The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-10-31
LocoI Union FoYors
Referendum No. SO

SEQ lUUHo. Below IS quoted lIOHl
the address of Gov Ford at the
convention of the Montana State
Federation of Labor which was held
at Missoula Oct 2O-23, 1916.
I'VE did a good job Of winning
the war, but the job is not yet COM
plete. There are still many prob
lens of great Importance to Mon
tana. and one of the most l think
is the problem of the proper care
of the unfortunateS who are COM
mitted to our State Hospital at
Warm Springs Many of you have
no doubt visited that institution, and
it is not necessary for me to try
to describe the conditions or tell
you what should be done. Much
has been done in the past few years,
but, my friends, there is much yet
to be done. It is for that reason l
am here today, asking for your
assistance and your help in secur-
ing the passage of the referendum
which was submitted by the last
Legislature to the people before the
next election, authorizing the is
suance of 100000 of bonds for
necessary equipment, etc, for pro-
pei IdlG VI the Initiates VI Jul OLdbC
Hospital at Warm Springs.
We have an institution with a
capacity of approximately 1900, yet
today we have committed to that
institution more than 1900 people
We have at that institution num-
Der of buildings in which these un-
fortunateS are housed, that are moth
ing more or less than the worst
kind of fire traps
The Good Lord has had His pro-
tective arms around the people at
Warm Springs or else there would
have been fire long before now.
In 1910 the people voted a bond
issue of $500.000. We Immediately
hired an architect and planned for
two dormitories, one for the men
and one for the women, a new kit
chen and a new laundry. But
priorities were established and we
have not been able to build as
planned. We have succeeded in I
building a nurses dormitory, be-
cause the Government released the
material for this, due to nurses
training program We advertised
for bids to make necessary tests
for the foundation of the buildings
referred to above, but we got 10 (
bids The Board of Examiners +
authorized advertising for the con- (
struction of the two dormitories. Of
course these will be much higher
than they would have been in l94l
We need many new buildings if
we are to give the patients the
treatment they are entitled to re-
eeive.- is fact that a very large
percentage of the people committed
to Warm Springs if properly treated
will be restored to normal condi-
tons and become a part of our
economy again.
We have been thinking of this
matter too much in dollars and
cents instead of the humanitarian
point We have not been thinking
as we should about restoring the
mental conditions of the patients
Well let us forget moment the
humanitarian side and think of it
in dollars and cents then. We have
approximately 1900 people in that
institution. Suppose we could, by
proper treatment, restore the men
tai capacity of 60 to 1871, think
what it would mean in dollars and
cents to the people of Montana in
stead of having them as patients
IN the institution, at state expense,
we could have them out conrtibu-
ting to the economy of our State.
We have another problem over
there that has just recently de-
Veloped. Results of chest X-Rays
show approximately 20 of the pa
tients are afflicted with tuberculosis.
We have set aside one floor of the
hospital. building as a ward for
these TB patients. We cannot per-
init those patients to mingle with
the other patients. We should build
a hospital to care for these patients
so as not to spread this terrible
disease.
But the thing tina: pulls at my
heart strings is the care we are
giving the old people Of our State.
They are not insane. Mer. and
women who have contributed in
substantial way to the development
of Montana, raised a family, and 1
because of unfortunate circum-
stances are today inmates of an in |
sane asylum. We should hang our
heads in shame that that condition
exists in this great state.
With two million dollars we could
build home to take care of those
old people, who definitely are not
insane We could segregate and
get them away from the insane /
asylum and put them in a home for
the aged
Let US appeal to the people on a
purely business basis that it will
De dollars and cents in their pockets
f they will give this $2,0OO,0OO
% provide suitable equipment and
care for those people. It
s not sufficient to say here that you y