The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-04-12
Even Animals of Oregon Given
More Attention Than Inmates
Here, Ayers Senator.
PROMISES TO AID CAUSE
Dr.. J. J. Battle Submits Report
to Commerce Chamber Urg-
ing Municipal Institution.

me washington Asylum Hospital
conditions in which were exposed In a
reccn. article In The Washington Times
was characterized as a disgrace to the
United states by Senator Chamberlain
OF Oregon, in an address last night be-
fore the Washington Chamber OF Coma
merce.
"As governor Of Oregon and as an Of
f,cial in other capacities" said the Sem
ator, 81 had opportunity to study closely
penal and eleemosynary institutions OF
the State, and so. in coming to Wash
ington. / have taken deep interest in
like establishments here.
There isn't penal or charitable
institution in oregon but that receives
more attention and consideration than
the District Asylum Hospital. Even
the animals of Oregon receive more
pity than do the inmates of this hos
pital. I have tried my best to get
Senators to visit this hospital. and shall
continue to try. and / promise to do all
IN my power to see that these inmates
receive at least the same care as Is
given tine dumb brutes of Oregon"
The Senator's remarks followed the
reading OF a report by DIR. J, J. Battle.
chairman OF the committee on public
the hospital and recommended the es-
tablishment OF great municipal insti-
tuition for the INDECENT sick on the same
reservation.
Representation. for District.
The people OF the District ought TO
have representation In both houses OF
Congress-" declared Senator Chamber
lain. MY bill providing for con-
stitutional amendment granting them
this right Is in committee. God knows
how long II will remain, though l have
begged them to report 1t out 1avorabiy
or adversely"
The Senator told members of the
Chamber to keep committees constant
~ at work at the Capitol In an effort
70 get needed legislation for the Dis
trict enacted.
Congressman Roberts. OF Massachu-
sctts. and Johnson. Of Washington. also
spoke.
The law ard legislation committee re-
ported on the juvenile court bill for the
amendments. The principal amend
n1cnt provided that after the expiration
IL the term of the present incumbent.
s Put sssa SSna a EssSsnt to OF h tas
office of Judge of the Juvenile court.
Isaac Cans. chairman OF a special
COMMITTEES considering referendum
from the United States Chamber OF
should be allowed to- fix retail prices
of their products. said his committee
had mt reached a decision and there
fore would not report until a later
meeting.
Quotes From Times Story.
DR.. Battle, in his report, said:
ION the first page Of one of our news
papers OF March u (The Sunday Times)
we noticed in a headline these words:
.Occoquan Paradise Compared With
Refuge OF Our City's Ill and Needy
Washington Cares for Its Lawbreakers
better Than 1t Looks After It's INDECENT
Sick A convict Is sent to Occoquan,
he Is housed in n bright, healthy dormi-
tory and surrounded by every modern
personal convenience. One of the city's
poor, friendless, sick, and miserable, is
sent to the Washington Asylum Hos-
pital. He is herded into a ramshackle
gloomy and ciouded, the atmosphere
bad. there being no ventilation.
His brief hours OF sleep between pain
are broken by the groans of his next
unfortunate neighbor., whose bea is
loss than eighteen inches distant. His
meals come to him from an out -of-door
Kitchen, cold and unpalatable. smeared
with film Of chilled grease. Physi-
clans ana nurses are overworked and
hampered. III the pationet happens to
be one OF those unfortunates OF good
FAMILY suspected of insanity, the WASH
ington Asylum for him is a purgatory
To be endured between Incarceration
into a grim barred building once the
District Almshouse. He may be suf-
Iering only from a nervous attack or
alcoholism. He'is penned in with help
less maniacs In rooms where there is
no attempt to segrcgate the races.
For Municipal Hospital.
such news naturally dumfounded us
and every person who read It, Great
heavens Who could dream for a mo-
ment that such a whited sepulcher could
possibly exist In civilized community
FOR even day! A beautiful city is our.
magnificent distances. beautiful parks
handsome public buildings, millions for
pleasure. and vet like Lazarus our in
digept sick and afflicted are forced 10
eat The crumbs which fall from the
table. in quarters. we are told, unit FOR
human habitation. My friends, these are
Facts; II is our duty to remedy them
Let us pray for. urge, and demand the
erection of an up-to-date municipal hos
pital, complete In all its appointments,
for the accommodation of the sick poor
OF our city on reservation thirteen, where
the old hospital has stood for the past
seventy years, an ideal site for an up-to-
date institution. and one which would
be credit to our National Capital.
Argument for Suffrage.
gress has been aware OF the horrible
conditions in and around the Washing
ton Asylum Hospital. For fifteen years
deaf ear has been turned to our plea
for better housing and the better treat
ment our INDECENT sick. Our homes are
here. Here is our property. Others in
terested in our city only as their Ma
tional Capital are here today and gone
tomorrow. AS Christ said, Where your
treasure is there will your heart be
also. Is this not an argument, my
friends, that appeals TO heaven itself
for suffrage In the District of Columbia
and representation in our national legls-
lature? We are informed by commit
tee which recently visited the old Wash
ington Asylum Hospital, a committee
representing five citizens associations
that the Government has property there
to the value of S5VO, 200: that the grounds
htty-one acres In extent, which Will be
increased nearly so per cent when the
Anacostia flats are reclaimed. are amply
sufficient"
Oppose Fourteenth Street Site.
DR.. Battle offered the following reso-
luton. which was adopted by the public
health committee:
Resolved, by the Washington Cham
Der Of Commerce that we favor the cree
lion of n madam municinal hosnita al