The Chronicle star the Moss Point advertiser., 1950-02-03
The action Of The state Sen.

uCiloH CA hiit Stn4F OSh
ate in overriding the budget
commission to add $4,000 to
that body's recommended APP
preparation of $3,631,000 for
the next biennium for the OPP
Grafton of Whitfield mental
hospital, deserves the common
dation of people interested in
giving our mentally sick ade-
quate hospital and medical
care. The recommended Senate
appropriation of $4,37i,000 is
still more than a quarter-mil-
lion dollars short Of the $685.
900 asked by DR.. w. L. Jaquith,
director of the hospital, but it
is ST, 400, 600 more than the in
stitution had during the past
two years.
Unfortunately. the most dras-
tic cut in DR.. Jaquiih's request
for funds for the next biennium
came in those for occupational
fherapY. DR.. Jaquith asked for
Sz2e 900. The budget commits
sion cut this figure 70 $4,000
and the Senate upped IL to
$4,000. The latter figure is still
completely inadequate for q
sustained program owe a two
year period in view of Whit
fields more than 1000 patients.
With an adequate occupational
therapy program. many of the
unfortunate people could he re-
stored TO society as useful and
self-supporiing citizens. Lack
OF such a program will still
keep Whitfield in more or less
the "jeil" status. instead of a
treatment center. as DR.. ia
quifh ably pointed out recently
in a public protest against the
slimpY budget commission
recommendation.
Whitfield has long been a
political football, with brutal
and shocking conditions ram
pant there brought to the focus
of public attention every now
and again by an investigation
or some particularly vicious
happening. Each time, however,
it has drifted back into its dark
corner of obseurity, with little
good accomplished, its pathetic
and helpless population subject
to the same carelessness and
neglect, as is the case in SO
many institutions Of this type
the nation over.
A personal Investigation un-
dertaken more than a year ago
by Rep, Hayden Campbell of
Kinds county, once again point
ed up the shocking conditions
at Whitfield. Rep. Campbell
stuck to his guns despite de-
NAL of these conditions by the
mental Institutions state board,
the protestations of DR.. Law
renee Shackelford, director at
that time. and a semi-white-
wash by the legislative investi-
eating committee. Rep. Camp
bell cited proof of shocking in
cidents, under-nourishment, and
general conditions that
were almost unbelievable. DR..
Shackelford subsequently re-
signed.
The only answer to these
conditions is the answer the
Legislature is giving ad-
ditional appropriations TO con-
duct our mental hospitals as
treatment centers and not in
stitutions where the u~nfortun-
ate and helpless mentally i'll
are thrown inio Jail" and for
gotten. DR.. Jaquith. we believe.
has done a t:ne job since sue
ceeding DR.. Shackelford. He
certainly has the courage of
his convictions and his public
protest of the budget commits
sion's drastic cut in the amount
of funds sskc6 by him was
both forceful. intelligent and
humane. II pointed up the prob
lem. and outlined the general
stfitude that has been taken
by the legislature towards the
operation of Whitfield for many
years past.
We believe the mentally i'll
are the first wards of the state.
Their condition is beyond their
own help and, in most instances,
beyond that of their families.
Until this is realized and APP
preparations made sufficient to
operate the hospitals as they
should be, then little real prog
reSs will be made.
light FOR HAMLET