Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-01-15


Dear SIR
l am Citizen Of Charles
ton and am visiting my little blind boy,
! who is here in the State School for the
Deaf and Blind
In the name Of that child. l do here
by urge and request the removal from
i office of Mr.. Jas S. Lakin, President
of the State Board of Control. for il
legality of conduct in office and gross
! neglect of duty.
Section of Chapter So Of the Acts
Of 1909 says -"It shall be the duty Of
the Board to cause each institution
named in section three to be visited by
one or more members, as the case may
require each month. The members shall
alternate in their monthly visits of in
spection. -
This Institution is named in section
| three of the same chapter and am in
formed and ready to prove that Mr..
Lakin has only visited this institution
! once since February 1912, period Of
twenty two months and for over 13
months no member of the Board came
! here Since his last visit here over
twelve thous ard dollars has been spent
in permanent improvements, including
the installation nf new water supply
Neither he nor any other member of
the BOARD came here to- inspect the
work, net even to see that it was
finished according to contract. Z
| In June 1918 the electric Eight plant.
which is old and out Of dyte at this IN
stitution broke down and it was neccs.
sary 10 use acetyiene gas from the
town. In August MIR. Iakin ordered
the Superint endtni to disco. tinue the
gas owing TO the expense. the reby
necessitating lighting L,la institution
! with oil lamps. Taere were no pupils
here then and Mr. Montakue. The Sus
! perintenttsent obeycd Instructions while
waiting 'le arma ure to be +, paired liv
The G.neral Ell cLric Company. II was
returned SHIRT time before tho arr
wi OF tie pup 3 in Sept. nser. but
! upon bring started up you'd cot make
any light The pupils had row Returned
/ and the super intel.deut had the l,itina
! overhauled and got the cetylene gas
/ again rom the Town at tic eamc.timt
i sendfng off tls asn4tii.e IS" repairs.
/ Atthe end of the month Mr.. Montague
made rsquisition for the cost Of the gas
and Mr. Lakin dis4pprov I'd il III HE
following letter; Your req iisi ion No
! SOS for amount of $51 so Cor gas ant
gas burners during the months of ACg
ust and September is, disapprovcd, fol
the reason that in cur letter of August
2. 1913. We gave you positive ms rue.
tons to Giscontinuelhe use of acety.
lene gas. At the same time he had {
letter written the Gas Company as TO-.
lows: On August 2, 1918 this Boare
ordered Mr., R.. Cary Montague, Super.
intendent of the West Virginia Scheols
for the Deaf and Blind, to have accty
lene gaslines at lis institution discon.
nected and the meter removed immeGi
ately. lie has dlsregarded this order.
You are also advised that it will be
necessaryAfoy you to |, ok to Mr.. Mon.
tague, personally for payment OF, bills
for the use of gas during tire months
of August and September, as we have
1 refused to honor his requisit;oa for the
payment Of same, fortunately fo1
our afflicted children MIR. Montague hac
| courage enough to disregard these il,
human instructions from a man who
had violated the require ments of his
| Qffice no less than ,six-times in two
| years. This order would have meant us
ing kerosene oil lamps in a three stor,
building badly equipped with fire escapes
and when there was scarcity of water,
full or deaf and blind children, at risk
of fire so great as to make me shudder
for my own precious little one
Mr.. Montague paid that bill and told
the gas company he would assume the
financial responsibility himself rather
than risk the lives Of those under his
care. He wrote another letter calling
special attention to the danger of the
situation and received sharp rebuke
| for disobedience. Finally after three
| weeks of correspondence MIR. Lakin
!, realized the absolute ahsurdity and
ttwickedness of his position in risking
the lives of nearly 200 children and
! probably voiding thousands of dollars
of Insurance for the sake Of saving one
hundred dollars or SO. He repaid Mr..
Montague and authorized the use of
gas.
Now, Governor you have seen fit to
displace MIR. Montague and appoint as
superintendent here Mr.. Farley DE
Berry, who is we'll known to be an in
innate friend Of Mr. Lakin and re,
iterate my request for the removal Of
Mr.. Lakin from office on the grounds
stated. / can. prove and am ready to
prove these charges.
am sure that majority of the per-
sons concerned will joinin this request.
| am Republican myself and hate
to call down censure upon our admins
tration. but Sir. consider my duty to
my child above my duty to my party
Yours respectfully,
N. M. BOWLES.