The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-06-09
in DUST I RI AL
S c II @ @ |
AFFAIR
]. H. SCOTT WRITES A LETTER
TO THE STANDARD.
More Accurately Stating What He
Knows Of the Management of
the State School.

Editor Standard;
Owing to the fact that the news
paper reports Of the mass meeting of
the Federation of Club women contain
many discrepancies of detail. there are
Thomas to deny some OF the state
mcntS appearing In yesterdays pa
pers.
Inasmuch as there wos no stenog-
rapher present to take verbatim
report. the public has received only
secondhand account OF what was
said. in whwlch many of the facts have
been distorted.
1t is to be rgretted that SuperInten-
dent Thomas did not accept the inyi-
tatlon to be present at the meeing,
where he would have had ample oppor-
tunity to refute any false statement
that might have been made.
While ] cannot endorse the details
appearing In the newspaper report, |
am prepared to reiterate all that |
stated at the above meeting and nave
no fears OF repeating those assertions
and more whenever an official inyesti-
CATION is made
Before proceeding further, it should
be understood that had Mr.. Smurth-
waite's amendment been carried the
resolutions passed would have de-
mandcd an official investigation into
the evidence produced and not the re-
moyal Of Mr.. Thomas at the demands
OF on enthusiastic reform movement.
All fair-minded persons will agree that
Superintendent Thomas should have
ample opportunity to defend his honor
and reputation but at the same time.
all charges of conditions detrimental
TO the welfare Of the State Industrial
school should be thoroughly investigat-
ed. This investigation cannot be made
by sending a committee to the school,
as is the announced intention of the
governor, as such committee Will
find everything In apple-pie order and
all outward appearances will remove
every preconcieved Idea and impress
sion made by the reports and asscr-
tions Of individuals who know whereof
they speak.
The remarks made by myself at
Mondays meeting were. tersely stat
ed. as follows:
First | spoke of the improvements
made in the institution In the way of
building additions, renovating, decora-
ton and enlargement OF schoolrooms.
dormltories, kitchen and other great
Improvements which stand as monu.
ments of Mr., Fl H. Thomas ability
along these lines.
Second In speaking of the dificul-
ty OF controlling a large number of
boys Of so varied ages, temperaments.
and characters as are found in such
institutions. | expressed my opinion
upon the necessity Of an increase OF
trained officers and educated hired
help and assistants necessary to bring
the inmates to the high standard spok-
en- of by Miss Van Colt.
| also mentioned that under the
pressure of work that befell the Off
GERS and hired help, including teach
ers, 1t was difficult to keep the same
teachers and otner hired help in the
school for any length Of time, and
that during period OF two months, ac-
corGing to record kept by one of the
officers, there were forty-four men and
women employees who came and went
from the institution. This latter fact
does not and should not reflect upon
the superintendent as In many In.
stances much of this hired help was
incompetent and unfit for the work in.
yolved.
Third. Diet being the next subject.
the writer endeavored to show the
necessity Of plain. wholesome fruit
in season. instead of the use of very
inferior dried fruits. which were
served all the year around. even when
there was an abundance OF fresh fruit
on the market In my opinion this
use of good fresh fruit would have re-
moved the necessity of the constant
use and expense of medical aid, also
the administering of physic. which, to
my actual knowledge. was very fire.
quent Besides this, | asserted that a
constant supply of whole milk would
be more wholesome than the daily
use of cheap coffee and separated milk.
1 am charged in the paper with hav-
Ing said that nothing that the boys
were fed was good. | DENY having
made such assertion for | am aware