New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-26

simply because there wac no political bene-
mt to be got by paying it, and tho money
was wanted tor other purposes. In the
course of our Investigations the board
called our attention to this fact, viz: That
While the State Treasurer reports to the
General Assembly having paid out in cash
for account of the hospital during the year
1915 the sum of 900. the board
could themselves obtain from him in
cash only the sum Of $1,000, the difference
between these two sums, 81 48. 900 having
been collected by those who had purchased
the hospital warrants in the market. In
the folio wing year We find that the hospita!
board received from the State Treasurer, in
cash, only the sum of $500, while he re-
ports having paid on same account $40 4J0.
Your committee not considering themselves
charged with an investigation into the &C
counts of the State Treasurer, nor into the
manner in which he conducts his office, can
| not explain these discrepancies. Nor have
they ascertained the dates when the moneys
came into the Treasurer's hands which
should have been paid over directly to the
hospital board. We are, therefore, unable
| to report the precise length Of time which
elapsed between the payment Of those
| moneys to the Treasurer of the State and
| their delivery by him to the holders Of the
warrants sold. Were that fact escertained,
| and also the names of the parties who re
| ceived the cash for the warrants, the whole
matter might be exposed and understood,
and a remedy might be suggested. Your
| committee, however, have not the slightest
doubt that the condition Of the State treas
ury and its daily receipts were regularly
| communicated to certain favored specuIa.
| tors in State evidences of indebtedness. aud
that the original owners Of those evidences
were Intentionally and systematically
! delayed in cashing their warrants. 10 order
| that the favored specul atcrs alluded to
| might be preferred at the treasury, and alb
| sorb for themselves the moneys daily paid
| in. Your committee asoertained that the
| $4J 600 of hospital warrants. referred to
! above as sold By the board to Mr.. James s.
| Clarke, were cas- he'd at the treasury within
| very short time after they were sold,
| although the Treasurer had continually pre-
| tended to the board he had 40 luoLey to
meet them. This and other facts within
the knowledge OF your committee and others
| prove that there were persons outside OF the
| State Treasurer's office Who had at ali tim 4
perfect knowledge OF the concition OF his
cash drawer, and could put their hands in
| it, to the exclusion OF all other creditors OF
the State, whenever they pleased.
| Your committee append to this report
the testimony of Vice. President Hubert
BoLzano, acting president Of the board, o:
| sIr. Alfred Shaw, their regular attorney,
and also that of Mr.. Isaac n. Stoutemytr,
| which fully explains the $500 warrant
transaction about which 80 much has been
said in the public prints. These witnesses
were summoned by your committee to eG'
plain that transaction.
The statements of the treasurer of the
hospital, appended to the report OF the
board of administrators for 1879 show that
the expenditures for that year, 81, 02o
| were about $4,000 less than those of the pre-
cediug year; that the monthly expenditures
for 1873 average, therefore, about $4,000;
that the receipts from all sources for the
same period amount to $al ol2, including
proceeds OF warrants received for Legislative
| appropriations OF previous years, but SOLD
in 1879 This leaves a balance in the hands
of the treasurer of the hospital OF ST., $50 2e
on January l, 1876 with which to carry or
the institution and pay its general credit
ors (see pages Is and ~, besides warrants
on hand not cashed, $13,OOu.
The total indebtednt So OF the hospisal . ow
outstanding. including interest, is reported
BY the same officer to be Sl4i,4Si % (set
page 10 of the report of the administrators
for 1879. This indebtedness could doubt
lees be settled at fifty cents on the dollar,
The revenues specially assigned by the
Legislature for the use of the hospital real
ICED in 1875 the sum of $5S, 500 in cash.
Your committee find that this institution
, l
| ring the heavy discount on state war
rants). than similar Institutions in other
large cities of tho Union and that 1t costs
|, | considerably less per head OF the patients
maintained and treated there than in any
public institution in Louisiana that we have
visited. During the year 49, there were
1899 patients in the hospital. The cost pc,
year of their maintenance linc!uding Meu,
cal treatment) was about Sl33 10 per head
which, divided by 500, gives their cost pc,
day, viz: thirts-six and half cents each
, This is regarded as very moderate Tor TN
care Of hospital patients
! Your committee inspected the hosp!ta
. building and outhoUses, and found them II
need OF repair. A competent builder, "
were informed by the board, had made
racent examination of the buildings, with
, view to furnishing an estimate OF the pror
| able cost of necessary repairs to proven
, further deterioration, and that ne placed
at $3.50
RECOMMENDATIONS OF -HE CoMMITTEE.
Your committee recommend the pissa z
of the bill introduced in the House ar II
chairman. Mr.. Sibilski. of Orleans. en-itie
: an scr for the relief of the Charity Hospi.a
The advantage to be gained ny tins Pas
sage of this act is to give q regular an'
more certain revenue to the hospital, thu
cbviatirg the necessity OF us coming ever.
wear to the Legislature to- tae mean:
whereHith to carry it en-
| Fully aware that the State - not fuaa
. ciaiy able in its present Condition 10 pa
off the present Indebtedness OF the hos
/ | ntaI. we specially recommend for adoption
, | that section of the bill which provides tina
, | the warrants now in the possession OF th'
hoard of administrators be made rece. a
/ | BE for unpaid back taxes tor the year io'
and nrayious wears. This will enable tn
3 | board to pay oil at least one half OF thu IN
} | debtedness now outstanding.
! M. SIBILSKI, Charm ID
| A.. LEEISEE.
: M CRANE,
) NJ Nc ALPINE.
, CHARLES UAMEL,
, J. A. BLAFFEh,
Y. HIDRlNE.
TgsrI,,jsy OF VICE PRESIDENT boNEiN'
. Ouestioa-Was not Mr.. Shaw. the regIla
l attorney of the hospital. the proper peFso
t to attend to the business OF causing
: taking steps to cause the legal obstacles !
3 the way Of the board obtaining IRON q
: Auditor OF the State the warrants for u
< appropriatious of the Legislature III 1aV>
T | OF tho Charity Hospital: .,
/ Answer-Mr Shaw has written q Iette
7 TO the board of administrators IN which
I pives his views about that matter COZ
9 farred with MI. Shaw repeatedly about IN
9 matter: he finally informed me that ne WI
not the man to get the money-that ne Ie
g be could not succeed. See page tni!ty-nN
:. | of the report of the board OF aoMlnls.r
q tors for Mr.. Shaw's letter referred 10 IN IN
answer.
J. Onestiou-Does Nj Shaw receive sala1
Y ga raoular ATTORNEY of the hospital
t Answer-Yes; he receives $3o1 p
| annuvn