The Commission regrets that owing to unavoidable delays the only provision for reducing the overcrowding during the year consisted of the opening on October 1, 1913, of the MacGregor group of cottages at Central Islip for 400 patients of an extension to the reception building at the Hudson River State Hospital, adding 16 beds to the capacity and progressing the addition to the Edgewood building for 76 disturbed patients; also advancing toward early occupancy the addition to the chronic group at Middletown; the construction of a tuberculosis pavilion for 20 male patients at Buffalo; and completing an addition for 14 patients at the Lake Farm at Rochester. Beyond these minor additions nothing has yet been done beyond the preparation of plans for buildings intended to relieve the constantly increasing congestion of its hospital wards, amounting to 5,895 patients over the certified capacity. Neither is there promise of any relief for another year at least, when a material increase in the overcrowding must be faced. It is hoped, however, that contracts for larger extensions can be made early in the fiscal year.

The development of the Mohansic State Hospital which looked so promising early in the year was arrested by the failure of the Legislature to reappropriate and the consequent lapsing of the appropriation of $500,000 originally provided by the Legislature of 1912. Later in the session a bill to abolish the institution altogether was passed by the Legislature, but was vetoed by the Governor.

The Commission earnestly hopes that at the coming legislative session a reasonable appropriation for the commencement of work at this hospital will be granted.

Late in the year the Commissioner of Efficiency and Economy, with the aid of his architectural advisor, Mr. Brockway, outlined a plan of additions to some of the larger buildings of the Manhattan, Kings Park and Central Islip State Hospitals containing marked departures from previous plans but which he believed would, with the above appropriations, provide the maximum of accommodations at these institutions. The Commission had little opportunity before the close of the fiscal year to go into the merits of these plans, although their feasibility is unquestioned. It desires, however, to express its regret that the elaborate plans already

prepared for additions at the above hospitals must be abandoned, and that some further delay must necessarily ensue before the alternative scheme outlined by Commissioner Delaney can be presented in full working details.

Disbursements on construction and equipment account fell off during the year, the total being $495,889.08 against $995,680.10 for the preceding year. This was accounted for in part by congestion of work in the Department of Architecture, resulting in unprecedented delays in plans and specifications for new buildings and extensions. The accumulation of appropriation balances in the State treasury in consequence was a matter of great embarrassment to the Commission when it appeared before the financial committees of the Legislature to urge fresh appropriations. With unexpended balances amounting to three-quarters of a million dollars to the Commission's credit, legislators could not easily be convinced that the department needed additional funds, and whereas the appropriations for construction and equipment for the past fifteen years averaged over $900,000, the Commission was granted no appropriation for this purpose, the sole appropriation being for $150,000 to meet emergencies as they arise during the coming year.

NECESSITY FOR ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR

PATIENTS

The comfort and welfare of the insane in our public institutions is progressively menaced as the overcrowding in the State hospital wards increases. As will be noted by the table given below, the census of the hospitals on the 30th of September, 1914, was 33,357, while the total capacity of the hospitals as certified by the Commission during the year as required by law, was 27,462, an increase of only 436 during the year. The total overcrowding therefore amounts to 5,895, or a percentage of 21.4. The number of patients added during the year has made it necessary to still further overcrowd the already congested dormitories of the different hospitals-a procedure highly injurious to the patients.

For the purpose of detailed comparison, the following table of the population and capacity of each institution is submitted:

The limited acreage of the State hospitals, and especially those of the metropolitan district, precludes the possibility of any considerable additions to existing establishments, as no further encroachments on the already inadequate space devoted to recreation and exercise should be considered. Additional stories to existing buildings have been suggested by the Commissioner of Efficiency and Economy. In case of the failure of a bond issue permitting the construction of new institutions or of larger annual appropriations, this solution of the problem must be resorted to. If such extensions of existing buildings could be made strictly fireproof and equipped throughout with every possible safeguard against fire and resultant panic, the Commission could give its approval to the plan, for it needs no argument to show that before adopting generally types of buildings for the insane which have not been given practical tests, account must be taken of the helpless character of the inmates and of the utter pandemonium which invariably accompanies an outbreak of fire in these institutions.

NECESSITY OF BOND ISSUE

In its last annual report the Commission strenuously urged an issue of revenue bonds to permit the construction of new hospitals for the insane, or of extraordinary additions to existing institutions. Supplementing the arguments presented in this report, the Commissioners personally appeared before the financial committees of the Legislature to urge favorable action on this proposition, and on the 19th of March, Chairman Frawley of the Senate Finance Committee introduced the following bill providing for an issue of revenue bonds in the sum of $15,000,000 to run for a term of thirty years:

AN ACT

Making provision for issuing state bonds to the amount of not exceeding fifteen million dollars for the purpose of establishing new state hospitals for the insane, making additions and improvements to existing hospitals and equipping and furnishing such new hospitals and additions, and making an appropriation therefor, and providing for a submission of the same to the people to be voted upon at the general election in the year nineteen hundred and fourteen.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. There shall be issued in the manner and at the times hereinafter provided, bonds of the state in an amount not exceeding fifteen million dollars, which bonds shall be sold by the state and the proceeds thereof paid into the state treasury, and so much thereof as shall be necessary expended for the purpose of establishing new state hospitals for the insane, including construction of buildings and accessories and acquisition of lands therefor, and for the purpose of making additions and improvements to existing state hospitals, and for equipping and furnishing such new hospitals and additions, from time to time within the amounts appropriated therefor by the legislature out of the proceeds of such bonds. Such bonds when issued shall be exempt from taxation.

§ 2. The state comptroller is hereby directed to cause to be prepared the bonds of this state to an amount not exceeding fifteen million dollars, such bonds to bear interest at the rate of not to exceed four and one-half per centum per annum, which

interest shall be payable semi-annually in the city. of New York. Such bonds shall be issued for a term of thirty years from their respective dates of issue, and shall be sold for not less than par. The comptroller is hereby charged with the duty of selling such bonds to the highest bidder after advertising for a period of twenty consecutive days, Sundays excepted, in at least two daily newspapers printed in the city of New York and one in the city of Albany. The advertisements shall contain a provision to the effect that the comptroller, in his discretion, may reject any or all bids made in pursuance of such advertisements, and, in the event of such rejection, the comptroller is authorized to readvertise for bids in the form and manner above prescribed as many times as in his judgment may be necessary to effect a satisfactory sale. Such bonds shall not all be sold at one time. Not more than two million dollars in amount thereof shall be sold during the two years next ensuing after this act takes effect; and thereafter they shall be sold in lots not exceeding two million dollars at a time as the same may be required for the purpose of making partial or final payments on the work contracted for in accordance with the provisions of this act and other expenditures lawfully made under the provisions hereof pursuant to appropriations for such work or expenditures. There is hereby imposed a direct annual tax to pay and sufficient to pay the interest on each bond issued under this act as it falls due and to pay and sufficient to pay and discharge the principal of each of such bonds within thirty years from the date thereof. The rate of such annual tax shall be six one-thousandths of a mill on each dollar of valuation of real and personal property in this state subject to taxation for each and every one million dollars, or fraction thereof, in par value of such bonds outstanding or to be outstanding during the fiscal year for which the amount of such tax is computed. The tax imposed, as herein provided, shall be assessed, levied and collected annually in the manner prescribed by law for other state taxes, and shall be paid by the several county treasurers into the treasury of the state. The proceeds of such tax shall be invested by the comptroller in securities in which he is authorized by law to invest the trust and sinking funds of the state, and, together with the income arising therefrom, any premiums received on the sale of such bonds, and the interest accruing on deposits of money received from the sale of such bonds or from miscellaneous sources shall constitute a sinking fund, which is hereby created. Such fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying the principal and interest of such bonds in accordance with the provisions of this act.