Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-03
Inmates Locked In Rooms
and Helpless Needs Lad
ders and Lock Release
ALLOWANCE MADE FOR
SERVICESOF PHYSICIAN
MatrOn Says No Good Lady
Doctors Available---R. D.
Byrd Donates Services

That the new building for the girls
industrial school, just completed and oc.
cupied at an expense Of over $4,000
to the state, is a veritablc fire trap and
that, should fire break out ut the insti-
tuition at any time during the night, all
Of the inmates would be at the mercy
of the flames anl locked in like rats
in trap with no means of escape, was
the substance Of report made to the
board of control by Matron Hopkins of
that institution this morning. Since the
institution has no funds with which to
provide adequate means of escape in the
event of fire the board was powerless
to make any provision for immediate
relief Of the situation but the matter
was left to Mrs. Hopkins to find some
method Of remedying the difficulty and
make her recommendation to the board
Mrs. Hopkins stated that under the
present arrangements, the girls werC
locked in their rooms at night with {
night lock which could be opened only
with key from the outside In cas-,
of fire il would rec .dte some little tim
to go from door to door and relcas
the inmates and, if the conflagratioi
should be a serious one, there would b
danger Of great loss of life. Mrs. Hop
kins asked for ladders long enough t.
reach to the second story dormitor,
windows and for the installation Of
system, such as is in use at prisons
4 whereby all Of the doors could be re
leased at one pull of lever. Assul
ance was given Mrs. Hopkins by tn
board that some means would be fig
ured out to remedy the conditions i
the near future.
Matron Hopkins also renewed her pc
titiOn for authority to purchase sma
= automobile but it developed that ther
: are no funds available for the purpos,
She suggested that she might be abb
to use $500 which the ways and mean
committee of the legislature alowe
the institution for equipment, stain
that she might get along without tn
equipment for the time being. Cover
. or Withycombe suggested that the MAJ
ter be left to Secretary Olcott an
l Mrs. Hopkins to figure out some wa
= in which the needed machine could
r purchased but Treasurer Kay obiecte
| on the ground that il would be wronl
], full diversion of funds, which he woul
: never vote for and he said that th
g next legislature would demand to kno,
S why, if the institution could get alon
. without the equipment asked for, sue
r strong plea had been made for tn
appropriation. This matter was left /
! statu quo for further consideration.
]. Matron Hopkins also asked the boar
! for an allowance Of 5000 per annum
y pay for the advice and services Of u SUI
b. geon and physician to make reguo
D visits to the institutions for the benef
Z. Of the inmates. She reported that D
a r. D. Byrd had been donating his SCI
vices, whcn needed in the past, free {
1 charge. but that sho did not feel frC
Z to call upon him without pay
authority from the board and the boar
authorized regular allowance of ~
2 per month for medical attendance {
s the institution Matron Hopkins state
5 that there were no good lady physician
v or surgeons available in Salem and thu
/. she was inclined to favor Dr. Byrd b
cause he had been so gracious in r.
/. spending to all calls at his own e.
g pense and without charge in the pas