Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-30

Because the appropriation Of the last
legislature for the maintenance of the
state insane asylum, main building, was
estimated and made upon the basis Of
an average Of 1900 patients, whereas
the average for the past two years has
been decimal over 1929, that institu'
tion has been obliged to run a little
inside the normal margin of expendi-
lures to maintain 1922 more patients
than was appropriated for.
Notwithstanding this handicap, ac.
eording to the biennial report of Su-
perintendent r. Il. l.. Steiner, which
was filed with the state board of con.
troll yesterday, the per capita cost of
maintenance has been held down to
Sl4.64 per month, or As cents per day,
for each patient--which included
clothing, food, medical attention, heat,
light, water, repairs to buildings, ETC.
very low maximum OF expense for
such an enormous charitable institution,
Has Pulled Through Well.
During the biennial period, Septem.
Der so, 1912, to September 30 1914,
there has been expended for the main.
tenance Of the insane asylum total of
$545, ,599.07, of the total appropriation
Of S6l4, ,363,50 for the biennial period
ending September 80, 1914, and there
is a balance of $6S,65443 left in the
fund to conduct the institution for the
remaining three months before the leg.
islatule meets and makes another ap.
preparation. OF the maintenance cost
$227 ,53l.37 was paid out in salaries
there was $3l6,l0l.7O worth of articles
purchased, of which 3O0,s67.5l worth
had been consumed on September so,
and the cost of all the departments was
$537 39s.SS. The average operating
cost Ier month for the 1929 inmates OF
the institution was S22 1891 .62, and per
day, S736.l6 The per capita cost for
the biennial period was $35l.47, per
month SAGA, and per day is cents.
Recommends Parole Law.
superintendent Steiner, in his report,
makes two important recommendations
for needed. legislation for the benefit
Of the conduct of the institution and
the helpless wards Of the state. The
first is that parole law be passed
which will permit of the parole of cer.
tain patients afflicted with chronic in.
sanity and whose periods Of insanity
are only temporary so as to allow them
to 90 TO their homes during the four,
five or six months when they are in a
normal state Of mind and health, which
would not only prove beneficial to the
patient but would reduce the cost of
maintenance Of the institution. As IL IL
when patient is discharged from the
institution not cured to allow them to
90 to their homes and the care of their
relatives during their periods OF sanity
they have to be recommitted when the
attack comes on, and this is very ex.
penHve aud unnecessary procedure.
As means Of further safeguarding
the innocent and helpless patients from
assault and injury by brutal attend.
ants, DIR, Steiner also recommends that
a special law be enacted prescribing o
severe penalty for the offenders against
these poor wards Of the state. He says
that everything is done under the pres
ent system to protect the patients from
assault, and the patient is always given
the benefit Of the doubt, and that in
one case the attendant was arrested
and prosecuted for cowardy and brutal
assault upon defenceless patient, hut
he would like TO have a special act
passed in order that this inhuman elias.
of offenders be harshly dealt with az
a warning TO others.
Repatriation Reduces Expenses.
That the law providing for the dc
portauon of patients Of foreign ma
tionality and the repatriation Of pa
ticnts who are citizens of other state,
has worked a great saving in the cost
OF maintenance Of the institution In th,
past, and viii in the future, is shown
by The record Of patients sent out OF
the state during the past two years
The average expectancy Of insane per
sons is about 10 years, and the gvofag,
cost OF maintenance Ia about $50 pei
year The average cost Of repatriation
for the is patients who have been dis
posed Of within the past two years has
been $780, representing nn ultimat,
saving to the state Of sli3,S32.03.
The report is volumnous document
covering 81 pages OF typcwrittcu mat
ter, lexis inches in dimensions, aud Il
the iirst report Of the kind prepared b,
any of the state institutions under th,
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