Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-12-18
REORGANIZATION
PLAN INTERESTS
STATES WOMEN
REQUESTS RECEIVED
FROM ORGANIZATIONS FOR
FULL IMPORTATION

Montana women:s organizations are
taking . keen interest In proposed
changes In commitment and other
procedure at various state institutions.
Fred Bennion. secretary Of the state
reorganization committee. disclosed.
He said he received numerous re-
quests from business and professional
women's clubs. units Of Pro-America
and American Legion auxiliaries Tor
complete information on changes to
be proposed to the 1913 legislature.
Bennion said the women's groups
appear less interested In financial saw
ings than in revamping procedure at
the institutions. which. as a matter Of
fact, may cost the state more than
the present system.
Better Handling of Gases
The reorganization committee will
propose, he said. that the commit
ment procedure at the state hospital
at Warm Springs be changed to pro-
vide that no commitment be made
final through court action until after
patient has been under observation
of psychiatrists there for some time,
that voluntary commitments be per-
mitted at both the Warm Springs and
Boulder institutions for mental cases
and that the law be clarified permit
ting admission of children under six
years of age to the training school.
Bennion explained these changes
will be sought to permit better hand
ling of border line cases in which
the ordinary medical doctor and dist
riot court Judge cannot be sure Of the
mental condition of the proposed pa
tient, whereas trained psychiatrist
could, after observation, determine
whether there actually was mental
ailment.
Additionally. he said. the legisla-
ture will be asked to provide for opera
ton of the Boulder school as "a cura-
tive and educational agency, not as
minimum custodial institution"
Under the present setup, he said, the
state training school is less of school
than custodial institution for
feeble-minded.
The reorganization committee sec
Rotary said women'S clubs also were
showing exceptional interest In a plan
to change the commitment procedure
at the state orphans home at IWln
Bridges in the interest of the children
involved. 1t will be proposed, he sald'
that the legislature provide for send
ing children to country foster homes
rather than the state institution, II
such would be to the child's adVan-
tage. This would be done, he sald,
by giving the counties allowances from
state funds to help finance their fos-
ter homes Under present law, countles
are not required to contribute to sup
port of children at the state home ana
as result have the tendency 10
dump" orphans into the hands OF the
state he explained.
Child Welfare Division -,
Reunion said legislature also Will
be asked to provide for the child well
fare division of the state welfare de-
partment to investigate orphans
cases and report to the district court
before child may be committed
either to the state or any county
home.
Regarding the state vocational
school for girls at Helena and the in
dustrial school for boys at Miles City,
Reunion added, the reorganization
committee will propose that educa-
tional and reform phases OF their
WORK De ell pIldoLACo AooAASA eAA~AA e~-S
purely custodial functions. THE idea"
he said, sis to do more toward re-
habilitating girl or boy rather than
lust keep her or him in custody as
punishment"
He admitted some of the recon-
xendations will require larger ex-
penditure of state funds at the In
situations but insisted this additional
cost would be more than made up by
economies proposed in other recon-.
mendations. What we are suggesting"
he said, "is more intelligent handling
of persons committed to the institu-
tions"
Bennion said many women's clubs
throughout the state had devoted
several meetings to studying and dis
cussing the proposed changes and they
appeared to favor most of them.