Dr. Albert Anderson, Superintendent of the State Hospital, has just explained to me the situation with reference to funds for building the power plant and heating improvements which are now under way at the Hospital. Dr. Anderson’s work, as you know, is being done under an appropriation from the recent bond issue for public improvements. The available funds for the work were $54,000. In order to complete the work before next winter it was necessary to place a number of contracts for certain materials which were hard to obtain before the plans and specifications had been completed for other parts of the work. On opening bids for the remaining portions of the work today the prices ran so high that the appropriation is exceeded by approximately $30,000.

Dr. Anderson is now confronted with the alternative of completing a number of the important features of his improvements in a very temporary way or securing additional funds for the purpose in order to cover the ground and get his heating plant in service at all. Under the present program Dr. Anderson would have about $33,000 available for permanent improvements next year, and if by any means your commission could arrange for him to have these funds for carrying out the present improvements they will meet the emergency which is far greater than anything that can come up later.

I earnestly hope that you will tax your inventive genius in finding this money for this purpose. This work ought to be completed if it is humanly possible to do it.