New-York tribune., 1916-04-25
Bowers Says State Board
Is Not Responsible for
City Institutions.
CATHOLIC PREJUDICE
IN INQUIRY DENIED
HOlchkiss Shows That Protestant
Homes Have Borne Brunt OF
Investigators Fire.

Responsibility for laxity in child
care institutions in New York was
charged against Mayor Mitchell and his
administration by John VI. Bowers,
counsel for the State Board OF Chari-
ties, in summing M the testimony Of
the charities investigation before Spe-
cial Commissioner Charles II. Strong
yesterday.
All Of the irregularities through
which the waits in these institutions
have suffered. as shown by the Mayors
investigators, are evidences Of the
citys failure to do its duty, in the
opinion Of the lawyer
Throughout his defence Of the state
charities body. which has direct super
vision OF the institutions under investi-
cation. Mr.. Bowers met the accusa-
tions that have been made against it by
shifting responsibility to the city ad-
ministration. which. he said, was spend
ing money 20 care for it's dependents
and should see that its regulations were
being complied with.
Mr.. Bowers surprised experts present
at the hearing by announcing that the
certificate given TO these institutions
b. the state board did not indicate
that they had complied with the rules
and regulations Of that body
This certificate merely says that the
Institutions have filed with the board
certifcations that they have complied
with the rules of the board and that
such evidence is satisfactory to the
board" he said.
lie announced that the ideals Of Sec
ond Deputy Commissioner of Charities
". j. Doherty were visionary and i'm
practical He criticised the efforts Of
the Commissioner to obtain better edu-
cational conditions for the children in
these institutions as tending 10 make
them so luxurious that the dependents
never will leave them"
If the conditions at any o. the IN
stitutious had been as depicted Kings
bury was bound 10 have taken effective
a.
Mayor Mitchell could have compelled
any improvements lie desired. The
duty was clearly up 10 the city
William II. Hotchkiss, representing
the Charities Department, went even
further in denouncing the state body
than he had previously After sum-
ming up the many efforts that had been
maOe 20 prevent the inspection of Cath
oiLc charitable institutions by the city's
inspectors, he turned 20 members OF the
state board
Methods of supervision that do not
function with enlightened public opin-
ion must CO." he said
During the hearings an atmosphere
Of criticism that the city administra-
I ton was directing its investigation
toward Catholic institutions only was
apparent. How true this is may be
seen in the fact that Of the institu-
tons on the controverted list twelve
are Catholic and fourteen are nom
Catholic. OF the institutions on the
non-controver.ed list eight are Catho-
lie, three are Hebrew and one is Prot
estant.
Since the city's inspection began
there has been marked improvement in
the institutions on the controverted
sire and intent TO improve conditions"
Mr. Hotchkiss did not touch upon the
"wiretapping" authorized by Mayor
Mitchell, but he did speak OF the Father
Farrell pamphlets. He said these PAM
phlets could not have been published
70 answer the Moree documents, be-
cause they antedated by several days
the earliest of these later pamphlets,
which consisted almost entirely Of
newspaper clippings. He concluded By
calling attention TO the statement Of
Madeline z. Doty. n witness before
Commissioner Strong, that Of 1900
convicts interviewed 500 were the prod
ucts of child rearing institutions. some
OF them the very institutions now on
the controverted list.
Had the public no duty when con-
fronted by fact like that?" he de-
manded.
Mr. Bowers denounced the wiretap-
ping, involving the State Board OF
Cha rites telephones, and said that the
evils referred to could be corrected
only by close cooperation between the
city and state officials. lie said he felt
certain that the Governor would do
nothing TO destroy the power Of the
state body and that Commissioner
Strong would sign no report advocating
such action.
Commissioner Strong adjourned the
hearing subject 70 his call, after thank
ing the lawyers on both sides for their
assistance in obtainng the facts that
have been uncovered during the ses-
sons Of the investigators. Il is be-
lioved his report will not be ready for
two weeks or longer.