Norwich bulletin., 1921-11-16
STATE HOSPITAL CANNOT BUY FARM:
COMPTROLLER DEFIES ATTY. GENERAL

\ A tie vote In the board of control on
Tuesday at Hartford on the question of.
allowing the Norwich state hospital to
use So, 600 from its rnaintena nee fund to
purchase the $50 acre Rogers farm at
Poquetanuck has killed off this plan that
the hospital trustees had for securing
tract Of land where farm and garden
produce could be raised for the use Of
the patients.
All four members Of the board, which
includes Governor Lake, Comptroller
Harvey p Bissell, Treasurer G. Harold
Gilpatric and Attorney General F. E.
Healy were agreed upon the wisdom of
acquiring the farm and that 1t would
mean no extra expenses to the state as
it would Be bought out Of money saved
on maintenance, but upon vote on the
| resolution authorizing the purchase, the
treasurer and the attorney general voted
in favor and the comptroller against it.
| The governor then cast his vote with
| the comptroller.
Superintendent Franklin S. Wilcox,
Judge Nelson J. Ayling. former State
! Treasurer Henry H Gallup of this city,
| ana attorney Arthur F. .Libbey appeared
| at the hearing On behalf of the hospi-
| tai.
There were several verbal tits between
| the attorney general, the comptroller and
Mr.. Gallup.
Comptroller Pissell said he had asked
the attorney general for a written
opinion on the legality of the action of
the board of control in authorizing the
purchase Of the farm. Governor Lake
remarked that this vote had been re-
scindkd.
'T will not honor or pay any order
/ hU
court" said Comptroller Bissell.
"Yougwill follow the opinion of the at
| torney general the same as other off
Gals of the state" was the retort Of
Attorney General Healey:
81 sympathize with Harvey Comp
ftreller Bissell) and I shall vote with
him. said Governor Lake.
C"Do you think this is legal?' asked
Treasurer Gilpatric.
There Is no question about It." answ-
cred Attorney. General Healy.
Then 1 shall vote for the resolution, "
replied Treasurer Gilpatric.
/ Comptroller BisseH asked the attorney
general if he would give him a writ
ten opinion.
/ you are certainly entitled to it. But
unless the resolution is voted the mat
ter will be as dead as Julius Caesar
replied Mr.. Healy.
Governor Lake asked the comptroller
| if he would pay the money for thF farm
If 1t were. authorized by the board Of
control.
81 won't until am ordered to do Y
by the court" replied Comptroller Bis
sell
Not even with the attorney general!
opinion will you transfer from one ap
preparation to another?" asked Governor
Lake.
NO"
'Then the money could only be go
by mandamus,'' remarked Governo
Lake.
II do not like to characterize the pc
sition of the comptroller as I feef in
clined to do. The comptroller is OBJ
! stinate He has no higher or create
duty than any Of us who are doing gu
duty to the state. He is going far from
his duty, rena rked former Treasure
GaIlun
Judge Aging of Norwich said ther
were only three parts to be considered
!, The first is whether the purchase Q
. the farm for $4,000 was desirable fror
an economic point of view: whethe
, the state desired It, and whether it wa
legal to make the purchase. The trus
tees of the institution were given tn
, power to buy real estate by the genera
assembly. TIE purchase of the farm
an economical proposition. The popr
, lation of the institution is over $50
which is much greater than ever befor