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NEWS CONFERENCE
January 9, 1968

[The Governor made no opening statement. ]

Questions and Answers
(Spring Grove Overcrowding)

Q. Governor, last night at Spring Grove State Hospital eight patients
slept on mattresses on the floors due to overcrowded conditions. Dr.
Tuerk is very distressed about it. All this comes on top of budget
cuts which were necessary. Do you care to comment on this?

A. I think mental health probably got cut less than any other de-
partment in State government and the fact that people are not
properly housed in the institutions is a matter that gives us a lot of
concern and a matter which I directed a considerable amount of at-
tention to during the campaign. This thing didn't spring about over-
night, obviously, and we are attempting through our overall pro-
gramming of the needs in this area to reduce the number of people
who must be institutionalized. We have taken such steps as to pro-
vide increased ambulance service, for one thing. We are working in
all areas where incarcerations either for crime or incarcerations because
of some physical or mental disability are required to cut these things
down. We will continue to work in this way. I don't feel that mental
health has been singled out for any drastic cuts and the budget will
show when it is released, as a matter of fact, that we have made every
effort to meet the deficiencies that have so long been allowed to exist
in this particular area.

(Proposed Alcoholic Beverage Taxes)

Q. Governor, have you made any attempt to call a conference with
members of the alcoholic beverage industry?

A. Yes, we are working on that conference right now. I have had
some discussions with Mr. Hoffberger — not as a representative of
the brewing industry, but as an individual who is probably the best
known person representing that industry in the area. I expect to make
myself available to people from the wine and whiskey interests so
that I can get their judgment too. The appointments are in the pro-
cess of being arranged. They haven't been set.

Q. Have you taken any kind of a sounding at all as far as the people
are concerned toward the tax?