The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-06
Chairman Bowman Will Present
Bill to Legislature.
FREITAG CASE HELPS.
Opens Way to Compel Mainte-
nance of Asylum Inmates.
Also Brings Work Which Makes
New Official Necessary.

Provision for a claim adjuster to in
vestigate the financial condition of all
the inmates of state hospitals and or
relatives bound by law to maintain
them, is made in bill that H c.
Bowman, chairman of the state board
of control, will present when the leg
islature convenes in January. 1t will
be the duty of this claim adjuster, pro-
vided that the bill becomes law, to
file proofs of claims in counties where
inmates are residents and to bring and
try civil suits, whenever necessary,
against estates and persons bound by
law to maintain such inmates.
About a year ago the supreme court
held in the case of August Freitag
that the state could recover for his
care and maintenance at the Topeka
state hospital from the time of his
admission until the time of his death.
Prior to this decision the question
had been a moOted one. Now that the
board of control wants a claims ad-
juster to carry on the work, as there
is no official to whom would fall the
duties of attending to collections.
Since the present board of control
took charge $166,077 has been col
! lected and paid to the state treasurer,
1888 having been paid in the fiscal
year 1909.
Bowman Talks of Boards Work.
of the board, especially as regards col
| lections, said:
1.-THE recent decision of the supreme
court will make these collections much
easier and eventually the state will re-
cover a large sum from those who are
able to pay without impoverishment,
and the taxpayers will be justly re-
lieved of some of the cost of public
care.
"a thorough system should be put
in in Kansas for the collection for the
care of inmates.
1.-THE lunacy act of Ontario provides
that upon the admission of a patient
! to the asylum his estate at once vests
| in the inspector of asylums. In this
way the inspector of asylums controls
all the estate and is in a position to
take from it the amount required to
maintain the patient in the asylum, if
| the estate is sufficient. The inspector
also has two special agents whose duty
| it is to travel from county to county
| investigating any case that is in the
asylum. In this way Ontario has been
able to secure a large amount Of funds
and property which otherwise they
would be unable to secure. In the state
! of New York patients are divided. PrI-
| two classes, public and private. Pri-
vate patients pay anywhere from Sc to
SO per week and public patients are
divided into two classes. those who pay
$3.50 per week and are called REIN
bursting and those who pay less than
| that down to nothing. The state COM
mission in lunacy appoints an agent
for one district or more, according to
/ the population and amount of work,
who visits all those. who do not pay
as much as $50 per week, if the cir
| cumstances seem to make it worth
while to do SO. In addition to this
| agent. each hospital for the insane
has an attorney. When our board was
attending the National Conference of
Charities and Correction at Buffalo we
visited the Buffalo state hospital for
| the insane The attorney for that in
sane hospital receives s., 500 a year for
his services. but he only devotes what
time is necessary to the business of
hospital being simply one of his eli
: ents. The agent who looks up the fin
ancial condition of the patients and
! the relatives receives $1,000 a year and
| expenses.
THE California state commission in
! lunacy appoints its attorney and pays
! him $4,000 a year. His principal work
from relatives that are able to pay but
who refuse or neglect to do So"
Bill Bowman Will Introduce.
| The bill Mr.. Bowman will introduce
| is as follows:
An act providing for claim adjuster for
the state board of control and defin-
: ing his duties.
Be it enacted by the legislature of the
state of Kansas:
Section 1. The governor shall, upon
The passage of this act, appoint, by and
to- a claim adjuster for the state
board of control, for term of four
/ years, commencing July 1, 1911. 1t