The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-07-05
UNDERNEATH THE WHITEWASH

The Industrial Worker had the pleasure of, and it is hoped profit from having read some voluminous correspondence that was exchanged between the Department of the h. terior, Delegate Wickersham and the management of the Morningslde Insane Asylum relative to letter published in this paper by Frank Lifts and editorial comment there- in which excited the disapproval of the asylum people and the Depart ment.
 Accompanying that whitewashing roll of correspondence was the of- ficial calcominer in the form ot pamphlet issued by the Department of the Interior and embodying the report of inspectors and the eXpla- nation and additional testimony of the Morningside insane asylum.
 Before such mass of testimony; official, conclusive, repeated, the Industrial Worker was fully pre- pared to retreat with little enough credit for having advanced against the outer defenses of the sanitar- ium
 But behold in a recent issue ot the Juneau Dispatch we get actual glimDses of' the facts behind th7 whitewash which it will take more than an official or perfunctory deni- al to remove The subjoined letter speaks for itself.
 Portland, Ore, May 26, 1916. Editor Dispatch:
 Dear Sir. In one of the Portland leading papers of the 25th, MT. Luckey of Morninside Hospital (ln. sane Asylum where the insane from Alaska are sent and kept, tries to defend the authorities in charge from the criticism of mismanage- ment.
 He lays the blame on the Nome Chamber of Commerce. Well, l want to say that l know something about the above hospital. l worked there just one year and the COZ ditions there were rotten.
 I was employed as cook and the man who had the contract of feed ing the patients was stealing half of which was allowed to go as food for the unfortunates. This man whose name is Mavern would come and take the best of everything eat able to his own home.
 He had one of the patients em- ployed as second cook at $40 per month, and was still drawing allow ance for him as a patient. This in- sane man would abuse the other help in the kitchen. But l did not interfere because it was his pri- vilege to do so
 The food that the patients got was bad in quality and small in quantity.
 I got discharged because l dared to criticize Mavern's food supply. l was there when the government inspector came. During the time of his inspection there was lots of food for all hands But as soon as he went away things became the same old way, and MT. Mavern said that they would have to cut down on the grub for what they spent during the governments inspection. l now thank you for the space in your pa per and hope that you will bring this to the notice of the public ot Alaska on behalf of the poor un- fortunates who are defenseless againts those vultures.
 ED MULLINS. S6A Union Avenue, Portland Ore.
 The Industrial Worker knows the defense that the Morningside peo- pie will set up against that letter. Will say it beforehand. It is that MT. Mullins is a disgruntled em- pIoyee who was discharged for lazl- ness Or for cheating or for bribery CT some other evil offense aga,rst good conduct and good mora:s.
 That is the usual defense. It will ne. to to avoid 1t in this case. And it is Tot probable that any attempt will be made.
 However, as stated here we get