The record-union., 1893-09-20
OLD PEOPLES Home.
Controller COIgan Makes Report to
Governor Markham.
No Wrong Intended. but a Loose Sys-
tenn of bookkeeping and Mis-
construction of the Law.


ernor Markham a report on the Old
Peoples Home upon the subject of State
aid. The report speaks for itself, and IS
as follows:
Hon. II. FL. Markham, Governor, Sac
ra1nento-SIR: Within the past two weeks
I have received communications from
two of the inmates of the Old Peoples
Home of San Francisco-Thomas Mitch
ell and James p. Burr-in which they state
that upon being admitted to the nome
they paid, in the case Of Mitchell SZ, 100
for himself and wife, and in the case OF
Burr s., 800, which sums went to secure
for them residence in the home tor the
remainder of their lives; that having
paid these amounts, they did not think
the home could legally claim aid from
the State for their maintenance, which
they understood was being done, and
they strenuously objected to being .classed
as paupers.
These communications, together with
the charges made in the public press that
the home was claiming and receiving ald
from the State to which it was not legally
entitled, determined me to make an IN
Vestigation of the books and accounts OF
the home, and If the charges proved true
to require the return to the State Treas
ury of the money illegally collected, and
if untrue, to clear away the cloud OF sus-
home.
instructed my deputy, W. w. Doug
las, and one of my clerks, j. w. Baker,
TO make the investigation, and their re-
port accompanies this communication.
From it it will be seen that while the
home has undoubtedly received some
aid from the State TO which it is not en-
titled, the amount is probably small, and
is due to a careless system OF boOkkeep-
ing and wrong Interpretation Of the
law, rather than an attempt on the part OF
the managers of the home to impose upon
the State. [ am of the opinion that no
aid should be allowed for those inmates,
such as Mitchell and Burr, who. upon
entering the institution, pay a stated sum
which entities them to residence therein.
However, this is question for the Attor-
ney-General to pass upon, and his opln-
ion should be secured before other claims
OF a similar nature are audited by the
Board of Examiners.
AS to those inmates who pay stated
monthly sum, if that sum fails below So
per month as provided by the statute Of
1883, no matter how little, the home is
legally entitled to the State aid. If the
objection be raised that an institution
may decline to receive the full amount of
$l5 for the> maintenance of an inmate IN
order that it may come within the letter
OF the law, I answer that the fault lies
limit or that the amount received be ap-
piled to certain extent as a credit against
the amount donated by the State.
This law should be amended, and /
trust the attention of the next Legisla-
ture may be called to the necessity for
some action. Very respectfully,
E. Z. COLGAN, Controller.
The report of Deputy Douglas states
that he has investigated the home with
reference to the charges, consuming more
than a day in the examination of the
books, and found that the home has really
three classes of inmates those who upon
entering pay certain amounts which en-
title them to life residence, those who
nav monthly amounts, and those who
pay nothing at all. There is, however,
no class distinction in the home, all the
inmates receiving equal care and atten-
tion and faring alike.
The examination of the books extended
back to July, 1889, and showed that quite
number Of inmates for whom aid was
claimed had paid specified amounts on
entering, and others had made monthly
payments, while in some cases no aid had
been claimed when it was justly due the
home. Owing to the careless manner of
keeping the books it was impossible to
determine the exact amount drawn to
which the home was not entitled.
Although some has been illegally
money received from the State has been
properly charged to the home, and ex-
pended for its maintenance.
The management is criticised for the
manner in which the books are kept and
for the lack of complete register of the
inmates, and complete new set of books
and inmates register is recommended,
as we'll as the employment of an expert
bookkeeper to open them and transfer
the accounts from the old ones, SO that the
investigation can be completed. It is
plain to be seen that the errors are the re-
suit of a careless system of bookkeeping,
lack of experience and misapprehen-
sion OF the law.
The report comments on the elegance of
the appointments, the air of refinement
pervading the whole place, and the happy
and contented expression of the inmates,
and congratulates the managers for being
at the head of SO fine an institution.