The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-01-28
ANOTHER |NvEST|-
CATION FOR THE
BOARD OF CONTROL
JAMESTOWN CITIZENS CHARGE
MISAPPLICATION OF FUNDS
BY BOARD OF CONTROL IN
CONNECTION WITH JAMES,
TOWN HOSPITAL FOR INSANE.

ton of large part of the 100000
fund appropriated by the legislature
two years ago to build sanitarium
for tubercular patients at the James
town asylum. The above named
Jamestown citizens set out eleven
specifications requesting that the in
vestigation be made.
The first two specifications are as
follows:
Specification No. l.
The Legislative Session of 1913 ap-
propriated for the State Hospital for
the Insane S1OO,OOOOO for Tubercu-
lar Hospital.
1918 Session Laws, Page 30, Second
Item.
The tubercular hospital was not
built at all and no attempt was made
to build it. No ground was broken
for it, no plans and specifications and
contract were prepared for it; no such
building graces the hospital grounds,
and none has been built by the Board
of Control under such appropriation
law.
Specification No. 2.
The Insane Asylum hospital appro
priation has been misapplied in the
manner and items following, viz:
(a) On over contractual al
lowances on the Re-
ceiving Ward ---$ 100000
(b) Repairs of old admin
istration hall (and
refused by the Legis-
lature Of 1879 ------ 100000
(c) Building of farm build
ing (item vetoed by
the Governor) ~ 100000
(d) Over-payment for Ar
chitect (allowed by
Legislature for Arch
itect for years 49,
ooo) ------- $4,000
(e) Additional funds nee
essary to finish Re-
ceiving Ward, not
completed, estimated 100000
Making a grand total
of funds misapplied
and contrary to law
in the sum of ---$11O , 10000
Specification No. 8.
The Board of Control has fraudu-
lently compelled the counties of Grand
Forks and Ward, and other counties,
to pay a pro-rata per capita allowance
to the Treasurer of the State Hospital
or the State Treasurer for the main
tenance of patients in such hospital
long after such patients have been
cured and while they have actually
been in the employment of the State
of North Dakota on salaries ranging
from $500 per month up to $500
per month.
A representative of the Independent
interviewed the three members of the
Board of Control relative to the mat
ter.
R. S. Lewis, Of Fargo, one Of the
members, was highly incensed over the
affair, stating that it was pure spite
work, because the board did not see
fit to buy the supplies for the hospital
from Jamestown merchants. He stat
ed that the board let the contract for
supplies to the lowest bidder, buying
in large amounts, the merchandise
costing the state not to exceed five
per cent over the wholesale price, For
instance, he said that eleven tons of
coffee were bought at one time and
said that the board was giving the
state an economical administration.
Mr.. Lewis explained that the board
did not see fit to spend the entire
100000 to build new tubercular san
itarium, when it figured that it was
able to remodel portion of one of the
buildings at cost of something less
than s25,000 The remainder of the
money, he said, was used in construct
ing buildings needed by the institution,
thus saving the state large sum of
money.
F. o. Brewster, another member of
the board, stated that he was of the
opinion that certain Jamestown citi-
zens believed that by preferring these
charges, the board would become dis
gusted and quit, and a new board ap-
nointed who would huv tho sunn1;as
from jamestown merchants.
Mr.: Jackson, Of Williston, another
member, said that these charges
merely served to put him in fighting
trim and he as we'll as the other men,
bers of the board welcomed the inves-
tigation.
There are rumors that certain in
stance of social rivalry at Jamestown
had something to do with the inves-
tigation. It appears that Mrs. Hotch-