The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-17
Legislative Committees to Z
Inspect State Institutions

MONTPELIER, Jan. 1.-THE senate
and house committees on state institutions
viii make their biennial pilgrimage to
visit these institutions earlier in the ses-
sion than usual this year, in order to get
a clear understanding of the needs of the
institutions and then have time to con
slider these needs thoroughly and propose
adequate legislation to meet them The
committees have already met with Judge
John T. Weeks, the director of state in
stitutions and he has outlined the needs
as he sees them. He suggested that the
committeeman go as soon as possible and
see conditions for themselves. In accord
ance with this suggestion, resolutions pro
viding for this trip have already been in
troduced.
Among the needs of the state nstitu-
tions as seen by Judge Weeks are
building to be used as receiving ward at
the state hospital at Waterbury, and
new kitchen and dining room at the state
hospital; the completion OF the d0rmItory
now under construction at the Home Tor
the Feeble Minded at Brandon. and the
building OF another dOrmItOry and ser
vice building at that institution.
The state hospital at " atetbury IS now
very much over-crOwded. The patients
there in December numbered $50, making
a larger population in this one institution
than IS found III any one OF l52 towns IN
Vermont. The best way to deal with the
crowded condition at tins institution, IN
the opinion of Mr. Weeks, Is to build
receiving ward where the new cases may
he segregated. Under present conditions
there is no possibility OF such segregation,
the new and less severe cases having TO De
placed in the same building with the 3dr
vanred cases Mr. Weeks Is of the opIn-
ION that, should such a receiving ward be
established, where the new arrivals might
be kept quietly by themselves, many
cases might be helped before they reached
the advanced stage.
The kitchen at the state hospital Is
very Inadequate, according to Judge
Weeks. 1t was built 80 years ago and IS
very much out OF date for so large an III
stitution. At present rooms all over the
institution are being used as dining rooms
i'm order to accommodate all the patients
and the attendants. 1t would make the
work very much easier and more sdtlsIac-
tory If one large dining room were con-
structed to seat all the patients ,,I,
At the Home for the Feeble Minded
at Brandon, the work oil collSeIu SI IiI- M d
new dormitory has BEEN commenced un1et
the apDropriatiOns of two years ago. Du1
the annronriation was not large eEough 70
cnrnniete the work The walls and ROOF
have been constructed. however, with the
hope that the present legislature 49, ~
we i,' as this dormitoly, which will house
y children. IS very. much needed. in An n
o,her dormitorv besides this one VIII DE
% Rfsa$a the bs0 attendants may i've by them
solves At present, many OF thc atteA,9i
ants are living in the same bnildip El With
the patients. If the new service 6"l dfba9
Is 4t;d 0m'' central TD'0 cooking plant, and the
central central heating plant which is already IN
c cTigtence there would probably be trans
feTred to that building. .e--,s.z... ~,
There are now three dPTrnitofiseF !, at tb tee
School for the Feeble -Mindd, and IN tnese
,oeli' ba,ienl II6 nersons commitments to
his hi institution are made through the pro