The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-22
PROBING GERRY'S SOCIETY,".
W.. GERRY HIUSELF THE rHIEF
UITSESS TESIERDiI.

Its Superintendent, Nj. jenkins, E'''i,t.
$4,000 Year Salary, His Living Eo".nS
aud 20 Cents II Meal for thu Food So. we'd
to the Children in the society tH"r.
! For four hours Yesterday Elbridge T. Gerry
| sat In the witness chair before Albert Stckncy
! Supreme Court Visitor to investigate the
subordinate governmental agency carried
/ on by Mr.. Gerry under the name OF the Society
/ for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Children. and
| gave the history Of the society with the aid OF
sundry books. pamphlets. reports. legislative
! prints and other forms of literature. from its
| inception up TO the present time. Occasionally
! his counsel. De 1anccy Nicoll. helped him along
! with question and, for the most part, his
oratorv needed no encouragement and, in.
deed proved to be the undoing Of the stenogra-
pher. who was reduced to condition border
ing on frenzy quito early In tho proceedings
Notification OF the hearing was sent to John
NJ Bowers counsel for william Rhinelander
stewart. who. as President ~ the State Board
Of Charities was the original cause OF the
present seIf-investigation on the part OF the
Gerry society, since his charges regarding the
management Of the society. which has refused
to be investigated by the State Board gave rise.
in the minds OF those most Interested. 10 the
necessity for some sort Of Justification of their
course. This the present investigation Is
designed TO furnish Mr. Bowers was not
present Yesterday Mr.. Stewart is in Europe
Deputy Comptroller Levy was a. the hearing,
representing Comptroller Coler. and Assistant
Corporation Counsel Sterling was present.
representing the CORPORATION Counsel
As President OF the society Mr.. Gerry cx-
planned its methods and told in great detail OF
it's good works The city. hc said. gave $50. 900
a year to the society for the care of children
committed by the courts. but it would BE-
lucrative proceeding for the society to give up
the $4,000 and rent the rooms now given over
to the care OF such children for offices or apart
ments. 1t would. he considered, cost the city
much more than 100000 n year to care for the
children itself. As To- the statement in the re-
port that the society's yearly expenses were
$4,000. that included taxes and other matters
deducting which. the outlay for the children
was only 100000. Twenty-Five cents II meal
per child is allowed to SuperintendentJ Jenkins
no SAID. hut he did not consider tins too much,
as the number ri children to be fed was always
uncertain. aud out Of this allowance the ser
afterward read, and it is safe to say that there
are scores OF restaurants IN this city whore
meal Mr Gerry said that hie society had no
despotlc power over children. but was always
SUBJECT to the COURT, and immGdiately alter
houses AID remove the children when
~ th%Y see M In regard TO I'll" state Board
lis demands to investigate. because it sought
to 60 into the old records which. as Mr.. Gerry
put it. should not he ventilated for the curl
osity OF a prutient public nor for purposes Of
hlackmail," As he said this he held in his hand
one Of the Gerry socicty's annua! reports con-
tanning information regarding children in the
society's care. that no decent newspaper would
publish. oven were attempts made to make it
public; Mr. Gerry solemnly referred to the
State Board of Charities az an "autocratic
power" and an absolutely dcspotIc body"
and said that there was no appeal from it,"
which in view of tho fact that he has been
fighting 1t in the courts for several years
seems open to doubt Interrogated as to
Superintendcnt Jenkins he said that Mr.. Jen-
kins was also the secretary of the society, and
got salary, of $4,000 year and The use OF a
floor in the building to live in. The common
use OF the term " Gerry society was due. he |
said. to facetious recommendation in q speech |
by Joseph II Chnatc at the time the new build |
ing opened that il he called that
The only other witness called was Superin-
tendent Edward f. jenkins who described the |
Of the society Assistant Corpo- |
ration Counsel Sterling asked few questions |
OF the witnesses but there was no cross-exam-
ination. Deputy Comptroller Levy left after
the morning session. having explained that
the Comptroller did not wish to be put in the |
light OF an accuser Of the society. as his inter-
est IN the matter was confined to a doubt as to |
whether the city should give large annual APP |
propriat"ns to class Of organ zations of which |
I he Gerry society ia ono. The hearing was |
then adjourned until Friday forenoon.