Daily Republican., 1881-05-11
WEDNESDAY, MAY IL, 1881.
Aims House Financial Exhibit.

1t might appear llttIo caPIious loi
us to refer so often to the management
of the Trustees Of the Poor, but 1t is a
duty which we owe to the pubic TO
freely criticise the actions of our pub
lie servants when we think they do
wrong. and we will not fail TO perform
that duty. The people of New Castle
county pay annually about $4,000 for
the support of the poor and insane OF
the county, and they have a perfect
right to know what becomes of their
money. The Trustees Of the Poor are
but the stewards Of the people, ap-
pointed to spend the money for the pur-
poses for which it is appropriated and
the people have a right each year to
know how and for what purposes the
money has been spent. All she people
have to enlighten them upon this sub
iect is the little annual pamphlet pub
lished by the Trustees, i'll which besides
informing the public how many indl'
gent and insane people are in the Aims
House, the receipts and expenditures
are all punched together, which serves
only to mislead instead of to enllghten
the people. No prying reporters are
permitted 10 enter the secret holy OF
holies where the business Of the Board
is transacted, and consequently the
public is kept entirely in the dark a,
whether honesty or dishonesty is the
exception or the rule i'll the proceedings.
We are not charging any member Of the
Board of Trustees of the Poor with dis
honesty indeed we would be 10th to
believe that there was anything Of the
kind in any Of the dOings Of the Board,
but as we have already said i'll previous
articles, for all the public are permitted
TO know about the inner condition
workings of the Board, ways that are
dark may be practiced with impunity.
Even the little pamphlet put out an
nually by the Board is 50 incorrect as
to be untrustworthy. 1t is reported
that the financial exhibit was passed by
the Board before it was known what the
exhibit would foot up and that it was
left in the hands Of an accountant to ii
up and publish as the exhibit. If this
be so this exhibit may be all right Or il
may be all wrong SO far as the Trustees
know anything about it. If this report
be true the Trustees never saw the ii !
nancial exhibit until il appeared i'll the
published pamphlet. 1t is certain any
how that there is an omission in the |
statement of the bonded debt Of the |
Board There is no mention made of
the s., 900 mortgage that was negotiated
q short time ago when it was in contem-
plation to enlarge and repair the Aims
House. This has not been so long ago
that our readers have forgotten the cir
cumstanCe, for it was the cause Of con-
siderable comment at the time. No
doubt this money was borrowed, but
there appears to be no account Of ii in
the financial exhibit. The omission of
it, however, may have been an unimten-
tional error, but if al error what de-
pendence can be PIT in the report lf|
we are not mistaken this money was
borrowed about two years ago, but the
contemplated repairs and enlargement
not being made on account Of the oppo-
sitiOn Of the EErCBLICAN and public
sentiment being against it, the money
was never applied to that purpose. Asst
was borrowed at six per cent that in
terest of course has been paid for it
ever since. Perhaps the Trustees of the
Poor can explain these little apparent
irregularities to the satisfaction of the
people. If they can, they should do
so, and the sooner the better.