Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 September 1947 — Page 2

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‘Feeble-Minded School Inspected by New Mental Health Chief

Overcrowded, Understaffed Home Promised Aid, but Dr. Zeller Says Solution Is Not Easy

By ROBERT BLOEM, Times Staff Writer FT. WAYNE, Sept, 25~Now Indiana's new mental health direc tor,

Dr. Charles A. Zeller, has seen problem in state institutions at its He made his first trip to the Dr. Zeller, Governor Gates, Health Commissioner Dr, primarily in the form of more attractive salaries, but warned that ultimate solution to the problem still seemed a long way off, Out of the brief preliminary inspection came these developments: ONE: A new salary schedule is in the making to pit emergency relief funds granted by the legislature as an “afterthought” ‘against the critical problem of keeping institutions stnffed. TWO: The money isn't enough to go around, so Superintendent Luther Hirley was warned use of the new salary schedule would have to *he highly selective, pay increases for institutional staffs is in sight—it will be limited to key shortage categories on the basis of qualifications, THREE: Expansion of mental institution facilities, when it comes, will probably occur in the “wide open spaces.” Nobody sald so, but the feeling clearly indicated the beginning of the end of the Ft Wayne institution, hemmed in by the growth of the city. The attitude appeared to extend also. to Central hospital in Indianapolis, another “dated” institution - “Rn gilted “by City Expansion. Only Scratched Surface The inspection by the doctors only scratched the surface, But when the governor's limousine rolled through the front gate the first glimpse of the venerable Institution! set the pitch of the feeling. The administration building was constructed in 1888.

the overcrowding worst school for. the Council President Dr Leroy Burney promi

No blanket:

i It 1s the heart of a set of buildings which range | from fairly new and modern to so a women’s ward ironically named the old stairway escapes had to be the public-school 20-cent lunch pro- will be held Nov. 6, instead of Oct. hold a baked goods sale Saturday Atterbury, Ind.

and understafming

feeble minded here Norman Beatty and

ed early emergency relief, Improvement has not kept pace with the growth .of the state “out-

side-on that inspectors and institution heads agreed Mr. Hurley told Dr. Zeller his “population” was a little. over 1900 patients, The 99th patient admit-ted-—and that was back in the “gay nineties" is still there Although capacity is something the state's institutioih heads have been forced to disregard for years Mr. Hurley s#&id that even a good stretch wouldn't place the capacity

here ab move Man 3600 “School” Inadequate = At the “school,” the new mental

health chief saw a layout which he sald wouldn't be “adequate” if the Institution could get the 22 teachers it had a few years back instead of nine it struggles along with now, The “school” pays its teachers around $160 « month to do a highly specialized job when even an ordinary job teaching normal pupils commands a salary “outside” of $200 to $300 a month 12 months A year, Classes weren't for the term yet

fully under way when the state-

tote AEidg anon oame through but.came. up. for.dlscussion,, iat least one class that was sched-

uled for the afternoon was canceled because the teacher was (ll. Dr L. P. Harshman, the only psychlatrist in the entire place, showed the governor the class schedule. It was 25 Per cent.blank--no teachers available at the pittance pay the budget allows. The group then was conducted to

even |

ss ____ THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

THURSDAY, SEPT. 2, 1947

~ Improvement Pledged At 'Neglected' Ft. Wayne Institution

Lutheran Mission Group Convenes

Mrs. H.-S. Bechtolt To Speak at Dinner

The annual meeting of the Wome an's Missionary society of the United Lutheran church in Indiana was to open today at 2:15 p. m. with Holy Communion. in St. Mark's United Lutheran church. Sessions will continue through Saturday, A Young Women's congress~will {follow the convention beginning at 1:30 p. m, Saturday and closing with a communion service Saturday night. “The Church and the Atomie 1Age” will be discussed by Mrs, H. |8. Bechtolt of Chicago at the 6:48 |p. m. dinner tonight in the host church. Mrs. Bechtolt is national

“EMPTY CLASSROOMS When one of the meager staff of teachers becomes vill at the Ft. Wayne School for the Feeble Minded, there is no substitute. Here Dr. | Charles Zeller, new state mental health head, discusses with Governor Gates ‘and Superintendent Luther Hey the financial squeeze which “has sent most of the teaching staff scurrying for better paid jobs in public schools. The "sense training" specialist, a "must" in such an institution, resigned two years ago and no replacement has been obtained.

and

HEAD TO FOOT—Dr, L. P. Harshman, who plays:a.lone hand (vice Dresident of the Woman's Mis. ysionary society of the United Luthe state school, shows Mental Health Director Dr. Charles Zeller an | 3 example of the overcrowding problem. Twenty-seven beds were | Bet a att to Speak | the an inmate tan reach some of them is to clamber over his neighbor's philadelphia; and Mrs. Clara. B,.. bed, The space in which Pr, Zel ler stands was left only “because a Lauridsen Hansen' also of Phila pe |dresses tomorrow. Mrs. Hansen is — EE tt erie En —————i——— national promotion secretary of the Red Ero Seeks ; Miss Pauline Ziegler, missionary {nurse to Liberia, Africa, will talk ——— —— Contributions for the relief of ; | session tomorrow. Th . for 190 feeble-minded patients. gestion of Mr. “Hurley that they} og In F F A Band {hurricane victims in the southern oh Tout ib Ren. Tomay They were bolstered by a corps of would enable extra help to enter etter W riting i {section of the nation are being ac- : : by th i mental age qualified them to be of job-of evacuating patients, Week Proclaimed have selected four menibers Aron J. F. Carroll, chairman of Indian- by e Rey Robert Heine and. the some assistance in the care of fel- As it stands now, if fire cuts off The week of Oct. 12 to Oct. 18 Indiana to play in the nationa | , ) City, Mo. All funds received here will be Escape Doors Locked pombe for niyone Xo Brarabie ter Writing Week,” Postmaster GOTIYEn oe 8% Kansas y transmitted to stricken areas. Na- Ines wl peak ws TE Fire escapes inthe oid buildings up the slippery slide tubes 1elp Adolph Seidensticker announced : Set $T il 1 | cate millio to, meet mmediate con SESSIOR®.: pede negotiations nev going “on Governor “(ates Wie“ Sica 4° Wk Of MATL JL. 3 ssh, aise eed. jilda.at.iha a jor now has the tubular type fire es- with .the personnel board, -the proclamation, setting the week 7'™ Schinlaub of - Tipton, [Rthetan families in Marion coun= slide in case of fire. Because of least to attract a few more high letter writing week in Indiana. lected for the band assignment by Serves in Japan homes, And St. Mark's women will the “elopement” problem, doors to grade professional staffers to the \Dr. Henry S. Brunner of Penn-| mp. 4h or paul E. Starr, son Serve as convention hostesses in the —it's unavoidable, but places an be authorized by the general as- rect the band. W. Walnut st., is serving with the . appalling burden on the meager sembly. Annual Dinner Date 24th ir#antry division in Japan. Serves as Jeep Driver Pfc. Marion O. Dobbs, son of Mr, gency. “day announced a change of date The Ladies Aid society of St. service battalion: To get the tubular fire escapes! to benefit for the annual dinner. The dinner Matthew's Lutheran church will army in January,

‘SCHOO BENEFIT PLA NNE D-

¢ t at caring for the psychiatric needs of 1900 inmates at Fi. Wayne erin chitroh crammed into fhis tiny room, jammed so tightly that the ohly way’ ly iheran sisters’ motherhouse in ling support to his left made it too small into which fo cram a [delphia are’ scheduled to give ads woman's missionary society, Storm Funds | about her work at the afternoon : at th i mm “working girls,” Inmates whose a burning building to speed the | The Puture Farmers of America cepted by the American Red Cross, at the obening <o union; assisted on’ apolis chapter, said today. oo low patients even less fortunate. | regular exits, it would be virtually will be observed as “National Let- F- F- A. band at the organization's Mrs. Virgil ¥ohe of Lagrangs, the attendants in the bullding. today. Billy Record and Melvin Max- tional Red Cross has already allo- 40,4 of the state society, will pte. The, school, capes down which patients must mental Reilth council hopes at aside for observance of national Charles Cain, Hagerstown, were se- | ty will entertain delegates in their the fire escapes must be kept locked institution until bigger things can Traffic Club Changes. sylvania State college, who Will di-| 0 pri" 4 Mic Atlas Starr of 115 church. Staff of attendants in case of emer- The Indianapolis Traffic club to- Plan Baked Goods Sale He is in the 98th quartermaster He entered the and--Mrs.-Arthur Dobbs; ‘Columbus; A fish fry and auction,

and received his the 8th army in Tokyo, Japan. He

old dnd rickety that even .an in- “Sunset,” There they found three condemned by the fire marshal's gram, will be held tomorrow at 6 4 as originally announced. from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m, in the basic training at Ft. McClellan, Ala. entered the army in Sept. 1948, experienced layman could see {hey attendants trying to handle a office. Once condemned, they had p. m. at Clay center school, one; A meeting also is scheduled at 9 basement of the church, at Oxford He arrived in Japan on Nov. 14, and received his basic training as should have been razed years ago rounti-the-clock schedule of care'to be pulled ott despite the sug- mile west of Meridian on 116th st. p- m. Oct. 18 at the K, of C. hall. and E. New York - sis. 1046. i F't. Bliss, Tex. a. L 3 L = o a si . is aun iin cy = . * > na ) in cs : . ag XS A Se A A er i wo rani? . \ = i ; nl : - : j ins ’ = ~ T " : ’ \ ne : ; : i

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