New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-20
SCALD|NG CASE CALLS
FORTH A PRESENTMENT
Staten Island Grand Jury Con-
demnS Conditions at the
City Farm Colony.
NO BLAME FOR Mr.. FLICK
Saws Superintendent Should
Have Larger Appropriation
Now May Probe Bor-
ough Offices.

The grand jury Of Richmond County
for the January term OF the Supreme
Court handed up a presentment to JUS
tlce Lester w. Clark yesterday condemn
ing certain conditions at the New York
city Farm Colony, at Castleton Corners,
staten Island.
In accepting the presentI..ent Justice
clark said that he. like the grand jurors,
was shocked to learn Of the conditions
prevailing at the farm colony, and in
formed the grand jurors that he would
see that the presentment went to the
proper officials.
The presentment, which speaks highly
Of the work done at the farm colony by
its superintendent, Joseph d. Flick, rec
ommends, among other things, that the
medical staff be increased forthwith TO
care properly for the large number Of
patients being transferred to the farm
colony from city hospitals because Of
chronic illness, and the engagement Of
a proper staff of nurses to look after the
sick
physician and one visiting physician at
tached to the farm colony. There are
only two trained nurses in the institu-
ton and a little over sixty hospital
helpers" who receive from $120 to $3.50
a year.
presertment Describes Conditions.
I'll. .,ro,1 i,,,,... nroeo,,tp,apt which
was signed by L. Stewart Taxter, the
foreman, was as follows;
We. the grand jurors for the January
term of the Supreme Court, having had our
attention particularly called TO alleged con-
diIionS of a criminal character at the city
Farm colony, in the county of Richmond
have, on our own initiative and at our
ewn expense, undertaken 10 investigate me
general conditions prevailing there, and &C
hereby find as follows:
There are 1,100 inmates Of the City Farm
colony, most of whom are between the
ages of fifty, and ninety. or this number
there are 236 suffering from idiocy, imoe-
cility, senility, epilepsy and chronic physi-
cal diseases, all of whom are permitted to
intermingle with each ether,
We have also found that the number Oh
paid employees is totally inadequate; that
there are not sufficient number OF medl-
cal men properly TO look after the large
number of patients at the colony, nor are
there a sufficient number Of nurses and or
derlies properly to care for the individuals
suffering from chronic physical infrmities
To a large extent those suffering from
diseases are looked after by individuals
who are not paid therefor, and who are
committed 10 the said City Farm colony
as inmates; and II has been ascertained
that some Of those inmates so performing
work OF the character herein set forth are
ex-conyicts; one in particular. who was an.
gagged as an orderly, had previously served
twelve terms in prison for felonies and
other offences. =
The superintendent Of the institution Is
performing an extraordinary amount OF
work, considering the facilities at his com.
mand and the small appropriation allowed
him by the city Of New York for the main,
tenance of that institution. The atoresalo
fndings are not due to any inefnciency or
his part. but, on the contrary, to the fall
ure OF the city OF New York TO appropriate
20 nernnit the aforesaid work to be per-
formed by competent and efficient en-
ployes.