The Alaska citizen., 1916-04-17

matter arises rom the fac, that Marshal Erwin wants the Use of this nice. warm. new. handsome well lighted building as pri- yate residence he neeGs the Carptakor and hIs wife ae ser wants. and he is annoyed that insane persons are i-tuded upon his privacy. hence the effort to keep the hospital closed tc ev- Crythlng except 70 his use with free servants at $50 per month, with heat tight. rooms. etc, paid for by the United States. all under the cloak of ca-.taker to protect ten dollars worth of window glass
 There is however. serious side to this matter entirely dis connected from the Marshal's little graft, or ;he quest on of humane treatment to the sick and insane. ConIress passed the act of June "5, 1910. for the es- tahlshment of this detention hospital. wherein it is provided:
 That thee is hereby estab- iished at Fa:rbanks detention hospital for the tempo rdry care and detention Of the insane, wherein all insane and other patieltS in charge Di the United States marshal shall be detained until transported to the asylum provided by law for their g'I am. care lnl cur, otherW ise disposed of as pIovid- ed by laws of the United States, that the said hospitals, after their erection and equip ment. shall te under the charge and control Of the United States marshal ir the division where situated, aad the maintenance thereof shall ne paid in the same manner ana rom the same fund as the expense of the United States jails upder the same mar shal is paid
 Here, then, is a mandatory provision O. an act of congress ordering these insane persons 10 he cont,1ed and maintained at deten:icn hospital specially erected and equipped for their care and ere. Now what au- tnority has a7 Attorney General, r Marshal Or anyone else, to disregard ara violate that law? What will YOU order done with an insane woman at Fairbanks if you coErlude to closa this hospital in violation of the law which gives her sanctuary there? Will you Oroer her put ip the lail attic. as was formerly done? SunoOse the marshal obeys your order in the face of thi: law, would he not be liable for false Imprisonment and damages? It would be impossible, as you know, to secure the erection of public building a, Fair banks, with clean and wholesome jail accommodations, for a peri cd of five years from the date of the act authorizing #, if it were passed. which it Is not. Now what will you do with the insane sick. botl men and wo- men in the T eantime? Of course, Know "hat your answer must be. You will obey and follow the law and twentieth century humane methods for the care and prote ton of the insane sick entrusted to your care, as you are instructed to do by con gress. You will maintain this detention hospital economically, and out of respect to the opini- on of the Democratic electors and other good citizens of Alas ka, you will order United States Marshal Erwin to vacate the building which he now uses, with heat, light, etc. at public expense as private residence. The United States Department of Justice can net do less.
 l respectfully request th5 De partment of Justice to make an order directed to United States Marshal Erwin, at Fairbanks, Alaska recurring him to vacate the United States Detention Hospital for the insane, at that place, which he is now using as private residence at con- siderable expense to the Feder- al treasury, and that it be there after used only for the purpose for which congress authorized it's erection and maintenance.
 Respectfully,
 IANtINS NVIrIvI'I