Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-03-04
BOARD OF CONTROL
FILES AN ANSWER

FILES ANSWER TO CHARGES
MADE ABOUT JAMESTOWN
HOSPITAL
Bismarck, N. D., Feb. 27.-The state
board of control has filed brlef IN
the matter of the investigation Of the
board in it's actions regarding the asy-
lum at jamestown for the biennial
period now closing, with the JOINT
committee of the house and senate
making the Investigations:
The answer is volumlnous docu
ment containing twenty-four pages OF
typewriter matter and covers COM
pletely the charges that have been
made against the board regarding the
Jamestown matter. =,
In it's answer to the charge that the
board fraudulently compelled Grand
Forks, Ward and other countries to
nav a pro rata per capita allowance to
the treasurer of the Jamestown hos
pital or to the state treasurer for the
maintenance of patients in the hos
pital for long time after such pa
tients have been cured and in which
charges there was set forth the names
of six such patients, whom the COM
plants allege have been so retained at
the hospital and paid salaries, the an
swer is made that the patients were
employed by such work as their physi-
cal and mental condition would per-
nit. The answer says that this work
was beneficial to the patients and that
for such services the patients recelv-
ed compensation substantially as al
legged in the complaints. Attention
is called by the board to the testl-
mony of DR.. Hotchkiss regarding the
benefit to the patients so employed
and that it is a custom that has been
in vogue in the institution for great
manv years, and that the work done by
the patients would have to be done by
someone and that in case outside help
was secured the pay would have been
twice the sum paid to patients. $50
that it clearly appears that there
could have been, and was, no conspir-
acy to defraud any county, because
these patients were not and are not
cured or subject to discharge, and the
counties under the present statute
must pay their maintenance"
The board claims authority, under
section 243, compiled laws Of 1913, to
employ patients in this manner, which
gives the board full power to man
age, control and govern the hospital,
subject only to the limitations contain
ed in the board of controls statute.
To the charge that there was an
overpayment of the architect allowed
bv the legislature for two years, $8,-
500, the answer says:
"This charge is predicated under
the provisions of section 257 of the
complies laws of 1918, which provides
that the board may, if deemed advis-
able and expedient for the best in
terests of the state to employ an
architect to be known as state ar
chitect, and limits his compensation
to $1,000 per annum." The board
denies that it has violated any pro-
visions of this statute and states that
the employment of the architect and
his payment was made under the pro-
visions of section 252- of the compil-
ed laws of 1918. "We agree that if
the board had acted under the pro-
visions of section 257, and under its
provisions had employed Mr.. Crabbe
as state architect, the board would
be limited to the amount it could pay,
to $500, or $4,000 for the two years,
but the board is not acted under the
provisions of this section for various
reasons"
The reasons given are that the
board did not deem it advisable or
expedient or for the best interests
of the state to employ an architect
under this section for one very good
reason, among many others, that it
would be impossible for the sum NAM
ed in the section to employ COM
petent person to do the work requir-
ed by the state.
The board also calls attention to the
fact, as it alleges is born out by the
records, that the predecessors Of the
present board also acted under the
provisions Of section 252 instead Of
section 257 and paid its architect on
q basis Of 3 IL per cent of the cost Of
the various buildings erected. or the
same per cent that was paid by the
board to its architects.
In answering the charge of divert
ing Of funds the board states in its
answer that it has shown by testi-
mony Of the emergency commission
that it was duly authorized to divert
the funds appropriated by the legis-
lature in the manner and for the pur-
pose charged and set forth in the
answer. It further states that being
granted the authority by the emerg-
ency commission there have been no
charges filed against the emergency
commission and that, therefore, the
powers Of the emergency commission
is not a proper subject for the in
quiry by the joint committee. :
The board also makes answer to all
other charges that have been made
against it and states that it has
thrown the doors wide open and invit-
ed the fullest investigation in minute
detail.
EASTERN STAR ENTERTA1NS
The Eastern Star ladies entertained
in the I. o. o. F. hall last Thursday
evening at cards, twenty eight tables
L ~I~S J.