The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-11-23
SUSPECTS PLAN TO
UNLOAD ON STATE
STATE WELFARE COMMISSION
FINDS TOO MANY COUNTY
CHARGES In INSANE ASYLUM.

The first gun of what may result
in finish fight between the state and
the various counties was fired Satur-
day when David Burrell state COM
missioner of public welfare, address
ed letter to all judges of the state
having power to commit persons to
the insane asylums asking their CO.
operation in keeping the asylums free
OF those people who do not rightfully
belong there.
THE institutions are becoming so
crowded." said Mr.. Burrell, in an in
terview given out at Boise to The
Statesman, that / have found it
necessary to start an investigation to
find out the cause of the increase in
commitments to the asylums."
Sane mcarcerated, He Finds
In his letter the commissioner
states that he has found many old
people at the asylums who are feeble
and infirm from old age, but not in
sane
'sThe surprising thing he says, "is
that practically all Of these old peo-
pie have come from county poor
farms, contrary to the provisions Of
section 1887, Idaho Compiled Statutes
This section says that mo case of
idiocy or imbecility, or simple feeble
ness of mind, must be maintained at
the asylums"
AS soon as the receiving hospitals
at the OrOfinO and Blackfoot institu-
tions are completed Mr. Burrell in
tends calling clinic of physicians to
examine all patients at the institu-
tions. Such patients as are not class
ed as insane and dangerous to life
and property will be returned to the
counties from where they were COM
mitted. The commissioner expects
the hospitals to be ready about the
first week in December and as soon
after that date as possible he will
conduct the clinic and weed out the
patients.
II have been looking through some
Of the commitment papers Of those
recently sent to Blackfoot," Mr. Bur-
rell said Saturday, land the grounds
on which those people have been sent
to an asylum for the insane could just
as well be applied to almost any per-
son in Idaho.
1T looks to me as If some of these
county farms have just been unload I
ing on the state all their old and in
'irm charges simply because they
1idn't want to take care of them"
Records of the Blackfoot institution
IN file in the state department of
public welfare show that since June,
IS persons have been committed to
hat asylum from Ada county.
In his letter to the judges Mr.. Bur- ;
ell points to some of the reasons for
he increase in the number of patients (
t the asylums. One of these is the ]
rug or narcotic act passed by the {
npiSIat11ra in 1919 He saws.
Drug Addfcts Increasing {
ri an advised by the superintend {
MT at Blackfoot that he has handled t
1ore cases Of drug and narcotic ad- s
lets in the past nine months than
uring any previous biennfum since
Q has been in charge of the institu-
Ion" t
The reason for this, Mr.. Burrell t
sing liquor who have been deprived +
it have turned to drugs to satisfy l
leir desires v
educing the number of patients at
lie institutions is through coopera-
We plan with the Mexican govern v
ent. Many of the patients are Mex n
ans and through an agreement with G
lie Mexican consul recently establish II
at Boise, the department hopes to n
ave all these patients removed from n
le institutions and returned to their tt
alive land b
The total number of insane and
eble minded persons under care of
e state is now 1923 divided as fol-
ws: Blackfoot, 1872; Orofino, 281; T
ampa, 210. G