Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-13
ASKS DISMISSAL
OF TWO HEADS OF
STATE HOSPITALS
Senate Investigating Commit
tee Says Younger Men
Needed at Grand Island
and Milford Homes.
From a staff Correspondent.

Lincoln, Feb. l2.-(Special,) -Rec-
concentrations for the dismissal Of
the heads Of two state institutions
under the direction of the board of
control, are contained in the report
Of the special investigating commit
tee, which has completed its inspec-
ton of the fifteen Institutions under
the control of the board. The re-
port was filed with the senate this
morning by Chairman 7. z. Brad
street, Hall county senator, and
adopted without discussion or dis
senting vote.
These were the men recommended
for Dismissal
Commandant w. N. Hensley Of
the Milford Soldiers home because
OF advancing old age.
Commandant ] +, Walsh of the
Grand Island Soldiers home because
OF old age. The committee also
said that Walsh failed to command
the respect which an institution head
deserved.
Need New Farmer.
The committee further recon-
mended the dismissal of the son OF
Commandant Walsh at the Grand
Island home, who has been in charge
of farming operations. 1t makes this
statement in that connection: "The
son Of Commandant Walsh has
charge Of the farming and we are
free to say that conditions as we
found them warrant a recommends
ton that said Mr.. Walsh be dismiss
ed"
Member Of the committee said
that they did not regard Mr.. Walsh
as qualified to have charge of the
farming operations at the home.
In general the report was very
hattering to the state institutions.
The state penitentiary under
Warden Fenton, the three asyiams
at Lincoln, Norfolk and Hastings,
under Supterintendents Case, Fast
and Charlton, the School for Deaf at
Omaha under DR.. Booth, the Mil
ford Industrial Home for Women |
under Miss Ward, the Geneva In
dustrial Schools for Girls under |
Paul MacAulay,. and the Beatrice |
Institute for Feeble Minded at Be-
atrice, under Dr. Grifis, were espe-
cially commended for efficient man
agement
Ask for Younger Man.
The committee had but few
criticisms to make outside of the
Grand Island home. 1t reports that
il found that the girl employees
sleeping apartments at the Milford
Soldiers home are on the same
floor with the men and it recon-
mends this be changed Immediately.
1t was also asserted that Command
ant Hensley was too old to give the
institution the best administration,
and it then recommends a younger
man be put in charge.
\ AT Grand Island, the committee
reports that the buildings are in
poor condition and need attention.
The rooms on the first floor, de-
voted to the inmates, are satisfac-
tory, the report states, but the COM
mandant then invited the committee
TO visit what he called the hurri-
cane deck, in reality an attic, and
there conditions were not salts
factory.
Too Many Stairs.
To reach the attic it was neces-
sary to climb four flights of stairs
Of II steps each and the day be-
fore the committee visited the in
stitution an old soldier died of
heart disease as a result of the ex-
ertion.
The committee says that the re-
quest for additional executive build
ings at the institution should sbe
denied and the funds devoted to inn
proving the living quarters at the
institution. It also says that more
should be paid to the
cooking and serving of the meals.
i