MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS, EMERGENCIES EQUIPMENT Reappropriations (Chapter 521, Laws of 1914.) PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE By chapter five hundred and forty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for the maintenance of the psychiatric institute, under the direction of the State Hospital Commission, as provided by article seven of chapter thirty-two of the laws of nineteen hundred and nine, being the Insanity Law, five thousand five hundred and fifty dollars and ninetyfour cents (re. $5,550.94). BOARD OF ALIENISTS By chapter five hundred and forty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for the actual and necessary expenses of the members of said board, in the performance of their official duties, three hundred and seventy-five dollars and twenty-eight cents (re. $375.28). WILLARD STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for extension to laundry for sorting system, two thousand nine hundred fifty-seven dollars and twenty-five cents (re. $2,957.25). HUDSON RIVER STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for finishing third-story space in main building for women nurses, one thousand five hundred forty dollars and forty-eight cents (re. $1,540.48); for laundry equipment, three thousand four dollars and sixty cents (re. $3,004.60); for addition to dining room, central group, six hundred ten dollars and fifty-two cents (re. $610.52). MIDDLETOWN STATE HOMEOPATHIC HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred seven of the laws of nineteen hundred and ten and chapter five hundred forty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for power house, twenty-nine thousand thirty-six dollars and nine cents (re. $29,036.09). BUFFALO STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for changing water-closets, wards thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, one thousand dollars (re. $1,000); for refrigerating plant, one thousand one hundred ninetytwo dollars and forty-five cents (re. $1,192.45); for addition to bakery, two thousand three hundred fiftyseven dollars and sixty-five cents (re. $2,357.65). BINGHAMTON STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for reconstruction, electric lighting system, fiftynine thousand nine hundred twenty-eight dollars (re. $59,928); By chapter five hundred and seven of the laws of nineteen hundred and ten and chapter five hundred and forty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for changing refrigerating plant, one thousand two hundred fifty dollars and ninetyseven cents (re. $1,250.97); for telephone connections, five hundred forty-four dollars and seventy-six cents (re. $544.76). ST. LAWRENCE STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve for improvement to heating system, eleven thousand three hundred forty-five dollars and sixty-seven cents (re. $11,345.67). ROCHESTER STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for nurses' home, one hundred and eight em ployees, fifty-nine thousand four hundred sixteen dollars and seventy cents (re. $59,416.70); for improvements to patients' quarters, Lake farm, two thousand six hundred seventy-one dollars and eighty-one cents (re. $2,671.81). KINGS PARK STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for addition to refrigeration plant, ice-making machinery and changes in cold storage facilities, twelve thousand nine hundred nineteen dollars and fifteen cents (re$12,919.15); for underground conduits, cottages and telephone equip ment, four hundred thirty-six dollars and seventy-two cents (re. $436.72). MANHATTAN STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for additional accommodations for two hundred patients, one hundred fifty thousand dollars (re. $150,000); for nurses' home, eighty-nine thousand nine hundred and twenty-one dollars and nineteen cents (re. $89,921.19); for therapeutic equipment, new cottages, one thousand four hundred ninety-four dollars and thirty-one cents (re. $1,494.31). CENTRAL ISLIP STATE HOSPITAL By chapter five hundred thirty of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for water supply, north colony power plant, two thousand two hundred forty-two dollars and twenty-seven cents (re. $2,242.27); for extension of coal trestle, north colony power plant, one thousand thirty-three dollars and ten cents (re. $1,033.10). By chapter five hundred thirteen of the laws of nineteen hundred and ten and chapter five hundred forty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred and twelve, for additional electrical equipment, six thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven dollars and thirty-two cents (re. $6,927.32). SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1913-14 By chapter 792 of the Laws of 1913 (Appropriation Bill) for the year beginning October 1, 1913: For administration For maintenance. ... $177,800 00 6,451,850 00 $6,629,650 00 Total appropriation bill..... Total supply bill (Chapter 530, Laws of 1914, Grand total ... 277,819 31 740,825 00 $7,648,294 31 RECEIPTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF REIMBURSING PATIENTS —MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS Under statutory authority (Section 89 of the Insanity Law) the State hospitals have admitted under special agreement a few patients "other than poor or indigent" during the past year. The great proportion of paying patients, however, belong to a class with means only sufficient to bear a part of the total cost of maintenance. The total number of paying patients at the close of the year was 2,885 and the annual payment made by them for support averaged $177.44 per capita, while the actual cost of support of each hospital patient, including all maintenance items, investment in hospital plant and cost of administration, amounted to not less than $292 per annum. With the general slackening of business activity in the State during the past few years there has come an increasing difficulty in enforcing collections from relatives of patients. In the exercise of this delicate but unavoidable duty the Commission has refrained from taking action that would, even remotely, tend to oppress or pauperize the individual and has sought to place the burden only where it could be adequately borne. As is well known, the very great mass of the insane-more than 80 per cent is recruited from that class in the community which ranges close to the mar gin of insolvency, and in cases where the wage-earner is afflicted with insanity the possibility of securing even partial reimbursement becomes at once doubtful. Furthermore care must be exercised lest attempts to enforce the hospital claim affect the progress of the patient toward recovery. The receipts for maintenance of reimbursing patients from the various hospitals for the year have been as follows: The total of the above shows an increase of $76.17 over the collections of the previous year. The miscellaneous refunds and receipts, which include items such as stewards' sales, steamship tickets, etc., amounted during the year to $34,825.40, which constitutes a decrease of $4,746.07 compared to the previous year. This is accounted for by a decrease in stewards' sales and also in legal receipts. The total of board moneys, miscellaneous receipts, etc. ($541,687.75), showed a decrease of $3,953.45, as compared with last year. DISBURSEMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR The following summarized statement will show in brief the disbursements of the department for the fiscal year: |