 Who is the 10th man? The 10th man is the one man in 10 in your hometown who needs or will need psychiatric treatment. What are you doing in your community for the 10th man? Michael Stevens is such a man. Michael has delusions. The doctors call it paranoid schizophrenia. And Sarah, his wife, has admitted him to the state hospital. Sarah has done this reluctantly since she had read newspaper stories about the bad conditions there. But when Sarah learns that the reason for the bad conditions is lack of public interest, she decides to take up the cause of the mentally ill. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ralph Bellamy. You're listening to The Lady and the Lawmakers. Oh, it's you, Mr. Durant. Come in, won't you? Thank you, Mrs. Stevens. It's very good of you to come. I'm afraid you might not have remembered what this was all about. Oh, I remembered all right. Let's see. The last time I saw you was a few weeks ago in Dr. Crockett's office at the state hospital. And there was fire in your eyes. Oh, that's right. There was. We'll just sit down. Thank you. Nice place you have here. Thank you. I'm glad you suggested that we have our talk here. Anything for an excuse to leave the office. Being a newspaper man must be a hectic way of making a living. Oh, it has its compensations. Like this special assignment now. Writing articles on conditions in our mental hospitals. Just the kind of job I like. Something exciting and challenging. Something out of the routine of chasing fire engines and copping police blotters. But it isn't so easy either. No, I suppose not. I have to turn in good news stories without stepping on too many toes. I know you can't please everybody, but it doesn't do any good to hurt everybody either. You know, I discovered that most of the officials weren't really to blame. Some like our friend Dr. Crockett have been doing a great job. Above and beyond the line of duty. They've been hampered by lack of funds for years. And if this appropriations measure is killed in the house, it'll be another setback. But you explained in your articles how important it is that the money be provided. Mrs. Stevens, the public's indifference is an overwhelming thing to fight. It's so easy to put people with mental diseases safely behind the walls of a hospital and forget about them. No, it's not so easy when it's your own. Oh, I am sorry. I forgot about your husband. How is he, by the way? Well, they still haven't begun any treatment. Well, once they do, he'll come around all right. You'll see. I hope so. I'm sure of it. Anyway, you're not like those people I mentioned, the ostriches. When I last saw you, you seemed interested in doing something about changing conditions. That's right. I am. And I asked you to come here today because I think I have an idea of where to start. Good. Now, stop me if I'm wrong, but this is the way I look at politics. We put our officials in office. But how do they know when they're doing things the way we want them done? Well, if they don't do things to suit us, we squabble. Now, up at the state capitol, Kenneth Barnes thinks he's pleasing us by killing the proposed appropriations, which will save the taxpayers a little money. Right. But we happen to think that the measure ought to go through, since it will provide better facilities for treating our mentally ill, thus saving us more money in the long run. But when you say things like that in your newspaper articles, Barnes doesn't pay any attention. Probably because my paper backed his opponent in the last election. Well, suppose we flooded his office with letters and petitions. Who'd write them? People? You citizens? Voters? Well, take a lot. How can we interest that many people in our cause? We'll get the women's club interested. Oh, no, this isn't their line at all. But it is. We'll bring it up at the next meeting. You can't talk about the mentally ill at a women's club tea party. Why not? Because all they're interested in is gossiping and showing off their foolish hats. I know I've covered those meetings. They never pay any attention to the speech. They would if you gave it. Me give the speech? Oh, no, thank you. No women's club speech for me. For the good of the cause? No, no, no. And furthermore, ladies, the official report stated that the group of patients who were given treatment were sent home within five months. While those in the control group who were not given treatment remained in the hospital on an average of 37 months each. Thus the treatment program resulted in a net cash saving of $175,000 to the taxpayers. Now I've pointed out to you what the proposed appropriations would provide in terms of dollars and cents. You can judge for yourselves what it would mean in terms of human values. Ladies, it is within our power to provide decent psychiatric care for the citizens of this community. But we must let our representatives know that we want funds a lot for this purpose. And we must act now. Thank you. You see, I told you that listen if you made the speech. Say you weren't talking through your foolish hand. After Johnny's speech, the women's club immediately embarked on an educational campaign to interest the citizens of their community in the problems of mental health. They wrote letters, circulated petitions, interested other citizens' organizations in the cause, tacked up posters, and talked, talked, and talked. Finally, Sarah decided that the time was right to see Kenneth Barnes. Well, I must say, Mrs. Stevens, you don't look like the crusading type at all. Not like a professional crusader, I suppose. I still haven't lost my amateur standing. But for an amateur, you've done quite a job. Oh, then you were impressed by all those letters and petitions? My staff was. They had to read them. And you? Mrs. Stevens, I'm a public official. I've got my orders, and my orders are to economize. But not on mental health, Senator Barnes. Now, we've gotten along fairly well in this state. Have you ever tried to get psychiatric care? Oh, uh, I understand you've had some trouble in your family. Yes, my husband. He's getting better slowly. But early treatment might have saved him from the whole unhappy experience in the state hospital. I won't deny that it was my personal connection with all this that got me started. But that doesn't all to the fact that all of us have a stake in the mental health picture in this state. Yes, I daresay something more could be done, but there are improvements needed in other areas too. Well, surely these other needs aren't as pressing as the needs of the mentally ill. Perhaps not, but... Well, Mrs. Stevens, it's this way. The public likes to see something tangible for the money it's been. Psychiatric wards in general hospitals and mental hygiene clinics are tangible enough for anybody. True, true. I see you well up on all this psychiatry stuff, but I don't think the public is really sold on it. But what about all those letters and petitions? My dear lady, I've seen pressure groups in action before this. Pressure groups? Of course. I know how you people operate, and I'll admit you've stimulated a certain amount of superficial interest. Superficial interest? But in the long run, the public is much more interested in saving money now than in the probability of saving it in the future. And I might add that the rest of my committee feels the same way. Oh, I see. And when is the next meeting of your committee? Our next and last hearing will be held on Thursday this week at 10 o'clock in room 201 of the State House. Will it be open to the public? Theoretically. What do you mean theoretically? I'm afraid the hearing of an economy committee isn't much of an attraction for the public. But it will be all right if I drop in with a few friends? You should be delighted to see you. But don't think that you and your few friends can make us change our minds. We can try. Well, I must go now, Senator Barnes. I have a few phone calls to make. See you Thursday? Good morning, Senator Barnes. Huh? Oh, it's you, Durant. What are you doing here today? I'm covering the budget hearing. Looks as if it might be quite exciting. Just a routine affair, but don't bother me now. I'm late enough as it is. So many cars around here this morning. I'll walk in with you. Oh, it's not that way, Senator Barnes. Say, look here. No fooling. They've got a larger turnout than they expected, so they move the meeting upstairs to room 409. Seems room 201 is kind of small. Larger turnout? Let's take this elevator. Fourth floor, please. Say, what are you up to? You know, Senator, they have seven elevators like this at the state hospital. But only one of them works. Yeah? Here we are at the fourth floor. Ah, here's Mrs. Stevens. Hello there. I'm sorry, Senator Barnes, but we're not meeting in 409 after all. It's got a little crowded. The meeting is being held in the courtroom at the end of the corridor. The courtroom? Say, what is this? Well, it's the biggest room in the building. You'll be amazed when you see how many people could be attracted to anything as dull as a meeting of the budget committee. But all these people in the hall, are they going there too? Looks that way. Well, here we are. Let me open the door for you, Senator. There they are, Senator Barnes. My few friends. Close those doors. Who are all those people? Well, now let me see. There are six ministers, quite a few doctors, some members of the Parent Teachers Association, 22 I think, I sort of lost count, representatives of the Women's Club, welfare societies, and then just plain voters. What are they here for? Well, they're ready to testify that the groups they represent are in favor of increased appropriations for this state's mental health program. I guess I underrated you, Mrs. Stevens. You underrated the public, Senator Barnes. I thought you were smarter than that. They seem to be interested, all right. This is a bigger issue than I thought. The biggest? Well, I guess you win. If you really want this foolish extravagant, I can't stand in your way. Then you'll recommend the increased appropriations? Yes, I'll recommend it. Good. My congratulations, Mrs. Stevens. You've done quite a job. Now, how about helping me into the governor's chair? Oh, thanks. But I think politics are a little too hectic for me. Well, I suppose we might as well go in and get it over with. You coming in to gloat? No, thanks. My job is finished. From now on, Senator Barnes, it's up to you. You have just heard the Lady and the Lawmakers, a presentation of the National Mental Health Foundation and other organizations dedicated to the preservation of mental health. Ralph Bellamy acted as narrator. The programs in this series were written by Jack Nair and directed by Drex Hines. Dr. Dallas Pratt served as technical advisor.