Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1864-01-16

shs ssssssssy tine wheat esspsssa-
tion. ksssspsad . appsspsistisa. o.
Eve hsads61 doIlars, - e(npsnsa6es
ios this pdfrose, ID sdda;on q The I've
hundred dal4s Asretollss appropriated
for other SGsposSUs - ~
cnAElTABLs INSTITUTIONS.
TIE Reports Of the Trustees Of he BIisd
Asylum, and Of sbe Asylsn for he In
sane, are herewith submitted. re.
o0ossd sas spposusosut sf . special
committee to visit each one Of these 10
stitutions for the purpose Of exaninisg
into their condition add wants, and that
Al may be done that the condition Of
our 6nancss will allow, to make these
institutions ffsctive for accomplishing
the sobls objects for which they were
founded. a. $3.50. ti
call your special attsstiou 70 The f.
nal Report Of Co,nmissionsr Tor super-
intending the erection Of the Blind Asy-
lum. -
The A, lum for tho Dsaf and Damb
i still q lows City, ia . building rented
for that purpose. The annual rent paid
ID t375. Whc her Il il advisable, 1t
this time, to erect new building, The
The Interest on the cost Of which will fer
exceed the rent now paid, erwbsther il
is beat TO coutinse to occupy the rented
build;ogs for longer time Arc questions
properly committed TO your judgment
ane discretion. The report Of ths trus.
tser, showing the expenditures for the
last two years, and the estimates for the
snsuisg two yea !, are herewith submit
ted. There has been material increase
10 the prices Of nearly oil the articles r.
CURED for the support Of the pupils in
these inst tutols, and consequently
there should be . proPortioants increase
In the Gums appropriated.
THE PExIrENrrARy.
l was notified BY the Warden, 10
June, 1902, that the old shops 10 the
prison yard had been destroyed BY Ore.
The contract between the State and the
contractor. for the prison labor. requir.
ed the State 10 furnish shop room 10
work the criminals. The contractors
had, in suit tried and determines. be.
fore this 6rc, made the want Of sufficient
shop room the basis Of claim Tor heavy
damages against the State, which had
been allowed them, and had good
reason 70 believe the want Of shop room
caused by the Gre, would BE- made the
basis Of another similar claim. Under
.bese circumstances, l requested the Al.
torney General to meet me at the prison,
and, after consultation with him, The
Warden and myself entered into cor.
tract with Messrs. Wioterbothsm &
Jones, contractors for the p,ison lal.or
for tho erection Of new shops, at . cor,
Of ts,6O4.67, which was psid - follows
Material FROM old shops, @200; cash ap'
propriated at the last preceding session
Tor new blacksmith shop, $4,000; pro
ceeds Of judgment in favor Of State
against contractors, $045.59; the balance
Of 94,s5o.es to apply on the amount
due, or TO become due to the State, from
the contractors for prison labor.
II 10 matter OF doubt whether had
the authority to make this contract
but ~ the necessity appea'cd to be i'm
perative,. and u. the contract could not
be made without drawing from the Tres
sury any money not appropriated by law
1 deemed it my duty, having duo re-
gard 70 the interests Of the State, to
make the contract, and did 20.
Tho new shops wero completed in &C.
cordance with tho terms Of the contract,
and have been ever since 10 use. The
old shops were lily arranged, ioeonve--
nient aud unsightIy, and, situated - they
we're, near the centre Of the prison yard,
interfered materially with the preserve
ton Of proper order and discipline among
the convicts. The new shops are large,
substantial and we'll arranged, and much
more favorably located than the old
ones.
A new contract has not ~ yet bees
made under the law passed at the extr@
session Of 1862, for rs-letting the con-
vict labor. ! have very serious doubt
whether it j. advisable, at this time, u
re-lct the whole Of this labor. A large
amount Of work must necessarily SCOT
be done in and about the prison. Al
our population increases, the number d
convicts will increase, and Of course
there will be necessarily On increase d
cell room. This can now be had, most
economically and advantageousIy, By
building . WardeD's house on the foun-
dation already laid for that purpose, and
using the part Of the main building now
occupied By tho Warden for cell room;
| and By raising the roof and walls Of tbs
main building 90 % to receive two adj
ditional tiers OF cells. The wall on one
side Of the yard has not yet been built,
anu understand some additional grad '
ing il needed before II can be. The
convicts can do much Of the labor 70
CURED for these improvements - welt
a. the hired Iaborers, and ct much Lees
cost to the Stats. should this policy BE-
adopted, il may be necessary to employ
fey additional guards, but the sddi. ]
tioEsl expense will be much less than
the difference between the cost Of CON.
vict end o,her labor. n
have not been able to give - much
much time = desired 70 supervising
the affairs Of the prison fer The last two
years; but / am Of opinion everything
has been dose BY the Warden and b J
tubordiDates, carefully, economically and
we'll. The Wardess Report contains .