Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-12-16
sRArrLgBoRo, FRIDAY, DEC. 10, 100,
Conduct Of Public Business.

hall, when he surprised ana con
founded the attendants of that histor
ic school by asking for more"
the recommendation of the committe
is carried out as II should be, thi
demand is in fair way to be graft
fed.
The report leaves n choice OF tire
conclusions: the officials of the stat
prison and house of correction ar
dishonest in fact If not in spirit; tn
records are tumble of errors; o
the committees accusations are false
Although the investigation was secret
the makeup of the committee which
consisted of Senators Fletcher o.
windsor, Lord of Washington ane
Isham of Chittenden and Representa-
tiyes Davis of Chester, Chedell OF
Stockbridge, Wall of Dorset, Miles OF
Barton and Slade of Rutland town
gives practical assurance that the re-
port is as accurate as could possibly
no given. Their work, in the face of
such opposition and hindrances as
must necessarily have existed, is high
ly gratifying to them and to the state
Their recommendations for the re-
moval of the offending officials show
no partially or fear of consequences
That their investigation was necess-
arily and admittedly incomplete does
not detract from its value as far as
it goes.
Briefly, the committee finds that the
directors of the state prison and the
house of correction have made no
thorough or regular inspection for
years, that they have not met together
for the past year, and only once IN
the past two years, and substantially
the only supervision they have given
for several years has been by mailing
the accounts to one another for APP
prevail. In spite of this the auditors
report shows that these directors, as
well as the commissioners and board
of visitors have annually collected
payment for per diem and 'eX-
penses" in varying amounts, the least
number of days being charged for by
any director being II in one year by
Judge Albee.
The directors side of the question
is presented by Mr.. Woodfin of Rut-
land, member of that body, in an
interview given to the Rutland Herald.
Saturday. He denies the charge as to
lack of meetings, and raises pre-
sumption that the investigation was
not complete. The conclusion is In
evitable that, whatever may be said
for or against the present members of |
the board, the system of doing admin
istrative business by commissions is
about the worst that could be de-
vised
The two institutions that are found
guilty of mismanagement by the COM
mittee are the ones that have made
the best showing in actual results.
The Waterbury asylum, where suspi-
cion of graft was the strongest, and
which Mr.. Clement specifically
charged with mal-administration was
not reached. 1t may be hoped that in
accord with the committees recon-
mendation this institution will be
before the next legislature meets.
The need is apparent from the official
reports which show, according to DR.. {
Hutchinson himself weekly cost per /
patient for the past two years, of 1895. |
In neighboring states the weekly cost
per patient has been from $2.61 to
1891 in recent years, while the
Retreat collects from the
state of Vermont only 1915 per patient O
per week. But Dr. Hutchinson's fig t
Tres exclude the expense of repairs il
and insurance always necessary. In r
,luding these the cost was $4.45; in t
,luding the $4,000 deficiency this p
legislature has had to make up, $40; t
also $1O,591.S6 profits e
claimed from the farm that went into Il
he support of the institution, $3.50; c
including interest on 100000 invested Il
# Waterbury by the state, at per fl
becomes S6.05. These are manifestly o
TENS that should be considered in il
comparison with the 1915 per week G.
,aid to the Brattleboro Retreat for d
ach patient The state prison and n
louse of correction on the other hand, al
make a financial showing that COM
ares favorably with like institutions f,
n other states. Both have, within Y
he last four years, yielded net prof r
to the state, and the weekly cost ii
er inmate has been but 1912 and 81 W
6 respectively, eliminating the income b,
ntirely, an average-exclusive of the in
mall DEFICIENCIES which the legislature e,
lso had to appropriate for both these tn
about half that at to
he
The question of court expenses,
21242S.75 last year. a jump of over at
I per cent i'm one year and OF 35 per o.
ent in six years was also not reached Sc
Y the committee. nor was any provi- m
on made for its later consideration. LEI
In Mr.. woodfn's statement, above er
.ferred to. the figures of the net cost GU
/ maintaining the house of correc- Il
on for the past four years at least.
re the same as those in the printed tn
,ports of the superintendent but W
ffer from those given by the audi ST
RS report in the amount Of s1e,s52.- br
J. about So per cent, as follows: sis
wOodfin's Graham's of
100 sls.57l.5O s2s,2ss50 un