The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-05
IlSUaAsCf MAN SAYS
NEW RATES UUTRAGE0u.
Shirley Garter, of Board of Directors
OF Western State Hospital. Be-
fore Senate Finance Committee.
MAY CARRY OWN INSURANCE.
Proposed Policy Of State Seems Popu-
iar--State Hospitals Urge More
Land In. Order. to Keep Inmates
Happily Occupied Farming.

An interesting feature of last even
ing's session of the senate finance COM
mittee was the declaration by Shirley
Garter, of Winchester. that although
himself for thirty-five years, he deemed
the increased insurance rates on state
institutions outrageous.
, MIR. Carter is a member of the board
OF directors of the Western State hos
pital The committee adjourned last
night at $40 o'clock after very busy
and profitable weeks work and will
resume its sittings at 1880 o'clock
Monday morning.
Yesterday morning fater-J-B b,
Wood. superintendent of the peniten-
tiary, presented his requests asking
that the annual appropriation be in
creased from $4,000 year to $4,000.
Major Wood stated that there were
outstanding bills against the peniten-
t1ary for $4,000 with only $4,000 in
bank with which to meet them. re-
quest was made that the pay of guards.
twsnty-two In number. be increased
from So to $40 a month.
Yesterday afternoon, state hospitals
had their innings. and among the most
interesting and practical proposals
presented by practically all of them
was that additional land be secured
in order to enable the institutions to
B6tsE isiSAS AOpuStuhSs IL DStuR PObtkSu
out that the inmates were happier and
mora healthy ~ given work on the
land. Ss we'll as thereby contributing
very largely TO their own support.
The question of fire insurance was
incidentally touched on and 1t seemed
the consensus OF opinion that the state
should carry its own insurance.
especially In view of the fact that
notwithstanding the superior charac-
of fonAfYngfinY 1F afafn's hnttd-
ings Of recent erection and the fact
that they were practically all heated
by steam and lighted by electricity.
doing away with the freplaces and oil
lamps OF the past. the insurance COM
psnies now demand an increase OF
Zoe par cent In rates. The rate has
been / per cent for three years and
liz per cent of Ave years insurance.
An attempt TO secure a more reason
able rate than the large increase de-
mAndsd. in which the states repre-
sertattves offered to pay nifty cents on
the 500. was met with a proposal of
eighty-fve cents on the hundred
Although the state has had the
lower rate for many years 1t has
paid out $4,000 more than IL has re-
ceived in the last twenty years Ad-
dressing the committee last night Shir-
ley Carter. of Winchester. declared
that the proposed insurance rates
were outrageous, and that, II ne
owned the state institutions he would
carry his own Insurance..
bill Already Drawn.
bill has been drawn in the once
OF the commissioner of insurance
which. 1t ~ not doubted. will be adopt
ed by the legislature insugurating the
policy OF the state carrying its own
insurance. 1t came out in the discus
sion that as a matter OF fact the in
surance on the states property rep
resents only from one-quarter to one
third Of It's value. and that. had Ii
carried full insurance, IL would have
paid out 100000 more than IL received
In the past twenty years Members
of the finance committee seemed 20
be very much impressed with the ad-
visa biiity OF the move. In the discus
sion II developed that the state Capitol
itself is insured for only $4,000, A
hot hght IT is anticipated. will be made
by insurance underwriters. to prevent
the inauguration of the new policy.
Owing 10 the increased cost of labor
ana supplies all institutions asked for
q suflcisnt increase of annual appro-
prlationa to provide against such
higher costs.
Eastern state hospital reports q de-
felt OF $500 and asks an aprropria-
tior.