Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE,
uperintendent Morgan Of the House
Of Correction writes Concerning
the Report Of the Investigating
To the Editor Of the Fress Press.

To the Editor Of the Fress Press.
AS @ constant reader Of your paper
and as matter of fairness 70 parties
concerned ] call your attention TO thu
enclosed statement and respectfully ask
il you will give IL the ssmo prominence
in your paper that you did the report Of
the Joint committee on investigation;
nu,,
Yours truly.
y. L. MORGAN.
Superintendent u. l.. Morgan OF the
house Of correction In an interview with
q Herald reporter. expressed in very
emphatic terms his feeling in regard to
the report which the legislative investi-
eating committee submitted TO tho leg
isiature Just before it's adjournment.
IN its report the committee dealt rathe.
harshly with the members of the state
board of prison directors, of which John
n. Wcodfn Of this city is one and also
With the management OF c-rtain features
nj the House Of Correction, especially tho
marble industry.
Mr. Morgan Is very Indignant over TN,
ntmations OF graft and mislnanagc-
ment He states that the public and the
press have been led TO believe things
which do not exist. Mr. Morgan Is dis
pleased because the members Of the conf
mittce did not carry the investigation
farther and because they took no notice
Of the things which would be OF credit
to- the institution. lie also claims that
they raid no attention 10 rccommenda-
tons made by him. He said;
II Obtained yesterday an official copy
OF the report which begins as follows.
The Joint committee to inquire in
of maintaining the various state instt-
utions, ard TO report upon the manage
ment Of said institution. the care and
treatment Of persons that have been and
are now confined therein, ard as TO tho
details Of the cXpenditur" OF money ap-
rropriatcd ny .hc state for sad nS.i'r-
tons, ana as TO the honest and faithfu'
performance Of all duties Of all the on E
Gers thereof. respectfully report as fol-
lows:
con reading this and the remainder OF
til" report | was surprised TO find that
although the members Of tho committee
went back nearly l. years to the begin
| ing Of my administration they had event
uaily no word to say concerning the cost
OF maintenance or tho management: tho
care and treatment Of prisoners. or th"
details of expenditures OF aprropria tons.
| As to the honest and faithful perform
ance of duty by tho officers seemed - b.
interested IN the institution and It's
good condition and proper management.
| Why there arc officers there. who have
given -. II and - years of faithful loyal
/ service 10 the state on wages one-half OF
what is paid for similar institutions ir.
/ Massachusetts, New York and many
other States officers who have risked
their lives and received dangerous
wounds and serious injuries in the line
of duty.
1.-THE members OF the committee il they
had remained longer than the two and
half hours they did. and examined IN.
books Of tho institution which they did
not. would have found for the nearly
! 10000 Of business transactions made IN
The period they started 10 investigate. 4
voucher in detail on filo for every pur'
chase, an account and receipt for c"ery
disbursement and the check that paid
the same and was returned through the
bank They would have found that eVeiy
salary paid had first been considered and
established by tho directors ana more
over had been fully and honestly carped
They would have found that sanitary
conditions existing l. years or moro arr
with epidemic OF from 10 TO II cases OF tN-
phod fever az one time out of ropuia-
ton of from 60 10 70 inmates, had beer
greatly changed. That with the SD NJ
appropriated a few years since for I'M
provcments all and moro tAan the ac'
srecitcd or intended was done. Yet az
unexpended balance Of nearly HrN re
nained and vas reported to the LeGis!a'
tire and that the use of that laianco
being authorized for 4 burning 20 con
tain chapel. dining hall and hospital, u
was so expended: that a final balance o.
very nearly SiW was returned to 'hE
State They would have found that al
material for these improvements, whicf
doubled the capacity of tho INSTITUTION
were bought and tho work carefully su
pervised in every detail by the super
tcndcn. in edition to his regular duties
as specified by statute, ard without eX
ira pay or compensation.
They might have found by cXamina
ton of the statutes that it was no par
Of the superintendent duty TO manage
marble business for the State. in fact
that a statute expressly prohibited tn
same although their report seems II
criticize him for neGlectng 20 TO do.
ron the contrary that the directors
Rad full authority Of la~ for running IN
marble shop az they had done on STATE
account, that they had obcyed the Law
land. in fat, done moro than the Law
required in matter q reports of same II
the state: that che business was sSta
h,ishod on state account after confrac
became insolvent and the prisoners ant
the shop wsft idle why they dill 80 h.
them say: On the 26ih of February last
10