The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-02-18
For The Spiri. of the Age.
REFORM, NO. s.---sTATE PRISON.

REFORM, NO. 3..--sTATE PRISON.
1t will be seen by reference TO the report of the
committee who settled with the superintendent of
the State Prison. that the balance Of profit in ia
vor of the State, is s ,37l 26. And it further ap-
pears from the investigations Of the Legislative
committee, that a part of this sum is made up by
adding the whole amount of bad debts, which
have occurred in the carriage shop, to that part Of
the pretended profit which belonged to the State,
thus swelling the amount about $500. 1t is also
shown by report, that tamnery has been erect
ed the Prison hepastyear at an expense of $685.
20. This is estimated as so much property, and
would probably sell for half that sum- The loss
on which, together with The $500 above deducted
from this balance Of pretended profits, would
reduce that sum to about $500. 1t will be seer
also that the following item is entered in the amount
Of income to wit. "Couiract acc't' S7,480 which
would give the public to understand that the con-
tractors in the dneren shops had paid the State
that sum for the labor of the Conyicts, and use Of
Machinery. But let us examine. On page of the
Report is charged to Carriage Shop, labor of Con-
vicls and use of Machinery" 8 ,Sl4,53. Coopers
Shop for " labor of conyicts 81 ,l5,l7" Shoe Shop
for labor of Convicts" 81, 454 ,O2 amounting to
$4,3S3,72. These items ofabor are entered in the
account of the several shops & the balance of each
struck In the recapitulaton, the balances Of each
of these Shops are entered under the head Of in
come, and on the same column, 4" contract account
$74sO" as stated above This last sum is taken
from page and is there expressed as follows
CONTRACT ACCOUNT.
Labor of convicts and use of machinery charged
contractors. $3,O96,52
Labor of convic,s &c.charged carriage,
cooper and shoe shops, $4,3sS,72
$7,4SO,24
Now the Report does rot show that any labor was
furnished to any other contractors excepting those
in the above mentioned shops. The enquiry then
arises, for what is this $3,O96,52 charged and
why is i. credited to the Sh,e' The truth prob
ably is that that amount of income crisis onlu on
paper. Deduct then that amount from the
amount of income stated in The report at $9,l4I,-
7O,and instead Of balance in myor the State we
should find one the other way of $l,225, 20 which
is doubtless much nearer the truth, than the con-
cluson Of the report,
No business man or even one of common dis
cernment, can hesitate, OH an examination of the
committees report and the investigation Of the
Legislature, to say that the State has realized not
n single dollar of income from the Prison, but ON
the contrary has been involved more then 1000
the past year.
And now would ask why is the State a: the ex-
pense OF appointing ard paying committees & Off
GERS 10 make reports obscure and intricate, that
the people can gain no Information from them, and
which serve other purpose than to conceal The
mismanagement and sponging oflhe public officers,
and why too,was Milton Brown, ia man altogelh-
or incapable Of the onice) appointed 10 and con-
tnued in the superinlendcncy of the State Prison
1t certainly was not to promote the greatest good
Of The greatest number blu. simply because he must
have an office, and he plainly threatened the wire
workers of the wing or rather federal party, tina, if
they did 70, give him that place, he would take
the abolilionists and join the Democrats and thus
change the administration Of the State govern
men, land rather than loose their power they would
put the d into office.
And would just ask my brother farmers and 9TH
er lax payers, if they satisfied with having their
money squandered or flchcd from them, for the
qualification of hungry otice-seekcrs, or to retain
in power party whose greatest glory is corrup-
tom Ipnt the question 10 every honest wing
(armer,-if,h this is wha, he expects and if he will
longer sustain such prOAgacy and misrule' The
money of the people and the interest of the State
sacrificed to keep such Janus-faced animal as
Milton Brown in the wing traces,-O monstrous!
AGRICOLA.