The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-24
letter 70 The President Of The Board Of Re
EsntI, Dr.. ". ?. Huilihen, oiihb city.
Hall o. THE HOUsE o. DEIl0ATEI, /
KnEELINn Erh 8 laln I

n r. HaDJlsn, " D., Prhidsai Board ,
Rtgenil u he iA'tihaioH Jor I.E Deaf, Dan
md Bind:
DEAE DOCToE The Superintendent q
your Institution asks Tor g., 900 per annuu
% carry on hia school Tor the neKitEO yean
Tie Glys In hiS report dlied Oct. lst, lsf,
lpage-) that he has a. that time on III
rolls the names Of los pupils, and has Fel
sou 70 expect more, and that the aboV
sum 10 nocbasaEy 20 deiFay the expenses o
their education and support.
/ supposed when I read thls, - ! pre-
sumo you did when you endorsed hi
recommendation Tor the appropriation o
the above sam that there were a the tim,
l06 pupils present 10 the Institution, anS
that more were expected.
an now told that on the lat OF 0csO
Der, 1873, there were not more thar
lbeYentYj 10 pupils In attendance, and q
the present time when half the session
has passed there are not more than s., anC
Of coune a. this late period 10 the session
no more can be expected. These iIcts an
known 70 other members Of the Legisla
lure, and ! am sure you will agree with
the 70 require some explanation. Without
an explanation, lt appears 70 be an A.
tempt on the part Of the Superintendent
10 obtain an appropriation on false pre-
fences. II my Information Il correct, and
there were only 10 pupils present on the
Let Of October, the Superintendenl's state
ment Is certainly ineXact 10 the extent oi
Lhlrty.ave, Just 80 per cent,
by the SuPts report Il appears that
the average cost pei pupil Is $286 68l. II
my information Is correct the number oi
pupils In attendance during the last two
years has not averaged over s., and the
appropriation has been $4,000, which Is
an average cost Of $50 Il per pupil, and
the Superintendent asks for the same
amount for thetWo years 70 come, stating
that he has l05 names on the roll and that
more will probably Join. At the close OF
the report he prints q roll OF names Of pu.
pills In the Institution for the session OF
lS77-s-lhe number is l0j. by this il ap.
Dears that during the session beginning
September 1877 aud ending June 1878
here were 1906 pupils in the Institution,
who were educated ut cost OF $26B 66i
per annum per pupil. II my Information
Is correct there has never been los pupils
in th6 Institution, and during the session
Oi 1878 the average attendance was not
more than IS pupils, who were educated
at cost Of S329 Al per annurn per pupil.
viii you have the kindness TO inform me
whether the cost Of maintaining pupil at
this State Institution is $2GO B83 per an.
mum or whether Il Is $500 II per annum
per pupil? II my information Is correct
your Superintendent has placed the Gov
ernor, the Board OF Regents and himself
In a very awkward position.
| see by the report that At the close Of
the session Of 1857 the Superintendent
recommended Us q wise measure OF econO-
my the reduction OF tho number Of the
teachers In the deaf and dumb department
from five TO four, which was done; and the
superintendent congratnlates the Board
that the experience Of the session Of 1877
had shown the wisdom Of the change in
the greater zeal Of the teachers retained
and the more rapid advancement Of the
pupils. Yet, see that Tor the session Of
1880 with no increase Of pupils, the num-
Der Of teachers (fOur) is raised TO five by
the appointment Of one Of the Superin-
tendent's family. This has the appear
ance OF sacrificing the economical interests
Of the State and the intellectual welfare Of
the pupils for the benefit Of a member Of
the Superintendent's own family.
have written thus plainly 10 you that
you may have an opportunity before the
bill comes up in the House to explain
these apparent discrepancies, as without
some explanation fear that there may be
some difficulty in getting the bill through
the House, and that the confidence OF the
Legislature and the people in the truthful.
ness and honesty Of your Superintendent
may be shaken. Very respectfully,
ANDREW WILSON.
The case against the Principal OF the
Asylum at Romuey is, we may say, fully
stated and strongly put in the above let
ter. 1t is only necessary to add that the
discrepancies which 1t points out between
the actual and tho fictitious number Of
pupils in attendance at the Asylum, and
theiractual and fictitious cost ercapita, re-
mains to this day unexplained, 50 far as
we are advised. Itwould seem that these
fictitious reports on the part otthe principal
have been kept up for some two years or
more, and that appropriations hayebeen
asked for the maintenance Of twenty to
twenty-five more pupils each year than
were in attendance.
Take the charges set forth in Capt. vii
sons letter in connection with the charges
against Major Covell IN Virginia, and there
would seem to be an urgent necessity for
an immediate and very thorough invest.
CATION Of the affairs Of the Asylum.