The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-29
THE MANA g GE.MENT or THE AIMS
HOUSE

THE MANA g EMENT or THE AIMS
HOUSE.
Some years ago the mismanagement of the
Almshouse by the old Board of Guardians,
known as the "Board of Buzzards," created
30 much scandal that total reform was
effected, and the appointment of the Guar
dians was placed in the hands of the courts.
This arrangement apparently worked well,
and until lately there have been no serious
complaints about the conduct of affairs at the
Almshouse. The reports of the meetings of
the Board of Guardians for some time past,
however, have indicated that there is q screw
loose somewhere, and that little ventilation
of the method of managing the Almshouse
under the present dispensation would do no
harm, at least. At the meetings of the board
most of the allegations of mismanagement
and demands for reform have come from Mr..
Edward L. Parker, who appears to be consi-
dered by his colleagues as a nuisance who
needs to be suppressed. We consequently
find that Mr. Parker has considerable diff
Guilty in getting a hearing when he has
complaint to make, and that when he cannot
be restrained from talking in any other way
the board will adjourn. Now MIR. Parker
may be a very troublesome fellow, as efforts
have been made to represent him, but there
has generally been good deal of point in his
remarks, and the conduct of the other mem
bers of the board towards him has been
such as to excite suspicion that they did
not care to interest themselves in correcting
the evils he complained of. In. the Post of
this morning an interview with Mr.. Parker
is reported, and he is represented as telling a
very straightforward story about the affairs
of the Almshouse, and he makes some re-
velations that indicate a state of things not
far removed from the disgraceful condition
that existed under the rule of the Board of
Buzzards.' Very grave charges are brought
against the officers of the house, who, accold-
ing to Mr.. Parker, work the paupers for their
own profit, who are engaged in various
money making speculations that ought to be
put a stop to, who defraud the paupers and
the city in the quality as we'll as
the quantity of the meat purchased,
and who otherwise demean themselves in a
manner deserving not only of censure but of
severe punishment. Mr.. Parker asserts that
''the officers of the house have formed a
regular ring, and that the whole system is one
of mismanagement, waste, peculation, cor
ruption, and oppression" He states that
ninety-fve out of every one hundred found
lings that como to the Almshouse never live
to five years of age, from want of proper
nourishment regularly given at proper inter
walls; that their medicine is not administered
properly and that their milk is diluted with
twenty gallons of water to one hundred
Of milk. These and other charges of like
character cannot be passed over in
silence, and the Board of Guardians
must give some explanation or rest under the
imputation of countenancing them. The
subject, however, should not be left in the
hands of the Board of Guardians, who may
be interested in presenting a whitewashed
report, but thorough investigation should
be made by disinterested outsiders, and if
Mr.. Parker's charges should be proved to be
true, measures must be adopted to place the
management Of the Almshouse upon proper
footing. The city of Philadelphia cannot
afford to submit to the scandal
of another Board of Buzzafds," and
paying as we do thousands of dollars yearly
for thesupport of the Almshouse, waste, pecu
lation, and other corrupt practices must be
put stop to, If there is any way of doing it.
1t is certainly suspicious and dscreditable
sign that Mr.. Parker, with such a list of
serious complaints as he presents, is always
ohoked off at the meetings of the board
whenever he makes demand fer an investi-
cation, and the plain statement of the mis-
management which he made to the reporters
of the Post merits the belief of the eommu-
nity antii il il proyed concluSiyely that he is
mistaken.