Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-23
PETERSBURG NORMAL SCHOOL IEVEsTIGA-
TON

NORMAL SCHOOL IEVESTIGA-
TON.
The Committee on Public Institutions
and Education, to which was referred the
resolution directing them to investigate the
management, &c., of the Colored Normal
School at Petersburg, presented their report
yesterday in the House of Delegates.
The Investigation was conducted By q
sub commi consisting Of Senators Koin-
er, Jones, Warwick, Rhea and Norton.
The report, in substance, is as follows :
The sub committee met in Petersburg on
Dec. 18Th, 1885, and inspected the grounds
and bulldogs of the Institute, and, as far as
they could, the materials on hand. They
found the brick work of the main building
about half completed and the walls stand.
out any protection whatever. Part of the
west wing is partially completed, but in q
hurried and unworkmanlike manner. The
building materials were lying about over
The ground, uncared for and going TO de-
s,rucion. A quantity of the lime which
had been on the ground for a considerable
time was rendered worthless BY ''air slack.
ing" and evidently large number OF bricks
had become utterly worthless.
The committee learned that from No
yember, 1884, until October, 1885, the work
was suspended, and that the building, al
though The larger part of the 100000 origi.
rslly appropriated had been absorbed, was
Incomplete, and in condition to be greatly
injured by the weather.
II will appear from the evidence that the
management of the finances of the Institute
has heen reckless and extravagant.
All Of the appropriation of 500, 900 has
been absorbed, but about Sc 800, and the
annuity Of 100000 has been iDjudiciously
used.
E1,ravagant salaries have been paid to
the officers of the school without any law to
justify them, for instance, 81 $50 per annum
was paid 20 the secretary for doing what $50
would have been a full pensation, aud
81, $50 per annum was paid to the treasurer
ii the face Of law that allowed him not
exceeding $50. The first Board OF Visitors,
Hon L. r Farr, chairman, received on &C
count Of expenses, ETC., So ,055 25, when they
could not bave received under the law more
than SLIGO. In fact, one member of the
first board, acting under law that provided
that such reasonable expenses as the Wis
tors may incur in the discharge of their du.
ties shall be paid out of the funds Of the In.
alitute, provided the sum paid to any one
visitor in any one year shall not exceed $50, ,
received for about two years travelling ex
pei ses the sum of S1,38l75. One member
"f the present. Board Of Visitors has drawn
S23 siuce September, 1885, for walking g
half mile to attend meetings of the board
one rec-ipt being as much as SIP so.
The loss Of lime and bricks heretofore
mentioned, and Of 10000 feet of lumber
from the grounds by theft or otherwise, il
part and sample OF the losses.
The contracts for the various sorts OIL
work seem to have been entered into with
out due regard to economy and the best in.
terests of the school.
The contract with the architect provides
that in consideration Of his furnishing all
necessary drawings aud specifications; tc
superntend the erection Of the buildings
and 10 purchae and inspect all materials
be shall receive three and one half pei
centuu on the estimated cost of the build
ings, for the drawings and specifications
thereof; and three per cenium upon the act.
ual expenditures upon the building and fix.
lures, and yet while he has been paid tie
sum of $4,000, he has paid but little attep.
ton TO the work, not having been near il
except three or four times during more than
u month while work was progressing
In the contract for the brick work signed
by Norman Jenkins with r. K. Farr as secu.
rily and approved by him as President OF
the Board, the contract price ia inserted at
four dollars per thousand kiln count, and
the payments have been made at the rate oil
"a so per thousand.
The vouchers for the expenditure Of
$40 $50 7G made prior TO August %, 1888
could not be found by your com mittee. The
presumption is that they have been des-
troyed 10 prevent their inspection. From
the report Of the architect employed by the
COMMITTEES it will appear that be found that
piles Of bricks were scattered over the
ground aud timber distributed in all drec-
tioas, neither sheltered nor protected in eay
way that as consequences the material
had been materially damaged that very
little Judgment was shown in ordering the
Inns 10 large quantities, as large number
of barrels got air Stacked ; that not more
than two months labor bad been done 10
1885, while with the greatest ease the whole
building could have been rooted In and pro-
tcctcd that ugly cracks have appeared in
the plasterng, due principally TO the use OF
green timber, aud that the brick-work gen
orally cnn by no means be called OF trst-
Class workmanship.