The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-09
SIMpLIFIED CHARITY
CONTROL Is SOUGHT
%LetchwOrth Village Managers
Appeal to Albany Conven-
ton for Change.
FAVOR RIGID INSPECTION

ALBANY. Aus. s.-Advocating a system
Of simplihed control for the state chart
table institutions, the board Of managers
of Letchworth village. Of which Frank
A. Nanderlip is chairman and Mrs. r.. n.
Hartman vice-chairman. has submitted
to the constitutional Convention a state
ment showing that the present system
or control Is n cumbersome. expensive
aud u~nbtisinesslike one. The statement.
which Is based largely upon investiga-
tons made by the Bureau Of Municipal
Research OF New York city. advocates u
cabinet system with Capitalization Of
authority In the Governor.
In such a redistribution Of govern
ment. the board points out. the follow
ing grouping of the charitable work or
the state Is in it's opinion advisable
A director OF State hospitals for the
insane and a state hospital council.
A director Of State institutions and
work for the mentally deficient and
epileptics and n state council for the
mentally deficient.
A director Of prisons and reforma-
tories and a State prison council.
A director OF State charitable institu-
tions and a State board Of public chari-
ties.
A revision Of the a law is often
opposed on the ground that individuals
now In Office will be thrown out OF EN-
ployment. The board OF managers Of
L~etchwofth village believes that II will be
impossible to secure the most satisfac-
tory. cnicient and economical adminis-
tration until a simple and effective sys-
tenn or control replaces the present cum
bersome and expensive one.
Through the liberality OF a member Of
the board the Bureau of Municipal Re-
search ia making a further investigation
OF the system of control OF all the state
charitable and reformatory institutions
AZ the invitation of the Department of
Efficiency and Economy. This investi-
CATION will be followed by a report and
constructive recommendations looking "a
the enactment OF legislation on this i'm.
portant subject and the presentation Of
tacts which 1t Is hoped will be Of as
sistance to the Constitutional Conyen.
ton.
The report goes on to say:
We believe that whatever Is good in
me present situation should be kept. Fol
the administration OF the State
hospitals for the insane is admirable
and In any readJustment the administra.
uon and control OF this group should bs
iett as nearly intact as possible. thu
other groups being coordinated in such
a way that all may be administered or
virtually similar lines. with adequate
neN,oihty Tor different purposes and
fields OF activity.
W indorse the general recommends
'iohs or the Bureau OF Municipal Re.
search In its brief entitled Some Con.
siderations in Support Of the Proposa,
10 Create q Department Of Charities and
Correction
W also indorse the stand Of IN,
! Sflfa chi rtfiaC Ala
in Its brief entitled Board Of Contro
for state Institutions Opposed which
supports our belief in the cabinet sy..
tenn In preference to a so-cailed board
of control.
W further indorse the recommends
ton OF the president Of the State Board
or Charities. which is supported by the
Bureau Of Municipal Research and other
bodies. that the State Board OF Chari.
ties should get authority to visit and
inspect all charitable institution.
whether receiving State aid or not.
w believe that as the problem n
insanity was the great issue of a gener.
alton ago. the problem OF feehleminded.
ress Is to-day Of the utmost Importance
and that the convention should at this
time provide a broad platform on which
during the coming twenty years a.
much progress can he made in the care
and treatment OF the f~eebleminded a.
has been made In the care Of the insane
during the last two decades.
THE feebleminded have a right to h.
protected from the cupidity, the indiffer
ence and the dangers to which they ar.
subject from the rest Of the community
just as the normal part of the popula
tion has an equal right to be protected
from the insidious evils and cost Of per
hitting feeblemindedness to increase
sapping its vitality and filing aims
houses. Jails and reformatories with un
f~ortunates who would never have beer
born had adequate provision been mad.
for the custodial care Of the dependen,
and DELINQUENT defective part Of tn,
population"
L".chworth villa &c. at Thielis. Rock
land county. was established In 100
and IL an institution for the care o
e%pileptics of unsound mind. exclusive o
insane epileptlcs. and for the care o
other feebleminded persons. includin,
such as are in State charitable institu
tons or are supported at public ex
pense. The village will have an ultimat,
capacity OF $500 patients. ,