The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-16
ODELLPUNSHES ROME ASYLUM
MANAGERS REFUSED TO SIGN HIS
MANS BUILDING CONTRACT.
No signature, No ContractNo Contract.
No Rake.oR--NO Rak cot, No Build'
ins-And Nearly 500 Qualified Appfi.
Giants Can't Get In-Sequel TO the buy
Sugar Now" Scandal In the Grocery.

Sugar Now" scandal In the Grocery.
Governor-C Chairman Odell's charities
legislation has been the subject OF con-
demnation all over the State. Thousands
Of the best men and women OF the common
wealth devoted the greater part OF their
lives to charitable work, but under Gov
ernor-C Chairman Odell's system they were
all brushed aside when the charities institu-
tons were made part OF the Odell machine.
Gov. Odell's candidate for Governor, Frank
". Higgins, knew all about this charities
legislation, but never uttered one word OF
protest or opposition.
The Rome State Custodial Asylum at
Rome, N. Y, for instance, can take care
OF 500 additional inmates. Already that
number OF applications have been passed
upon and accepted and the applicants
are therefore eligible for admission, but
they cannot be admitted. Why is this so2
The facts are that the Rome Custodial
Asylum has been punished by Governor
Chairman Odell for exercising q little
independence OF it's own. The independence
Of the board of managers OF this asylum
developed the fact that the Odell grating
ing, under the charities legislation damned
through by Governor Chairman Odell,
,enetrates all charitable institutions. OF
course, the centre of 1t is at Albany. The
base of supplies is at Sewburgh.
THE sun told last winter of a despatch
which Fiscal Supervisor Harry H. Bender
sent to all charitable institutions ordering
them to buy six months supply Of sugar
ut once Governor Chairman Odell raised
a great breeze over the publication of this
nd rfai IN haf
Fender had sent any such despatch. THE
SUN is in position to lay before the citizens
Of the State the facts in the matter.
At the time that Bender sent his despatch
to buy sugar the proposed treaty with Cuba
was in allegiance, and If it went through
the price of sugar would come down with
a jump. This drop in the price of sugar
would not suit Mathews & Co., of New
burgh, who have been furnishing supplies
TO the charitable institutions. and Bender
sent his despatch to all OF the charitable
Institutions to lay in a six months supply
OF sugar at once. THE Sun gave air to the
charges OF graft which were openly voiced
the time, and the matter became 80 dis
lstefui to Governor Chairman Odell that
re Summoned President Bachelor, of the
board of managers of the Rome State
,ustodisl Asylum, to Albany. As a result
Of Mr.. Bat chelor's talk with the Governor +,
Mr.. Bachelor made an op'n denial of the
statement that Bender had ssnt the despatch
which in so many words ordered the chart
table institutions to order large supply Of
sugar by telegraph-that is, to buy the
sugar before there was fall in the price
THE Sun Is now authorized to announce
that Mr.. Bender did send that despat Oh
and that Mr.. Bachelor denied it only at
Governor-C Chairman Odell's request.
Some tirpe ago the Rome Custodial Asy-
hum received letter from Mr.. Bender,
Fiscal Supervisor, enclosing contracts for
groceries. The powers OF the board Of
managers OF this asylum are the same as
those OF the boards Of other similar insti-
tutions in the State, and include not only
the power to sign contracts for supplies,
but also to award the contracts to the low
est responsible bidders. In the contract
forwarded by Mr. Bender to the board
was. written the name Of the person to
whom the contract should lie awarded.
This action on the part Of Bender aroused
t1e board of mana gers Of the Rome Gus
'todlA Asylum, and they declined to sign
the contract. IT had not been brought
to their notice in any way that the person
named in the contract was really the lowest
bidder for the supplies for the institution,
or whether indeed he had really been a
bidder, or whether there had / cen any bids
Ut all or any advertising for them. 1t
was moved and seconded then and there
that a resolution be adopted and spread
upon the minutes to the effect that the
board declined to sign the contract for
the reasons stated, and also that the mere
sending of a contract by Mr., Bender did
not estab lish sufficient responsibility on
the part of the person named in it. The
board also voted that copy OF the resolu-
ton he forwarded to Mr.. Bender.
= COPY was sent to Mr. Bender, and the
original resolution is still uoon the minute
book of the Rome Custodial Asylum The
result was that Mr.. Bender went to the
asylum and presented the original bids
TO Supt. Bernstein and President Bachelor,
who signed the contract. The goods came
from Newburgh and the freight bills on
them from that point to Rome were paid
by the institution on presentation.
1t is Also one Of the functions of the board
10 award contracts for buildings to be
erected and to form part Of the institution
at Rome. II III the board duty to advertise
for bids, open them when received from the
various bidders and award the contract to
the parson who, in the boards judgment,
il the lowest responsible bidder. Not
long ago the board was astounded at re-
ceiving from State Architect Helms for
signature contract for the erection OF a
building This contract MIR Helms had ap-
parenty awarded, as it was filed in with
the name Of the person who was presum-
ably the lowest responsible bidder. Again
the board of managers asserted its indie
pendepce, as in the case OF the groceries.
A resolution was spread upon the minutes
of the board to the effect that it declined to
sign. the contract. and copy OF the reso-
luton was sent to State Architect Helms.
The original resolution is still upon the
minute books.
AZ the result Of the boards independence
IN tna. matter OF signing the contract made
out for it the Rom. State Custodial
Asylum finds itself sadly in need OF addi-
tiopal and much needed accommodations.
This episode has peculiar. Significance,
coupled with the fact that Governor Chair
man Odel has always suspected Mr. Batch
elor to be the person responsible for the fact
becoming known that Fis4l Supervisor
m l.. n Il 4