Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-04
DR.. White Says It Has Not
Paid Full Quota for insane.
COVERS QUARTER CENTURY
Superintendent Of Government Hos
pital Before House Committee.
COMMISSIONERS ARE SILENT
Take Ground They Were Not In
formed as to Reasons for In
clusion of Item in Bill.

The provision of the sundry civil bill
reported yesterday in the House Of Rep
resentatives which calls for the payment
by the District government to the federal
government of approximately three-auar-
ters of a million dollars, alleged to be
due for the care of patients at the Gov
eminent Hospital for the Insane during
a long period of years. was discussed at
length at the hearings of the House COM
mittee on appropriations. which consid-
cred and reported the bill.
On the ground that they are not in
formed as to the reasons for inclusion
in the bill of the item for the main
flamenco Of patients at the hospital the
District Commissioners today declined
to discuss the matter.
Dr. William A. White, superintendent
of the Government Hospital for the In
sane, testified before the committee that
the District of Columbia paid the hos
pital last year $500 051. while the gov
eminent paid 1927 600.
The government. however. had more
patients. He said that for twenty-five
years the District of Columbia had not
paid its full Indebtedness to the hospital
and that the Indebtedness Of the District
of Columbia for that period was between
81, 10000 and s2,OOO,0OO.
Calls Situation Complicated.
| Supt White explained the case as fol-
| lows:
1T is very complicated situation.
When / came here found in going over
| the records that they were usually from
| $4,000 to $4,000 shy every year. l have
| been going after them right along. This
year they will pay their full amount.
| This will be the first year. This is about
the way it has been: John Smith was ad-
mitted to the hospital as a patient from
the District Of Columbia.
1.-The hospital would get instructions to
put John Smith the non-indigent or
pay class. and we had to do It. We had
not any option. because we were not
the people to determine whether he was
| INDECENT or not. That is determined by
the court and by the District. Then
John Smith would not pay, and nobody
on his behalf would pay, and we would
want to put him on the District board
bill, and they would say, No; the law
does not provide for pay cases; we have
not anything to do with it, and the re
suit was that every year there were 100
or so cases that simply did not pay.
who would designate them as pay pa
tients?" asked Mr.. Malby.
THE District did. Now, we have finally
secured a decision from the controller
which fixes the responsibility on the
District of Columbia absolutely, and this
is the first year that the District is going
to pay.
him specify whether or not he was in
digent?
Just what do you mean by stating
that you have no machinery to enforce
collections? Can not you bring an &C
tom"
Suppose there was not any legal re-
sponsibility?"
There Is always a legal responsibility
as against the estate.
Only Moral Responsibility.
But suppose that they did not have
any estate? What happened was that
the District would say. Put John Smith
down as a pay patient Suppose that
the only responsibility as against any of
John Smiths relatives was moral re-
sponSibiity, there is no such thing as
enforcing that. there is no legal obliga-
ton, and the District would not allow US
to put him back on their board bill, and
there we were; we were helpless in that
situation
1T is incumbent upon the District OF
Columbia, represented in court by the
corporation counsel to make inquiry
at the time of commitment as to any
property that the patient may hold or
as to anybody who may be considered
to be liable for his support or anybody
who is willing to support him. When
property and can have guardian ap-
pointed the bills are rendered to the
guardian. or when they find anybody
willing to say that they will pay for
| the patient they simply instruct us to
render the bills to so-and-so."
we cannot collect a cent. The rela-
tionship between an insane person in the
District Of Columbia is relationship
| the District of Columbia. The hospital
only has to do with the District of Co
| lumbia and has nothing to do with the
patient or relatives. That is ACCORDING
to the controllers recent decision.
The chairman-"I do not see how any
body can force patient on you who is
properly cnargeable part to the District
of Columbia and part to the United
indicates he will be paid for by others
than the government and you maintain
him at the expense of the feueral govern
ment."
people on the District bill, and they cross
them off and do not pay. What can we
do? cannot turn him out II he Is
dangerous man.
How do they get into the hospital?"
They get into the hospital after having
been tried in court by a jury proceeding
i'm the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, and verdict found of unsound
mind. That verdict is sent to the Dis
trict Commissioners and the Commission
ers then formally issue an order OF COM
mitment According to the recent deci-
sion of the controller. the District OF
Columbia, without any question, Is fiscal
ly responsible for every one of those peo-
Die, and has been from the beginning.
Steps to Deport Outsiders.
There is a provision, ! think it is in
the District bill. providing for some one
whose business it is to hunt up the resi-
dence of every one committed in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and to determine who
is responsible for them. We have great
many wanderers here in the District of
Columbia committed as insane. people
who come here with claims against the
government to see the President. or with
fiying machines. The District has an in
spector who inquiries as to every patient
sent to the hospital. and IL 1t is found
that he is a resident Of Nebraska or
Massachusetts for example. they imme-
diately take steps to deport him to where
he belongs"
The Commissioners, it is stated, were
not present at the hearings. and were
surprised when informed Of the conten-
ton of the committee that the District, in
the years mentioned, has kept at the
hospital patients In excess of the number
or1 poid for nv The Nnunicipal