The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-19

x1OOIAo OA ~S-
 Commissioner Kane s Method of Purchasing
 Supplies = Commissioner
 Rourke Tells of Big Ex-
 pense Bills Which Depart
 ment Must Meet-Public
 Hearing Tonight.
 The probing of the affairs of the Charities department was begun last night at the city hall.
 The special committee appointed by the Mayor to inquire into the advisa- bility of investigating the board is composed of Attorney David S. Day, James H. McElroy, Archibald McNeil, Jr., Alderman Dennis O'Neil and All dernlan William E. Primrose.
 Commissioner Patrick Kane declared that the pith of the whole matter lay fn whether it was better to continue with a single purchasing agent or go back to the old system of buying by three sub-committees, each of which looked after a separate branch of the department
 Among the facts brought out was that it costs the city $25, 900 year to take care of ita insane poor; that gen. eration after teneration of paupers stay son the town: that coal delivered to the almshouse prior to three weeks ago had not been weighed; that Char lfty Commissioner John E. Foster was selling goods to the Charities depart ment the same as has been done by commissioners on many other boards; and that the department like many <,fT, Ho ant in, Q nitv not advertising for bids upon goods or contracts of over $200 in valuation.
 Tho members of the Charities board are President James J. Stone, James John T. Foster.
 In opening Chairman Day said: ''The committee has power only to inquire into the advisability of holding an in vestigafion- It has no power to com pei witnesses to appear and answer questions. As the question is one where the Charities board and the pub lie are concerned the committee decid- ed to hold one hearing tonight for the board and another tomorrow night for the public. In making its report the committee has decided to remain with in the scope allowed it. As it is with enter into facts or prove or disprove any facts. The committee will be glad to take up any matter the board might care to lay before, it."
 z board to tell the committee why it should be investigated but if the com mittee will go to the Police and Chari- ties building and look over the books would learn more about the way things are run than they would by talking here all night If there is to be an investigation I think it would be wise to go into the facts"
 MT. .Day-'tCommittee feels that facts are Beyond the scope of the committee, but 1t thought that the board might desire to make statements on certain be cleared up. The board members might have heard some complaints themselves
 Com. Stone-I have heard no com plaints."
 Com. Kane-'I don't know as I have anything to say. It is a rather deli cate matter to ask the board if there are any charges which it wishes to charges by anybody of responsibility they ought to be run down.
 Som- Stone-''Yes, and we want facts and figures"
 methods of the board that were to be inquired into. We may do some things as others would not do. If there are better methods would be glad to see them adopted.
 MT. Day-"Do you feel that the af- fairs of the board are carried on sue cessfully?''
 Ccm Kane-sThat is a matter of opinion. Others might differ with us. For instance there is the purchasing of supplies. These complaints might be made because a few were dissatis- fled with the purchasing agent Other methods might be better. I am a. new member of the bOard.'
 Mir. Day-"In your opinion are the present methods successful?''
 Com. Kane-"They are as far as know"
 MT. Day2"How does the board re- gard the deficit of $32oOO?',
 Com Rourke-"To begin with there was $7.000 left over from last year,
 Com. Stone-'You always hear talk about deficits but you never hear any thing about the increases in the ex- pense of running the department and the growing number of people it has to take care of"
 Com. Rourke-'AThere are so many fixed expenses that the board has to pay that the members have little else to do other than pass on the bills. For instance there are the hospital bills which amount to $40 900 a year. including the local and State hos pitfalls. You never know what the ex- pense of caring for the outside poor is going to be. It may jump from 200 to 300 families in month. There is our insane poor bill of s25,0 that has to be paid. The Board of Apportion- ment has never given us what we asked for. You certainly can't esti- mate expenses when poor people pour in on y0u the way they did last year. You gentlemen can learn more by look ing at the books of the department than by talking"
 MT. Day-"We intend to look at them after the meeting tomorrow night"
 MT McNeil-'1s there any way whereby you know the cost of keeping a single person at I.akeview Homer
 Com Rourke-The cost is about &kM person. s About 20 or 30 leave &1Gh Month and new ones are con- @(1ntlx being edn1ftted 's
 )ontinul1 cn pecond Pa9e.l