The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-12-29
HOSPITAL COMMISSION
GOING ON WITH WORK
SECRETARY Z. II. AULL GIVES
SUMMARY OF WORK DONE.
Development Of the Colony Plan. Get
ting Rid OF the Prison ldea-The
Foundations Laid.

Under a Columbia date line South
Carolina newspapers carried an artI-
Gle to the effect that the State hospital
commission will this year eXpend
more than 100000 on new buildings
TO relieve the present congested con-
diuon of the State Hospital for the In
sane Mr.. E.. H. Aull, of this city,
who is secretary OF the commission,
when shown this Columbia dispatch,
said that it was entirely erroneous,
and incidentally remarked during the
course of an interview with him as to
the work of the commission that the
Columbia newspaper men were vel
come to whatever news the commits
sion had to give out, and that he was
surprised that, without authority from
the commission, SO erroneous state
ment had been sent out from Column
bia. SecretaryAull said that the COM
mission had no objection to giving to
the public a statement OF what the
commission had done during the y01r;
that it was a public matter; and ne
authorized the following statement:
"As matter of fact" said Mr.. Aull,
"the commission has spent, up to this
time, approximately $4,000. If any
one should visit the grounds now, I
believe that, with the facts before
him, he must reach the conclusion that
the best possible progress has been
made, under the circumstances, but
there is no evidence there Of the ex-
penditure of any 100000 this year, as
stated in the newspaper report.
THE commission has been going
slowly, the purpose being to get the
plans for the future and to build now
with the needs of the future in view.
under the Act Of 1910, the commits
sion for that year was authorized to
borrow 100000 from the sinking fund
commission, for this development, and
with that money to purchase suitable
lands, and to have plans and specif-
cations made and estimates submit
ted for the hospital plant. Acting un-
der this authority, the 1910 commits
sion purchased land, spending for that
purpose, according to their report,
S54,93243. I might say that, in my
Judgment, they purchased one of the
most desirable sites for an institution
of this kind to be obtained in South
Carolina. The tract Of land is located
at Dents, and is what is now known
as the estate Park" the purchase of
the 1910 commission including about
1900 acres at this place.
I'm saying that the commission this
year has~spent less than $4,000, I am
not attempting to give the exact
figures, but only to say that S24,000,
in round numbers, will cover all the
expenditures of the commission this
year. The most of the work this year
has been in laying the foundations
and making preparations for the build
ings. The commission thought it wise
in going at this work to secure the
services of men of experience in the
matter Of building hospitals of this
kind We were fortunate in enlisting
the interest of Mr.. Franklin B. Ware,
of Albany, n. Y, State architect of
New York, who has had large exper-
ience in the development of hospitals
for the insane Of New York, along the
colony plan, which was adopted by the
commission. We also secured the
services of Mr.. Harlan P. Kelsey, now
Of Salem, Mass, though a Southern
man, as landscape architect, and as
consulting engineer we secured the
services of Mr.. John l.. Ludlow, of
Winston-Salem. Mr.. Kelsey and Mr..
Ludlow are well known in South Caro-
lima, having been employed in work
in their respective lines recently by
the city of Columbia. We were favor
ed with visit from Mr.. J. H. Foster
and Mr.. L. G. Corbett, of the United
States government, these gentlemen
coming to estate Park" to look over
the forests and to give us suggestions
in the matter Of taking care of the
trees.
1.-The commission has had in view
the idea of making this park in fact
as well as in name, and to get rid of
the prison idea of caring for the in