The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-11-11
A Hospital For the Insane.

Kenosha may need an asylum for the
insane of her own and then again Ke-
nosha county may not need such an in
stitution. 1t is one Of the big prob
lens of county government and it is
pretty certain that the members Of
the county board will not rush into it
without giving it the greatest possible
consideration. A lot Of times it is bet
ter to bear the ills we have than fly
to others that we know not Of. 1t is
true enough that eleven thousand dol
lars is a big annual bill to pay for the
care Of this particular kind Of unfor
Inmates but may be if Kenosha had an
asylum of its own it would have big
ger bill to foot at the end of the year.
There have been no serious com
plants of the treatment that has been
given to Kenosha county patients IN
the insane hospitals of other counties
beyond the fact that their keep has
been expensive. There is not now any
insistent demand from the friends of
such patients that they be housed with
in an institution within the borders of
TIE county TT is not matter Of record
that the number of visits Of the friends
or Of relatives of Kenosha county in
sane is proving burden to these peo-
pie
These are interesting facts to be con-
sidered in connection with the big prob
lem of building an asylum. The cost of
such an institution is considerable.
Possibly the county could build an in
stitution of this kind for hundred
thousand dollars. The interest on this
would be $4,000 year. Then comes
along the question Of maintenance. 1t
it not probable that the county could
maintain such an institution for less
than double the amount of the interest
on the first cost. Of course it might
be said thai the city is not now getting
the interest on this money nor is the
county. The city and county is made
up of its people and the earnings of the
people become the earnings of the
county. If this money must be paid
the people must pay it. The question
Of maintenance and of the county get
ting patients from other counties is
big problem. Repairs on these institu-
tions always run into big figures and
every year it is found that, build it as
complete as you will, there will be
something to be bought the next year.
An asylum for the insane is continual
expense and the possibility of profit
from it is remote if Kenosha county
solons are to follow the records Of other
counties in which these institutions
have been maintained for decades.
Making haste slowly is just as good
a proposition for county as it is for
a prudent business man. The county
is now feeling out it's way by opening
an institution for the care Of patients
suffering from tuberculosis. This is the
first real institution to be maintained
by Kenosha county. 1t will take year
to show whether or not this Institution
is a success. Of course 1t is expressive
of the great heart Of Kenosha county
going out to the suffering but there will
be lot of men who will look at it from
the side of dollars and cents invest
ment. These Same men will see in an
insane hospital the same sort of
humanitarian move but so long as there
is place in the asylums of other coun-
ties to care for the unfortunate of Ke-
nosha county the same men will ques-
tion the wisdom of the county taking
up the matter now.
All of this may be barking up the
wrong tree. The members of the coun-
ty board have only discussed the mat
ter informallJ and the history of the
past shows that they are not going to
rush into the matter without having
some real information on it.
When the time does come that the
institutions of other counties are so
filed as to make it difficult or imposs-
ible to get proper care for Kenosha
county patients or when it is seen that
the real economy for the community is
TO have such an institution of its own
the county board will undoubtedly act
and act promptly.