The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-07
SAYS GERRY'S ALL RIGHT.
HHITEWAsH ron THH NIX COMMo-
DORR AND HIS BOCIETK

"visitor" stickney Reports that Most of
the Public Criticisms of Them Unjust,
and Thus II Ended the One-sided In
| vsstig alton which Mr.. Gerry Set Foot.
! Albert stiekney. as Visitor. filed in the Su-
preme Court yesterday three or iour-eolumn
report OF his In Investigation OF Elbridge 7. Gerry
and his Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty
to Children. The inquirywas made as result
| OF published criticisms of the conduct OF Mr..
| Gerry and his officers in connection with the
affairs Of the society. on the methods by which
| Mr. Gerry secured the passage OF legislation
| that gives the society charmed life. and on
| the general conduct Of the society. Because OF
these criticisms Mr.. Gerry resolved to taxi adj
vantage Of new statute and demand an inves-
| tigation, and to that end he applied to the
Supreme Court for the appointment OF visi-
| tor. who. under the new law. Is virtually
| referee Controversies before referees have
| two sides. but in this case under the benign
| statute the society had a walkover. there
| was no one else sufficiently interested to 10 to
| the expense Of procuring and examining wit
| pesses
| Some Of the allegations which the referee
says were before him for consideration were.
| that tho attempt OF the society to svade the
examination OF the State Superintendent Of
Charities required OK plan alton; that the society
had trouble with its inspectors. one OF whom
| was a convict; that it disbursed too much
money in the care OF children. and that Gerry
had used the Black Horse Cavalry" to further
his legislation.
Visitor stiekney says that in order to get at
| the facts he had an accountant 20 over the
books OF the society. and he personally ex-
| amined the building as we'll as the witnesses
| called before him. He found the building all
right and at the place stated in the Sstition. on
| Fourth avenue. He then tackled the wit
| nesses. none OF whom seems by the report to
have taken an adverse position to the society.
Here ia how he sums up the result OF his
| inquiry:
In refusing visitation. the society believed
that 1t was not subject to the State Board OF
Charities. That matter Is still before tho
| Court. he says. but he does not mention that
| the courts overruled the society, allowing Mr..
| Gerry an exception. He finds that two OF the
| inspectors were discharged for misconduct.
but not that ono OF them was a jailbird. The
| society selects all its help with care. he says.
and its record 10 "surprisinEly good" He finds
that the charge that the society spends too
much Of its money for the meals OF children is
unfounded In 1898 the society received 4.9o4
children. and its whole expenditure that year
was 100000 Of which $4,000 was expended
for purposes having no connection whatever
| with the feeding or care of the children who
| were in the socisty's custody"
1
| Here Visitor Stickney almost allows himself
| to fall into criticism of the society for the
| FIRST time in the report. He says that Superin-
| tendent jenkins receives from the society
| twenty five cents meal for each child. but
| that he pays the wages OF twelve Of the help.
anu boards twenty persons out OF MS returns
| The Visitor says "On general principles it
would appear an unwise system. 1t undoubt-
eddy does give to the superintendent the oppor-
tunlty 10 make pront on the supplies and SER
vice iurhisheu under the contract. In TACT.
the supsrintehdsnt admitted that he did make
proht one year
| hno'her point OF criticism ia brushed away
III .n'S manner Inc SUGGESTION OF arrogance
| on 'he part Oh Ihs society . agents toward the
| msEls'ra.ss On the oehcn IN TINS city Is SHOWN
| 10 Ne dulte uh"arrahteu'
| Ane p'"cA i'o'se 'a'airy charge 10 not
| wv" "p'p u any great eh'oht' me report
n.u1 'not INC term ID appuea 10 q section OF
Wv supposou 10 oe corrupt. NO
VI 'no ."'"i, was eal'eu As VII
| 1855 % 'ae ',''.uf nv On '"e eApea'eht OF
| n Wv OIL "oou' W eNaminine hr
' "'H.o''. MI "eti 'enement'y aehieo
| ..". ne .. Ms 'oe.'' "au ""''"ihs 10 40 with
.ne ..,I Nv o'"'i "''ne'' was ea'ieo' ana
| '"", 'e'''su 'n"'.
| lepolt pioeeeoA 10 STATE 'hat suostan-
""' "Hu n"n'' 'ie eoe'ets 's orahen OF the
poeo ~ ,"o D'Stiiet htorneys
oee' anu VI 'n' 81 ''ii'na' COURTS more
| o'ei, '"e eoc,e'' "a9 0een lot uha'e asto nave
.oi ITO p'e. r loni ''s original orgahlza-
Nou f' EofIuke l. very gentle
| ehthusiast IN the class oil work which the So