The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-12

Dr.. Carson. OF tho Institution For Feeble.
min led Children. Repliea To Chnrpea


minded Children, Replica To Charges.
SYRACusE. Aug. ll.-Dr. John c. Carson.
Su2erin endent Of the state Institution for
Feeble minded Children. who has heretofore re
fused to say anything in response to tho
charges preferred by Comptroller Morgan,
to-day submitted to an interview in which he
said
My instructions to tho attendants have
always been not to administer corporal punish
ment. My policy has always been not TO
punish children. They have been slapped on
the hand or face occasionally. They have
been made to stand in the corner. have been
locked in room for n time or have been
called to my office. whore I or the matron have
talked to them. II there have been cases of
cruel treatment such as the Com ptroller re-
ports. they have not como to my knowledge
The tenor OF the letter seems to be that have
not known OF such cases, but should have
known. or course l cannot keep my eyes on
all attendants. but when a"y cases have come
to my knowledge Of severe punishment
l have Investigated at once. During the
last three months I have had three. In
the first teacher whipped child for
Ill doing. l called the teacher to
reprimand her. As she seemed to believe she
had done properly in whipping the child. show
ing no disposition to do differently thereafter
l discharged her. In the second case an at
tendant had an encounter with one OF the
larger bows. as a result OF which the boy re-
ceived a black eye. The attendant expressed
penitence for what he had done and was repr-
manded and fined a third OF his month salary
The thirdcase was that mentioned in the re-
port. when n boy was kicked in the face In
that case the boy was twice called before me
and said that the cut he received under the eye
was received from a fall against bench. The
attendant told substantially the same story.
Before the committee, 1t seems. another story
was told"
Have you ever heard Of children being
punched in the stomach or kicked?" was ed.
L certainly never hava. The Secretary Of
the State Board and Deputy Comptroller came
to Syracuse with a letter making definite COM
plants. They called attendants and swore
them. From them and the children they must
have learned something Of which I didn't
know. cannot put attendants on oath. II any
have disobeyed the instructions given them
they. OF course would not let me know it. but
1 honestly believe that there has been the
greatest exaggeration. and while the children
here are more likely than those in the public
schools to make teachers lose their temper and
strike them. there can have been no general
cruelty such as the Comptroller says"
When asked what the COMPTROLLER meant by
his reference to laxity in financial matters the
Doctor said Il don't know. I do know OF
some criticisms that have been made but they
have been OF minor matters. Under the pres
ent system Of management OF State institu-
tons the Comptroller has about the whole A.
nancial management anyhow. All purchases
must be made after bids have been asked for
and the lowest is accepted. We have frequently
been told that our reports have been the best
and clearest filed at Albany from State insttu-
lions, and it is a matter OF some surprise TO
have a statement made that the management
is lax"
There is some basis for the complaint that
children are kept In the institution after they
are IL. Under the law they are to be turned
back to the county from which they are sent
when 1S Oftentimes it is difficult to get them
taken back and the inmates are kept for
several years.