The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-14
ANSWER TO A REPORT
MANAGERS OF THE CoNFIDER ATE
HOME WRITE THE GOVERNOR.
Claim the House Committee Has
Done an Injustice tn the Insti-
tuition and Its Mnnngcmcnt.


tory:
/ Hon. G. A. Culberson, Governor of Texas;
Sir: AS members of the board OF man.
ayers OF the Confederate Home we feel
| that 1t Is due to MS, to the Institution and
to our comrades throughout the State that
wo make a reply to the report made to the
| house of representatives OF the Twenty
fifth legislature or the 23d Of March by a
special committee appointed from that
body to investigate the affairs OF the Con
Tolerate Home.
First, We assert that the evils complained
of by said committee are greatly exagger-
ated and in manner and form have done
the board OF managers and the institution
a great injustice in this:
That the conditions complained of ia
! the dining room and kitchen, to whatever
| extent they are defective, are attributable
| TO the situation Of the two rooms, lbeIng
very low basement rooms and adjoining
each otherl. and TO the lack of apgroorla-
ton to enable the board TO employ SUI
| ficient number of cooks and walters % do
| the work as perfectly as 1t might be done.
This fact the committee know. and mem
! bers of 1t have so expressed themselves to
members OF this board.
| That the defective conditions complained
/ OF in the hospital, TO whatever extent they
may exist. are not attributable to the want
Of efficient attention on the part OF tie
surgeon in charge, or to the inetficiency or
! inattcntion of the nurses, but to the lack
OF appropriation to enable the board to EN-
| ploy a sufficient number of nurses and to
! provide a separate kitchen for hospital pa
tients, a large number of whom are bed
| ridden and all suffering with some chronic
disease and who require more delicate
l,..
furnished and prepared by the general
cooks If the hospital is crowded, which
is not a fact, 1t is unavoidable, because the
patients occupying 1t require the attention
of nurses, and they can not be placed in
detached cottages where they can not have
lttontion, md would he u severe tax and
annoyance to inmates occupying the cot
tages. The sanitary condition Of the hos
| ptal is as good as It is possible TO make
it. under all the circumstances, and the
only offensive odor about the building is
the odor of the dsinfectants which are
constantly used and which the committee
says are very much needed.
by implication the management is CEN
sured by the report of said committee for
defects in the laundry arrangements and
the uncleanliness of the rooms of the in
mates, which Is charged TO exist. The
facts are that the last legislature was
urged, through its finance committee, 10
make an appropriation for laundry ma
chinery. or for some better laundry appli
ances but the appropriation was not made;
and the only sum given for that purpose
was $50 per month for a laundross and SIS
per month for an assistant launlress, ana
this amount has been used as II was in
tended aud the work has been done by the
laundress and her daughter, who is the
assistant, with the voluntary aid OF n son,
for tho salaries above stated and their
board. The report states that the work for
200 men has been done by 'one old woman
on half pay" thereby representing to the
| legislature that the board had failed 10
| employ and pay an assistant laundres',
and leaving the impression that the salary
of the assistant laundress had been mis-
applied, whereas the books of tho supnrin-
tendcnt and the comptroller Will show that
| this salary has been correctly expended.
| As to the uncleanliness of the rooms OF
the inmates. we can only say that there is
no help provided to keep the rooms ana
| that duty falls upon the occupants OF The
| rooms and, with n few exceptions The
rooms are kept clean and their condition
| is about as much exaggerated by said re-
| mort as is its statement with regard TO the
| laundry.
| 1t is believed by us that it was limos
| sibe for said committee to have gained
correct knowledge Of the condition OF af-
fairs Of the Home in the few visits and
| Length of each visit made to it, and that
the report submitted by said committee
was based largely on information gained
| from n fow disaffected. restless. reckless
inmates, who would not be satisfied with
any condition. and some OF whom have be-
come disabled and INDECENT through HE
| of recilCssness and dissipation.
Members OF said committee have said
| pcrscnally to members Of this board tnat
| the report was not intended to reflect In
| any way upon the management OF me
beard and that when the appropriation for
| the Home came up before the house inc
| committee would so explain and ASK Tor
| the appropriations recommended by tho
board of managers.
The committee did not make any inves-
| tigation as to how the duties OF the SUI
perintendent had hocn performed III me
keeping OF the books and accounts OF me
| Home. and the charge that he is not apie
TO perform tho duties of HIS position is
merely the committees opinion.
The board OF managers is at all times
glad to have suggestions from any ana an
| true friends OF the Home. and especiaiiy
| from their comrades. but 1t believes mar
| its interests in tho proper management OF
| the Home is equal to, and as unseifish, as
| that of any one. and that it's means OF
| knowing how to conduct the affairs OF the
| Institution are superior TO those OF any
one who has not been connected IN some
way with the management OF It's hla"s
| for several years past.
With due respect for the said committees
opinion and suggestions, wo do not De,
lieve that the services OF a competent ana
| sui table person can be had to perform Inc
duties OF Superintendent OF SAID ihstihn-
| ton for the sum OF $1,000 per annum. inc
duties are more onerous than the duties oil
| like officers OF some OF the other state ~.
| stitutlons, who receive salaries OF S|ooo
| per annum. and besides this when the
State assumed the control. support anu
maintenance Of the Home, II did so under
| contract with the John d. Hood camp.
corporation. for valuable consideration
to-wit; About 100000 worth OF proilee'y
and the salary Of the superintendent IS
fixed in that contract 0aw) at SLEW Tor
annum and Is as much o part of th~ con-
| tract as the obligation of the State TO nam
| tain the institution.
Therefore, this board will have to re-
snecfully decline to SEX to employ su-