The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-10
MERRY ROW IN CHARITIES BOARD Johnson Has CowIes On Carpet Before
 Commissioners
Commissioners in Two Factions One for Johnson, One
 for COWIes

With the Charities board split two and two. and one set of commission- CTS aligned with Merle c. Cowles, su- perintendent of LakeView home, and the other with Fred R Johnson, su- perintendent of the departm ent, May or Wilson has q pretty kettle of fish on his hands.
 s The department is rent with dissen- sion. Fred R. Johnson, by vote of the board, is. the general superintendent, and as such, in theory at least, has Jurisdiction over Lakeview home, a condition that had it's inception with the importation of MT. Johnson from the West. This condition is not at all pleasing to CowIes, who for years, as the superintendent of Lakeview~ home, had been answerable to no superiors but the board of Charities
 Strange doing in the department of charities have lately stimulated the curiosity of observers to such an ex- tent that many questions have been addressed to the commissioners. So far they have managed to keep mat ters carefully under cover, but today the conditions had|reached such a. StateEt that an explosion was imminent and the details of the long row leaked out.
 Real trouble began in the depart nent several weeks ago when under direction of Johnson, CowIes came to his office ill the Police and Charities building. Cowles was asked certain QuGSLiOnS WlIh TefaC1On+ 10 the cOnOuCC of his department, and in particular, relative to tho finances of the home. MT. Johnson took the view that it was his duty to be informed on these mat ters, while MT. Cow1es, unused to be- ing questioned by the superintendent of charities, took exception in no un- n1istakable terms.
 People who know Cow1es,~ and that means about everybody, in public life in Bridgeport, are wholly familiar with the fact that when he has any thing on his mind he usually speaks right out That's what he did in Johnsonis office. The attaches of the in earshot, fled for safety. They fear ed that a riot was ill progress.
 MT. Cow1es referred in most uncom- p1imentary terms O the Charities ex- pert ], In particular he dwelt on the fact that Johnson was fred headed. :, There were other terms used, but cised by Uncle Sam over newspapers that avail themselves of postal privf- 1eges, The Farmer is unable to re- count these for the benefit of it's read
 MT. Johnson is nothing if not con- servative. He allowed Cowles to un- reelection, preferred charges of in subordination to the board of chari- ties commissioners, These were heard in utmost secrecy, and in several ses- sion of the board, held by pre-ar- rangements in executive session.
 When Superintendent Cowles had sLO l better of his harsh words to the super intendent. He appeared before the board at one of it's secret meetings, and eonfessing his hasty temper, threw himself upon the mercy of the board. The board admonished him to go and sin no raore, and that, appar- ently ended the incident.
 At these hearings it developed that Cowles friends were Commissioners Behrens and Harris, and Johpson's adherents, Commissioners Judge and Richardson.
 But the action of the. board served only to temporarily close the breach. real row came, of, the charges brought against ,sCowles by a clergyman who had become interested in the wei fare of an inmate of Latzeview home.
 The clergyman reported to Rev. John MacLaren Richardson, of the board, that an inmate of the home tuition while intoxicated. Comnis- sioner Richardson said he could not take official cognizanee of the com plaint un1essf it came in written form. and the complainant delayed only long enough to take his pen in hand and file what practically amounted to charges against Cow1es.
 These charges had an entirely un- expected outcome, however, and the finding of the board on testimony of fered was that the man had left the Lakeview home perfectly sobers had been attacked by a fainting spell, and had been given so much liquor to stimulate him that when he came un- der observation he was found to be under the influence of the intoicants.
 Cow1es, naturally eSulted, and he re- ferred to the charges brought by the clergyman in no uncertain ternns and in% fact, so belabored the clergyman that the sensibilities of Commissioner Richardson, with a fellow feeling for a brother of the cloth, were seriously stirred.
 Then came the perennial dispute about the use of whiskey at Lakeview
 tContlnued on Page 2.)