Arizona republican., 1911-09-13
DR.. HUGHES AND THE
COUNTY HOSPITAL
Retiring Superintendent Issues Open
Letter Relative to His Man
aqenent

Poor Farm DR.. II. \. Hughes has
issued the following statement. For
those who do not know, ii is timely
to explain relative To the system en-
ployed. that the superintendent is
given the free use Of the county farm
as to him seems best. and that with
this means Of revenue to begin with,
he cares for all patients sent to him
at the stipulated contract price which
under the latest contract is % cents
per day. If with the revenue of the
farm, he can make a profit. while
giving the patients satisfactory care.
il is his legitimate gain. If a loss
follows it comes from the pocket of
the superintendent:
Open Letter From DR.. Hughes ReIa-
tive to the County Hospital.
August the 31st completed my SER
vices as Superintendent of the Mari
copa County Hospital and Poor Farm;
and in retiring from the position,
which | have held for fourteen years,
wish To say that my relationship
with the many different Boards of
Supervisors has been pleasant and
agreeable; they have asked no i'm
I
willing To- accede 10 reasonable re
quests. Other counties have Lad
their troubles and in several c"un-
ties the superintendent have cen
indicted for carrying dummies on
their rolls Each year since | Lave
had charge of our Poor House two
grand juries have visited the place
to investigate il and nearly every
grand jury had a few Of my politi-
cal enemies as members who would
have taken pleasure in showing W
my rascality il evidence could be
found. vet in general the reports Were
favorable our books and accounts
have been eXuerted time and again
ard not always with friendly eyes.
yet Maricopa has had no Poor House
scandal.
My contract for meat calls for the
best; my bread contract is for the
best and my groceries are always good:
my orders To the steward and cook
have been To return that that could
not stand the test. ] have "a cows
and the patients get the milk fresh
and unskimmed Nearly 500 chickens
furnish. eggs and usually ample gar
den and melon patches have supplied
the vegetables To witness the care
| and food the patients have received
| will sly that we nave ten old men
there who have been there over ten
years. some now over 90 years of
age. Within tho lis, wear orc man
was sent from the institution to the
/ Pioneers Home and grieved each day
until returned to his own home in
the Maricopa county Poor House.
Many who apply for quarters at the
| institution are of the slum variety
who have wasted their lives in riot
IouS living who have given most OF
their lives 10 the white aproned gen
Itlemen behind the bar. they are sour
or all mankind and nothing pleascs
them. they kick and cuss everybody
Not all are Of this class. many have
fought the battle Of life honestly but
have 10 be carried off the field and
cared for. have among my files
many treasured letters from those who
! have been grateful for every kindness
shown them While | am conscious
Of duty well done towards our wards
| I have always said that the contract
system is wrong in principle and
should be abndoned although at n
greater cost.
have not made ono dollar on
feeding and care Of inmates. would
have been loser every year but for
good management Of the farm and
growth of stock thereon
I have come to look upon the in
mates Of the institution almost as my
dependent family and hope they may
be as well cared Cor i'm the future
as they have been in the past four
teen years.
Respectfully,
II rJT-rIIU-C