West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-01-15
ANGRY 'ArHrS
Calls on Hatfield 70 Hsmeyl |kssii-
gent State oneIsI

Board OF Control. For the second time
within two weeks an open letter which is
published below, has been addressed 20
Governor III. ID. Hatfield complaining Of
President Lakin. The letter follows:
An OPEN LETTER
Romney, w. Va, Dec. %, 1913.
Gov. H.. ID. Hatfield,
Charleston, w. Va .
Dear SIR X
l am a citizen Of Charleston and am
visiting my little blind boy, who is in
the State school for the Deaf and Blind.
In the name OF that child, l do hereby
urge and request the removal from office
OF James s Lakin. president of the State
Board of Control, for ~illegality of con.
duct i'm office and gross neglect of duty.
Section 8 of Chapter SO of the Acts Of
1908 says: cit shall be the duty of the
Board to cause each institution named
i'm section three to be visited by one or
more members, as the case may require
each month. The members shall alter.
nate in the monthly visits OF inspection
1hio ast'tithNiOh ~ diilt III HtttlOn
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, a period OF
twenty-five months and for over thirteen
monthssno member of the Board came
here. Since his last visit here over
twelve thousand dollars has beer spenti i'm
permanent improvements, including the
installation OF a new water srpply.
Neither he nor any other member of the
Board came here to inspect the works,
not even to see that it was finished nc.
cording to contract.
In June 1913 the electric light plant.
which is old and out OF date at this
institution broke down and it was neces-
sary 70 use acetylene gas from the town.
In August MIR. Lakin ordered the superin.
tendent TO discontinue the gas owing to
the expense, thereby necessitating light
ing the institution with oil lamps. There
were no pupils here then and Mr.. Mon
tague the superintendent obeyed ~instruc-
tons while waiting for the armature 10
be repaired by the General Electric Co.
1t was returned a short time before the
arrival of the pupils in September, but
upon being started up would not make
any light. The pupils had now returned
and the superintendent had the piping
overhauled N got the acetylene gas
again from the town, at the same time
sending of the armature for repairs, At
the end OF the month MIR. Montague
made requisition for the cost of gas and
Mr.. Lakin disspproved it in the following
letter:
Your requisition No. $50 for amount
OF $5l.30 for gas and gas burners during
the months of August and September is
dlsapproved, for the reason that i'm our
letter of August =. 1913, we gave you
positive instructions to discontinue the
use OF ~acetylene gas" At the same time
he had a letter written to the Gas com
panY as follows: "On August 2, 1918,
this Board ordered Mr.. Montague.
superintendent of the West Virginia
school for the Deaf and Blind, to have
acetyiene gas lines at this institution
disconnected and meter removed inn
mediately. He has d~isregarded this
order. You are also advised that 1t will be
necessary To look to Mr.. Montague.
personally, for payment of bill Tor the
use OF gas during the months of August
and September, as we have refused to
honor his requisition for the payment of
same"
fortunately for our afflicted
children Mr.. Montague had courage
enough to Disregard these inhuman in
structions from a man who had violated
the requirements OF his otnce no less
than six times in two years. The order
would nave meant using kerosene oil
lamps in a three story building badly
equipped with fire escapes and where
there was a scarcity of water iull of deaf
and blind children, at a risk OF fire 40
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
attention to the danger of the situation
and received a sharp rebuke for disobedi-
ence. Finally after three weeks of cor
respondence MIR. Lakin realized the abb
solute absurdity and wickedness of his
position in risking the lives of nearly
two hundred children and probably void.
ing thousands Of dollars Of insurance for
the sake of saving one hundred dollars
or go. 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 well known to be an intimate
friend OF Mr.. LakIn and / reiterate my
request for the removal OF Ms. Lakin
from office on the grounds stated. can
prove and am ready to prove these
charges. I am sure that a majority Of
the persons conc mcd will Join in this
request.
am q Republican myself and hate
to call down cebsurc on our administra
ton, but Sir, ] consider my duty 10 my
child above my duty to my party.
Yours respectfully.
y. VI. BOwLEs
Charleston, W. Va.
Letter From the North West