Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-06
LACK OF DISCIPLINE
EXECUTIVE INEFFICIENCY ON
PART OF PRESENT INTENDANT.
inadequate Food Supplies and Lack Of
knowledge on Part of Officials and
Subordinates Shown.

Washington Asylum Hospital. The inves-
Ggation was conducted by Prof Charles P.
NELL and Mr.. Simon Wolf as special COM
mittee of the board. These gentlemen de-
clare:
1.-The administration of the Washington
Asylum by the present intendant has been
characterized by a lack of discipline and of
business methods that demonstrates ex-
ecutive ineff1ciency."
The report Is approved by the board Of
charities as a whole. 1t was submitted
this morning to Commissioner Henry L.
West, who has supervision of the institu-
ton involved.
Mr.. West at once sent for the intendant
of the asylum, Mr.. w. H. Stoutenburgh,
wso has filled the Office since 1882. Mr..
Stoutenburgh was appointed overseer at
the asylum in 1877. He has. therefore, been
connected with the institution for twenty
Six years. Commissioner West acquainted
Mr.. Stoutenburgh with tne contents of the
report. When leaving the Commissioner
office the intendant Of the asylum said he
had nothing to say.
Commissioner West will not act in the
matter until he has carefully considered
all the details of the statement, which Is q
document replete with interest, Mr.. West
will lay the matter before the District
board at early date.
The report declares there is an entire
lack of discipline at the asylum and q con-
fict of authority between the officers and
employees, unseemly disputes being INDUCED
in before the inmates. When brought to
the intendant for settlement 1t IL declared.
matters were left in q condition a. chaotic
as before
1t is charged that the food supply has
that spoiled meats have been sent to the
table. The practice Of issuing foodstuffs
is declared to be nothing short Of amazing.
One pound Of coffee was often used to
make eighteen gallons of the beverage.
Meat was served to the decrepit inmates
OF the almshouse that in their toothless
condition they could not eat.
The investigation was begun September
last and grew out Of certain criticisms
of the management of the institution made
by Prot. Chas. P. Neill. as chairman Of the
the board of charities, in reply to questions
asked during the hearing on the estimates
for the institution. before the subcommittee
on appropriations, having in charge the
District appropriation bill
Mr.. stoutenburgh's Statement.
The report of the board is accompanied
by a statement from 1ntendant Stouten-
burgh in response to a request from the
investigating committee for any remarks
he cared to make or testimony to intro
duce.
Permit me to thank you" says Mr..
Stoutenburgh to DIR. Neill, "for the very
the recent investigation into the affairs Of
this institution. and to say that I greatly
appreciate the same.
Upon you asking me at its close II
wished to call testimony or make a state
ment. I must say I was rather taken I'M
awares. as l had presumed other sessions
of the committee would be held. / ask
you to believe that do not wish to con-
sumo your valuable time to refute the
testimony OF any of the witnesses called to
defend myself against the charges pre-
ferred. as l am in no sense guilty. In
making your report beg you to consider:
Ftrst-That have no appointing or re-
moving power over the employees Of this
Institution.
'Second-That the testimony, in many
cases untrue. was the result Of vindictive-
ness, influence Of superiors or ignorance
OF the facts on the part Of the persons
testifying.
IT believe that you are well enough ac-
quainted with the situation here to Judge
correctly Of what portion OF the testimony
taken should be relied upon. and what was
untrue or biased
many of the strongest points In the testi
mony taken. which are lnimical to the ad-
ministration Of this institution, and many
Of my best friends have advised me to en-
ploy counsel and call witnesses to refute
the charges made. but knowing the Inter
minable length Of time such a course would
require, and the trouble and annoyance 1t
would cause the board Of charities. as we'll
as myself, I have deemed 1t wisest and
best to trust the case entirely to the honor,
wisdom and fairness Of the board of chart
ties. of which you are an honored member,
believing that you will give due considera-
ton to my term of service as an evidence
of my worthiness.
ITO the difficulties Of administration I'M
der the system that prevails, and to the
fact that / have given to this institution a
constant and conscientious service, yearly
and daily adding to its betterment caring
Gov boo f,,tr e.
to be cared for under like circumstances,
and guarding the interests of this institu-
ton and its properties as If they were my
own, leave the case In your hands"
Handling Of Supplies.
The first item mentioned in the report is
the handling of supplies. prior to the ex-
preston of the criticism giving rise to this
investigation" says the report, 1.-The method
OF handling the supplies of the Washington
Asylum was lax and defective. 1t afforded
no safeguard whatever against possible dis
honesty and provided no satisfactory sys-
tenn of records by which the supply &C
counts could have been checked and verified
IN such way as to discover dishonest prac-
tees. had such existed. The records OF the
supplies received and given out were kent
by the property clerk only, and as no re-
celpts were taken to show that supplies
had actually been furnished, as CHARGED
there was practically no check whatever
against possible dishonesty" The report
does not charge dishonesty. but deprecates
the method that would permit 1t,
In the matter of bread the report saws:
THE supplies issued in the main kitchen
are nominally receipted for by a cook who
cannot read well enough to know what he
is signing. The bread does not pass through
the property clerks hands at ALL and the
cook has no more to do with 1t than he has
with the clothes issued. Yet the cook goes
on. day after day, giving a receipt to the
property clerk for bread that neither of
them handles, or even sees.
Bookkeeping Unsatisfactory.
THE general system Of bookkeeping, for
merly in vogue at the institution was
equally crude and unsatisfactory. The
Washington Asylum comprises three sep
arate institutions-an almshouse a work
house and hospital The COST of main
tenance in these three differs very consid-
eIably. and II is important that the books
OF the institution should show separately
the cost in each of these departments AS
matter Of fact this was never done, and
such accounts as were kept related, in most
respects, to the Institution as a whole. In
the absence of proper system of book
keeping showing the respective cost Of
maintenance in each department, It has not
been possible, up to the present time, for
this board to secure from the management