The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1921-04-23
TRUSTEES TO Be
GIVEN HE AIRING
ON HOME REPORT
Committee Answers Cover
nor's Letter = TO Get at
Real Conditions Now.
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT
Information on Which Criti-
cisms Made Obtained from
Shattuck, Claim.

Denying that it had Intentionally
failed to give the Board of Tfustees
of the Pioneer Home an opportunity
to be heard in connection with
charges and intimations made in its
recent report severely criticizing the
anagement of the Home, the Joint
Investigating Committee this morn
ing rendered a supplementary re-
port to both the House and Senate
in answer to Gov. Riggs criticism
of the report. The report this morn
ing recommended the appointment
of a special committee hto con-
fer with the full membership of the
Board of Trustees = to the end
that more complete understandings
may be obtained of real conditions"
House Takes Action.
Speaker Nerland authorized the
House members of the Inestigating
Committee to hold such a confer
ence, but no action was taken in
the Senate. A few members com
mented on the report, Mr.. Cochran
declaring that the Board, as an or
ganization, should be accorded a full
and fair hearing. ACommenting ON
the Committees statement that it
had called the Secretary of the
Board before it to answer certain
questions, Mr.. Cochran said that
this could not be construed as Civ
ing the Board hea sing. Mr.. Muir
ray asked if the Committee had
called Gov. Riggs, Chairman of the
Board, or w. w Casey, the third
Board member, and was informed
that neither had been conferred
with by the Committee.
Cole Raises Objection.
The supplementary report COM
mends Mrs. Morton, wife of Supt.
Morton of the Home, for admins
tering to the care and comfort of
the inmates of the Home Mr. Cole
raised an objection to the commen-I
dation or mention of Mrs. Morton
by the Committee. stating that She
was not officially connected withI
the Home or it's management. Mr.
Frame, member of the Investigat-
ing Committee explained that Mrs.
Morton had been especially active
in tearing for the inmates of the
Home during the flu and at other
times. Mr.. Coles objection went By
default through lack of support.
Defends Its Action.
The Committee defends its action
in making its report, holding that
its "mose definite information re-
garding the management of the
Home" was secured fromthe Secre-
tary of the Board, Allen Shattuck
The latter, it was stated, told the
Committee:
That Superintendent Morton, of
the Pioneers Home, is employed at
a salary of 5000 per month, with
house, light, and heat furnished,
and gets his personal supplies at 10l
per cent advance on wholesale pur-
chasing prices. He is under no.
bonds; he does all the ordering and
purchasing of supplies, has no one
to check or approve orders, all ship
ments and bills being direct to him,
vouchers for which are supposed toj
be forwarded to the Treasurer, who
pays by warrant
1t is further asserted that M
Sattuck admitted that several bills
due wholesale houses from the Home
were long overdue, and intimated
that the Board had been urging the
superintendent to have them set
lied" The reporl continues, your
Committee feel that in securing tle
statement of the Secretary of the
Board we are according the Board
fair treatment, and going as far as
could reasonably be expected of
them. We did not feel that it was
the province Of an investigating
Committee to get pecial facts from
those managing the institution
under investigation.
The Committee denies that it was
actuated in making its report by
political bias or prejudice. 1t states
that it did not secure certain state
ments and charges against the man
agement of the Home which is of a
character that can hardly be con-
sidered impartial iestimony," asserts
that it was not submitted to the
Legislature in lis original report.
Reiterates Demand.
The supplementary report which
is signed by Senators Hess and Hunt
for the Senate and Representative