Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-03
GRUB CALLS PROBE
REPORT A RAW DEAL
Continued from First Page,

above mentioned, for the superintend-
ent's private use. they requested him
to reimburse the State for the amount
of such purchase. which he declined
to do and has not as yet DONE
ut appears from the testimony, so
far as this committee has been able
to proceed with it to date, that al
though there has been an increase of
322 per cent. in the cost of table
supplies for 1912 over the cost of the
same supplies in 1909 there has been
no noticeable improvement in the
food furnished to the old soldiers who
are members of the home. We have
also been unable to see that the in
mates of the home have been SUBJ
stantially benefited by many of the
other items of increased expenditure.
1.-THE testimony shows that during
the winter of 1911 to 1912 the inmates
of the home. and especially the pa
tients in the hospital suffered great
inconvenience because of the failure
to properly heat the home. The
committee has been unable TO posi-
lively fix the blame for this condi-
ton because of conflicting testimony
in this respect. 1t is significant, how
ever, TO note that although the winter
of 1911 to 1912 was an unusually cold
winter the bill for coal furnished
during the fiscal year ending October
81, 1912, was $375.61 less than for the
year ending October 81. 1909. 1t is
possible, however, that this saving in
coal was caused by a change from the
use of coal to the use of gas for the
purpose of cooking.
1T further appears that during a.
portion of the year just past the in
mates of the home have suffered in
convenience because of a deficiency in
clothing, which, in the judgment OF
this committee. is due primarily to
the fact that other expenses exhaust
ed the funds of the home so that
there was no money available with
which to purchase clothing.
Lack of Discipline.
1T has been apparent throughout
the investigation that the efficiency OF
the employees of the home has been
seriously decreased by reason of lack
of discipline and because of a feeling
of enmity which exists between some
of them. 1t is also also apparent
from the foregoing that the superin-
tendent has been guilty of insubordl-
nation in refusing to comply with the
orders of the board of managers.
1.-THE matters above mentioned are
the principal ones in dispute between
the board of managers and the super
intendent. This dispute led to the
preparation by the superintendent
attorney of Assembly bill No. 1873,
which bill vacates the office of each
of the members of the board of mama
gers and provides that the Governor
shall fill the vacancies thus created.
This bill, according to the superinten-
dents testimony, was introduced at
his request.
1T is the opinion of this committee
that, although the board of managers
may have been somewhat negligent in
not sooner discovering and remedy
ing the conditions above mentioned,
and, although they have been led to
partially fail in their duty by not
requiring prompt and absolute obedi-
ence to their orders by the superin-
tendent, il has by no means been de-
monstrated that they are incapable of
properly managing the home.
1T is Furthermore the opinion of
this committee that it would be en-
trely improper and subversive of dis
cipline, not only in this institution,
but in other institutions throughout
this State. If, at the instance of the
superintendent of this home, the
Legislature were to pass a bill legis-
lating out of Office the board of man
ayers because of the disputes above
mentioned. 1t is, therefore, the judy
ment of this committee that Assem-
bly, bill No. 1879 should not be passed
This committee desires to call at
tention to the fact that the present
superintendent of the kearny Home
is a member of the board of man
ayers. These two offices appear to be
inconsistent. We recommend the
passage of a law which shall pro-
vide that no member of the board of
managers of any institution of this
State shall be eligible to appoint
ment as superintendent of such insti-
tuition while holding his office as a
member of said board and that no
superintendent of any such institu-
ton shall be eligible to appointment
as a member of the board of man
ayers thereof. This law should fur
Their provide that the two Offices shall
not under any circumstances be held
by the same person at the same time