Evening star., 1925-10-06
ASK NEW BUILDINGS.
At ST. .EL|zABETH'S.
Work and White Plan Drive
in Congress Following
Grand Jury Attack.

Erection of nine new buildings at
st. Elizabeth's Hospital, to accommo-
date 1900 patients, at a cost OF be-
tween $4,000 900 and $1,000 900, will be
urgently sought from Congress next
December as the only practicable
method of correcting admittedly bad
conditions. which yesterday caused
Federal grand jury to attack the con-
duct of the hospital in report to the
District Supreme Court.
Secretary of the Interior Hubert
Work and DR.. William A. White, su-
perintendent of st. Elizabeth's. today
held conference at the Interior De
partment, during which they went
over plans for the new buildings.
Denies Any Are Sane.
Agreeing without reservation to the
allegations Of the grand jury that con-
ditions at the hospital are overcrowd-
ed. Secretary Work just as vigorously
opposed the body today on its charge
that any patients there are sane and
there through ''ulterior motives.
Il have found" said DIR. Work, who
less than month ago made a per-
sonal investigation Of conditions at ST.
Elizabeths. that in the artificial at.
mosphere of an insane asylum many
inmates appear sane, but If they are
permitted to be at large again they
soon establish beyond a doubt they are
insane. l have no doubt that one or
more of the inmates impressed men,
bers of the grand jury, but you may
be sure If any of them were sane DIR.
White would be only too glad to re-
lease them
Smoot to Seek Funds.
Senator Reed Smoot said today he
was little surprised that the grand
jury was shocked about the over
crowded conditions at st. Elizabeth 8
Hospital. He said he had carried ap-
propriations for the institution in his
general building program, and that he
expected to press for the additional
money needed early in the next Con-
greSS.
ton to the fact there are so mur-
derers confined in Howard Hall. which
was specifically mentioned in the
grand jury report, and he stated that
the guards who had to maintain good
order among them had his sympathy.
You will find in many cases." con-
tinued DR.. Work. that it comes to a
question of whether a guard must pro-
tect himself against these criminal
patients or submit to injury. 1t is an
extra-hazardous occupation
Criminals Make Task Hard.
Both DIR. Work and DIR. White hint.
ed that the present vogue of sending
criminals to insane asylums instead OF
Jail does not meet with their approval,
and only makes the care of an institu.
ton like St. Elizabeth's more arduous.
DR.. White said today that he has
been leading up to the request for
the new building program at St.
Elizabeth's for two years and he con-
siders the present the psychological
time to win support and success. He
reports that an enlarged boiler plant
costing 100000, which was author
lied at the last session of Congress.
will be completed within a month and
that this was built with the view Of
taking care of the nine additional
buildings which are sought.
Today there are 1000 patients at
ST. Elizabeth's in addition to the
normal capacity of the institution.
The new buildings will take care of
this overflow and anticipated in
creases, inasmuch as the admissions
have exceeded the discharges for the
past several years. .-