The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-17
Severe Criticisms Are Made
Of Management of Several
State Institutions.

CHARLESTON FEB. l4s--Thei Leg
isiatige investigating committee APP
pointed ut the regular session Of the,
Legislature in 1907. which Is composed
Of 3. ". McKown. chairman. senator
silver, c. N. Hart c. N. Wetzel. and
N. K. Duty, have made their report To-
the legislature. II IS d voiamfhous
document containing $50 pages. The
hrst forty pages OF the report are de-
voted to a general report Employing
the committees findings and recon-
;mendations The remainder consists
liof appendices dealing particularly
with each Institution.
(. The general report discusses the:
general location Of the different insti-
tutlons. dwelling upon the fact that
the state got poor start because OF
her Impoverished condition at the
close Of the war. The rule was to es-i
tablish an institution wherever there
was tender of assistance or gift
of land or buildings, regardless of geo.
graphical situation or the adaptabilityI
of the buildings offered for the pur-
pose. In other instances political in
fiuences located institutions wholly.
out of the range of economic laws.
This applies to Weston, Pruntytown,
Bluefield colored institute. the nniver-
slty and most of the other institutions.
The greatest drawback resulting from
these early errors is the failure of the
water supply to keep pace with the
demands. For instance at Weston
there was a water famine last year.
and the Bluefield colored institute isl
wholly inaccessible and unsuitable toI
its purpose The buildings as a rule
are constructed without architectural
designs and where architects were en-
ployed the designs have been faulty all
most to the point as to work destruc-
ton to the usefulness OF the buildings.
At Marshall college the weight of tho
roof was forcing the buildings apart
and 1t had to be strengthened with
pillars through the interior. At the
Bluefield colored institute the architect
was discharged and the construction
placed in the hands of negro. Tho
committee found the roof falling In
and the building in a general dam
gerous condition. Tho governor att
the committees request sent another
architect to Blueneld and he put tina
building in what is believed to be fair
shape. The Concord Normal school
building at Athens is built of brick
that can be cut out with a penknife.
This bad material was used over the
protest of the contractor. Rods have
been run through the building and
iron pillars put under the floors. The
architect says he thinks it safe but
t'the committee thinks not. 4
State University.
A general condemnation is made
of all the state university
buildings because Of their archi-
tectural inefficiency. They are To-
Gated without reference to topogra-
ply and upon no system that the COM
mittee could discover. The library
building, which is one Of the only twol
good buildings, is we'll arranged In
the Interior, but the architectural de-
sign is such that SO l-a per cent. Of
the cost was wasted on outside trim.
mings.
The committee found that the re-
gents have In violation OF law failed
to prescribe rules or regulations for
the conduct of the faculty. They
come and go as they please. The
teachers appropriation at the univer-
sity two years ago, was $69, 900 for thel
annual period. The same year there
was in reality spent on teachers sal
aries $l1",195. This excess over the
appropriation was taken from reye-
nues of the university other than the
sums appropriated by the state. There
is no authority in law for this expen-
diture in excess OF the amount APP
proprlated. 1t is an unlawful expen-
diture of public funds.
1t was represented by the university
authorities that 1900 pupils are en-
rolled. The committee finds that this
| '''SluuCS Gil SAA1SHlS attending the
three preparatory schools and many
children who attend the school Of
music. While in making up the stu
dent enrolment the university author
tiles include all these schools, theyI
give as the number of teachers only
those actually employed in the univer-
sity. As a matter Of fact the total
number of students actually in the
university sat the time the committee
visited it was 4s2. DeductIng from
this number the enrolment of the
commercial school, the school of mu-
sic and the physical culture course,
the number Of students actually en-
gagged in college work is 400. The
number of professors employed is Sc.
The average number Of students to
each professor Is $40.
Insane Asylum at Weston.
The committee at this institution
found the bedding in the hospital alive
with vermin. Inspection Of the beds
disclosed bed bugs and kindred in
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