds OF the sale OF public building
land. While YOU have heretofore ap
popriated 100000 to begin this inati
tuition, call your attention to The
fact that similar institutions In ouI
neighboring states. cost several tincf
the amount you have already apl 70
priated, and n We are to care for tuI
unfortunate insane II Is but necesa; rA
to read the report Of our State Capfi
/, tics Commissioner In order TO conuirc'
Ms that substantial appropriation
must be made for building purpOs ee
Judging by the present insane ia
tients as compared with total ppCla
ti0n IN other states, Oklahoma. viii
its present population mnst soon con
template the necessity FOR aceonlno
! dating from l.s00 to 1900 patients,
Penal institutions.
BY various acts OF our legislature II
former sessions we have under con
| struction st McAlester. a state peni
: tentiary. Orc hundred acres o
, ground was acquired as heretofore re
ported by a donation IT the people 3
! that community aud very snbsian
/ tial and suitable wall and building
, have been under construction 10
some time and are now nearing com
/ pletion. About one thousand prison
, erg are nov being detained at Nc Al
ester, part in the federal jail leasei
: 70 the state temporarily, and par
4 in temporary enclosures on the neV
prison grounds. The state wardel
I has made a remarkable record np i
( date not only in the economic main
b tenance OF thisinstitution. but In tn
lutsafe keeping OF the prisoners. He ha
: had less than one per cent OF es
u capped prisoners during the year 1905
Q Notwithstanding high barbed wir
G fence charged with electricity ha
:, been his only prison wan. You ha
y also directed us at former sessiol
\ TO purchase. not exceeding two thous
and acres OF adjoining land as a par
tos the state prison grounds. and upol
+ which goodly part Of the provision
2 for prison support might be produced
,. It was thought at the time that thes'
grounds could be paid Tor out OF lh'
y four hundred thousand dollars appro
y nristsd for buildings and aQ2urts