New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-28
PROBER FAYORS
CHARITY REFORM
Strong Urges State Board
with Three Paid Heads.
Scores Pamphlet War

The pamphlet warfare wsged in the
recent charities investigation between
Father Farrell and the late DR.. Pott.,
on one side and Edward Moree and
his supporters on the other, was con-
demned yesterday in the report Of
Commissioner Charles II. Strong, a.
pointed by Governor Whitman to pro-
side over the inquiry.
Some of the widespread public AM
mosities might have been ayolded.s
wrote Commissioner Strong, III these
pamphlets had never been issued. All
these were deplorabls from every poin,
Of view. Not one of them helped the
cause 1t was intended to help. The
examination that ragged over them GER
tainly protracted the hearings and
probably confused in the public mind
the real object of the general inquiry
The report, which deals with every
phase Of the inquiry that lasted from
December 3, 1915, to April "a, 1915
recommended a reorganization OF tina
State Board Of Charities, and urged
that at least one woman should BE-
member of it
Mr.. Strong reviewed the statistical
testimony in favor Of and against
various UNCONVENTIONAL charitable in
stitutions, but avoided a religious is.
sue, stating that the question befor.
him related to the culpability OF the
State Board Of Charities for the er.
istence OF such conditions as was
found, and not OF the institutions
themselves.
improvements have been made or are
in the making he said. IN all institu-
tons on the controverted list to such
an extent that they are now in receip.
of the financial aid Of the city, with
at least the tacit approval Of the De-
partment of Charities. For these rea-
sons the commissioner explains, the
report does not deal with each Of the
institutions more specifically and By
name.
Vindicates the Mayor
One of the striking features Of the
Strong report is its vindication Of
Mayor Mitchell in his fight against the
state board. Mr. Strong does lot agree
with some of Commissioner Kings
bury's assertions. particularly in his
statement that many of the insttu-
tons were unfit for human habitaton,
but he does approve of the city's fight
against the state board.
Commissioner Strong made the sps-
cific statement that the widely pub
lished story about orphans and pigs
eating out of the same bowl at one OF
the Roman Catholic institutions was
not true.
81 recommend reorganization Of
the State Board OF Charities" wrote
the Commissioner. Instead OF an IN.
paid board Of twelve, appointed by the
Governor from districts, with eight
year terms, the board selecting its own
president and without qualifications
specified in the law, the board should
become a board OF nine, OF whom at
least one should be a woman, and Of
whom three should be paid ard six
should not be paid, appointed by the
Governor from the state at large, to
serve during good behavior and remov-
able by the Governor on notice for
cause; special qualifications for men,
bership to be described in the law, TO
the END that all the functional setivi-
ties of the board should be discharged
by persons with special training there
for; the three paid members to be the
president of the board and the chair
man of the two new bureaus within the
board, namely, the Bureau for Mental
Deficiency and the Bureau for Deepen
dent Children, these three members to
be designated as president and bureau
chairmen, respectively, at the time Of
appointment BY the Governor.