New-York tribune., 1899-07-19
TO PROBE FOR FACTS.
OF THE VARIOUS STATE
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT DETERMINED 10 CoI'-
RECT THE FAULTS IN THEIR MAN
AGEMENT-cHANGEs THAT
NAV RE MADE.

MAY MADE.
Albany. July IL (speciaD.-Governor Roosevelt has
instructed William J. Youngs, his private
70 make an informal investigation Oi '"s
State charitable institutions.
Secretary Youues will start for Syracuse to-fnor-
row. There ne will investigate the INSTITUTION 1oI
Feeble Minded Children. Thence he goes 70 .>e"arK
to INSPECT the Asylum for Feeble Minded Men and
Women and thence to Rochester 10 survey Inc
workings OF the State Industrial School, ana 10
Ant, % ,rsnac, the Western House ot Refuge for
Women
The purpose OF this collection os evidence ana
inspection OF the institutions BY Secretary fouhss
is 20 give Governor Roosevelt ample information
in relation TO alleged abuses and acknowledgement
In them. II anything wrong IS discovered the Gov
ernor will thus have an opportunity to summon 70
his presence the managers o: the institutions con-
cerned and put pressure upon them TO have the
faults OF their management corrected.
The abolition OF the various Boards OF Managers
o. the State institutions Is suggested and the crea
ton OF a State department with a single official
head like the Excise Department Is recommended
for the control OF these institutions. This plan
may be suggested 70 the Legislature when Il meets.
but Il will meet with opposition from those who do
not favor such Capitalization OF power az Albany
and who believe that local inspection OF those
State institutions is needfu from time to time.
they are 70 be protected from abuses OF manage
ment, which. it Is argued State central authority
resident at Albany would not detect for long time.
THE INVESTIGATION VIRTUALLY BEGUN.
Mr. Youngs has been at work already for several
days collecting information regarding the manage
ment Of the State institutions and he has had
talks with Robert " Hebbard, secretary OF the
State Board OF Charities and Eben p Dorr Of
Buffalo State Inspector Of Charitable Institutions.
The investigation undoubtedly is caused by the
complaints recently published regarding the
agemert Of the House OF Refuge for Women at
Hudson. and other charitable institutions Several
sk1r
Youngs.
Fulton Paul. one OF the managers Of the Hud-
son House Of Refuge for Women. was here to-
day and Informed Mr. Youngs that Mrs. NJ. A:
Abbott the superintendent OF the institution would
soon be succeeded by some else
Mr.. Youngs said to-day: Il have received IN
5o e sae Hasrd al Of o taf ha n
tion. You know what has been disclosed concern
Sh Of kFe for for Women s at aad the
Western Reformatory for Women at Albion
ceived, but will say that outside OF the Hudson
asylum few abuses OF management have yet been
disclosed. What the Governor will do when he re-
ceives the evidence I collect do not know, and
until he has read It could not show i to any any
a very careful Inspection OF the institutions
important Information about their management.
INSPECTION OF THE STATE BOARD
Secretary Hebbard would not disclose any in
formation about the investigation further than TO
say:
For the last six months our Department has
been making an effort to ascertain the exact con-
dtions in these institutions. Prior to that time the
Board had not been able 10 give that matter sufi-
cent attention. We did not have the money with
which 10 do IL. Our system has been most effective
and IT'S results have thoroughly Justned It's lntro-
duction. When became connected with the board
l made a study OF this subject, and found that the
State was expending upward OF S3,OOOOOO year Tor
the maintenance of these institutions. and that II
was by any adequate protection insured against
a waste of any OF that money. The state Board OF
Charities doing all that II could do in the mat
ter. It's appropriation scarcely betrayed the ex-
penses OF its ordinary work, and II had no funds
for extending the scope OF its Jurisdiction 1t was
until appropriation was made that We could
undertake exhaustive inspection OF these inst-
tutions Last winter the Board appointed Eben
3. Dorr OF Buffalo He was a newspaper man
lhcation 10 make thorough, careful and observant
Inspector His instructions were TO make his In
spectiOns not in the usual way Of announcing his
coming and giving the institution an opportunity
prepare for his visit. but to make his inspection
unheraIded and 70 enter the institution, II he
thought It wise. without the superintendent know
ing There twenty institutions over which he
has had charge. and since February ! last, when
he assumed the duties Of his position he has vis-
ited each Of them four times. king In all eighty
inspections. In institutions he spent several
days in each inspection. He has carefully and
faithfully reported the results OF his labors this
Board, and those reports are now on file. They
cannot be seen. however. without the consent OF
the Board This IS the system under which we have
continuing TO investigate the institutions under our