The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-04
LEAKS AT REFORM SCHOOL
B,RAr THE INVESTIGATING COM
MITTEE FOUND.

Estimates Called For-Fees Voted Trus-
toes Contrary to Statutes.
Meriden, Dec. 3.--The special commit
tee appointed to investigate the state
receipts and expenditures met here to-
day. There We're present T. Attwater
Barnes, New Haven; Hubert Williams,
Salisbury; T. M. Waller, New London;
Philo S. Bennett, New Haven; j. Carl
Converse, Stafford Springs.
The following trustees were present
at the hearing: Joseph Hutchins, Toi-
land county; J. S. Lathrop, New Lon
don county; Fred De Peyster, Middle
sex county, and Leverett Brainard,
Hartford; N. L. Bradley, John c. Byx-
bee, J. w. Coe, e. A. Hall of Meriden.
Mr.. Beecher of New Haven was detain-
ed on account of sickness.
The Rev. G. Il. Coburn, superintend-
ent of the school, was put upon the
stand and questioned concerning the
cost of supplies and servants at the in
stitution.
1t was shown that the officers, forty
four in number at the institution, had
eaten during the year 1896, $4,000 pounds
of meat ~ pounds per day per official;
that the estimate was for $4,000 pounds
and that retail prices had been paid for
1887 pounds.
The boys had had about $4,000
pounds of meat, when $4,000 pounds was
the estimate.
! 1t was shown the farmer got $500 a
year, and that $1,000 pounds of straw
had been used to furnish filing for bed
| ticks, and bedding for six horses and
| twenty cattle. The hay had cost from
| $14 to $23 a ton. Some of the $2S hay
had been put into a private barn, and
the state simply got the manure, pay
ing over cent a pound for it.
| 1t was also shown that the trustees
were charging S. a day when attending
meetings. According to a liberal con-
struction OF the statutes, it is held that
they are not entitled to such pay.
The salaries paid many Of those en-
| ployed about the institution were dis
cussed and it was testified to that the
help were receiving more money for
their work at present than formerly.
| Several Of the employees had had their
salaries advanced from IS to SIS per
|
fifty people on the payroll of the insti-
tuition and from 81, 800 to $1,700 are paid
out every month. Only six Of the fifty
do not live at the institution
OF the prominent employees, ]. Curry,
the night Waterman, now receives $35
per month, his salary having been re-
Gently raised IS per month; Thomas
Batten, gardener gets $55, while the
whom ha cI1pooaadoS ronpiuaH c9S
in 1892 his salary was S29 per month;
Jacob Reiss, baker, formerly $35, now
$50 per month; Horace Kibbe, the far
mer, gets $50 and has from six to nine
boys employed under him. The super
intendent receives $2,1oO per year, while
E. A. Hall, the school treasurer, is paid
$500.
| In answer to questions as to whether
the provisions were weighed or not, the
l superintendent said he didn't know for
ssure, but that he had given orders to
have them weighed. He also said that
the reason why more boys were not
put to work on the farm was because
there were very few Of them who would
not run away if they had chance and
it would be necessary to employ at
least fifteen men to watch them OF
4
rs is arabic. The meat contract was
also considered. It seems that the man
who received the contract to furnish
meat offered to furnish it for per cent.
less than the lowest bidder and that a
contract was drawn up with the price
five and one-half cents per pound One
of the members of the committee
couldn't understand how the man who
rooavnd tho contra ut know tbe
lowest bid was and the superintendent
failed to explain.
The officers Of the institution receive
about two pounds and seven ounces Of
meat per day, while each one of the
boys receive three quarters Of pound
In all the officers have used over 1000
pounds of meat, $4,000 pounds in excess
of the contract Besides this the off.
GERS had had 1887 pounds of meat fol
which they paid retail prices. 1t wa.
estimated $500 would supply them
The estimates for the boys was 45,OOt
pounds of meat, but it had taken $1,000
| to supply them.
Superintendent Coburn admitted tina
the meat contract was awarded tt
| Rufus Hall, son of one of the trus
tees
|
| another son of this same trustee, fur
nished all the coal used by the institu
7 ton. He also secured the contract be
). cause he offered to furnish coal at
per cent. less than the lowest bidder.
Superintendent Coburn did not know
that certain kind of cloth which tn
institution paid rs cents a yard 70
could be purchased for go cents, an,
possibly for SO cents. The purchas
price of straw was shown to be 1923 pc
ton. This was thought to be too steer
The morning session closed at 1876
The trustees took dinner at the sclloo
while the members of the committe
went to a hotel
In the afternoon Trustee Byxbee stat
ed that the trustees had voted them
- selves SIS per day because they though
they were deserving of remuneratio
for their services He didn't know tha
N it was contrary to law for trustees
10 receive pay.
f. One item which read: "Samu'
IS Thatcher received April 1 $3.50 for spt
cial services was not explained by M
Coburn. He stated that he knew notf
- ing of it.