New-York tribune., 1921-12-30
Jersey /, Insane
Hospital Aid Up
To Legislature
State Tax Sought to Relieve
Overcrowding at Morris
Plains. Where 2.3lO Are
Held in Quarters for | 900
Ex-Service Men Sufferers
Peril From Fire or Panic i'm
Wards and Halls, Jammed
With Cots of Invalids

The long -agltated need Of relief for
the New Jersey State Hospital at Morris
Plains will be placed squarely before
week. by the board of managers of the
institution and others Interested in the
welfare OF the states wards.
Hundreds of mentally deranged
patients sleeping on low trucks a few
inches above the bare floors of poorly
ventilated corridors and in stuf'y mar
row rooms. precluding proper curative
environment and making possible an
appalling disaster in the event of fire
or panic constitute one Of the condi-
tons existing at the hospital that has
caused officials to launch another de-
termined effort to obtain aid
The situation at Morris Plains is an
old story IN New Jersey. For more
than year the institution has been
oYercrowded TO an almost iuhumane de-
gree, according TO the officers. Al
though the condition was given wide
publicity the bord issue to provide
s14000,00O for the rehabilitation OF
.he state institutions and agel ties
generally. was defeated at the election
last November. The failure tn obtain
relief in this way however, has only
spurred the board of managers OF
Morris Plains to renewed endeavor.
Will Demand New State Tax
state tax as new source of
revenue for adequate institutional
facilities has been discussed for some
ho
the Legislature Both political parties.
IT is said. have hssitated to take
definite stand on the proposed issue
fearing that a program for additional
taxes would react against their aspira-
tons in the gubernatorial campaig
next year.
According to Daniel S Voorhees,. presi.
dent of the board of the Morris Plains
Hospital. sponsibility has been fixed
ana the Legislative leaders will be asked
to bury political aims in the interest
OF humanity.
The issue has reached final clear
cut stage" said Mr. Voorhees, yester-
day The bond plan having failed
largely because OF the belief that the
state was already over curdened. di-
rect state tax IS the only solution
Conditions at Morris Plains have been
getting worse and worse, and unless
rAey are corrected New Jersey viii be
placed in the shameful position OF neg
!ectng her unfortunstes 1t is I'D 20
The Legislature to supply the remedy,
and Il should not halt III the future be-
cause CT politics. A direct tax would
be 10 hardship en- the public. Those
who fail US should be driven out of
power"
Morris Plains Hospital, the original
uait af which was erdected in 1876, IS
certified TO care for 1900 pc bients e
aow houses $50 victims of mental DIS
order 1.4lS CT the number women
During the year 66S patients we're re
ceivsc. including seventy four former
service men suffering from shock and
psychosis due tc war wounds
Conditions al the institution were
observed yesterday by a reporter FOR
The Tribune Nineteen corridors and
sixtyejght parlors and small rooms
Intended for reereational or storage
purposes. in the main building and
dermitory, are devoted TO handling she
overflow. In these spaces 500 patient
occupy low cots ranged so closely to-
gether that passage is hardly possible.
To afford an exercise field for the suf-
ferers in the daytime it is necessary
70 stack the cots and bedding at the
ends Of the corridors. Many OF the
cots are iammed against heating ventl-
lators. some against doors and one
showed beneath Il table.
Dozen Patients in Tiny Rooms
Crowded IN each Of the small rooms
Of the clu:tered corridors we're "a
many a. q dozen patients. the conges
ion being especially noticeable in ateic
rooms On the fourth floor, lighted and
aired, iu most eases, by single win
dow. Rooms vStich were Intended to
house ONE person contain two and
three cots.
To care for the patients by day shere
src lS3 nurses. and by night thirty
TOUR nurses, wholly inadequate force.
%ccording to the officials, not only for
thelr proper treatment. but to give as
slstance in the event of panic or dis
order. A ratio of one attendant TO
every ten persons is eonside red low by
most authorities. it was pointed out.
but here some Of the nurses have as
many as eighty TO look after during
the night.
The eX-service men are quartered in
separate section on the third floor
q the main building. While there are
sufficient rooms 30 make unnecessary
the use OF the corridor, two corridor
recreation rooms hare been reauis;-
toned Tor sleeping purposes. Ia one
OF these are ten veterans, whose Gets
are ranged in pairs witE q small step
ping place between.
One Of the invaiiGs is known as "the
blind man OF Ner>.Un." His mind was
W0aHo1ro nr1rannnnrr