The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-01-28

Il call your special attention 70 the fio.
Report Of the Commissioner for Super
Intending the erection Of the Bin
Asylum. ......
The Asylum for tho Deaf and Dumb
still At Iowa City, in building ,ente
for that purpose: The annual rent PAL
is 1915. Whether it is advisable, at thi
time, to erect new building; the inter
est on the cost of which will far excset
the rent now paid, or whether il is bes
to continue to occupy tho rented build
ings for longer time, are questions
properly committed to your Judgment and
discretion. The report Of the Trustees
showing tho expenditures for the last tive
years, are herewith submitted.
Thore has been q material increase in
the prices of nearly all the articles requir
cd for the support Of the pupils in these
institutions, and consequently there
should be proportionate increase in the
sums appropriated.
.E.a TEE rENIrsNrIARY.
D.. I WAS notified by the Warden, in June,
1862, that the old shops in the prison
ward had been destroyed BY fire. The
contract between the State and the con-
tractors for the prison labor, required the
State to furnish shop room to work the
criminals. The contractors mad, in suit
tried and determined before this FIRE,
made the want of sufficient shop room
form the basis Of claim for heavy DANA
gee against the State, which had been
allowed them, and l had good reason to
halieve the want Ct shop room, caused
=. Il. n.y., would be made the basis of
another similar claim.
Under these circumstances, [ requested
the Attorney General to meet me at the
prison, and, after consultation with him,
the Warden and myself entered into
contract with Messrs. Winterbottom 4
Jones, contractors for tho prison labor,
for tho erection of new shops, at a cost
of SO, 5O4.67; which was paid as follows:
Material from old shops, 5000; cash ap-
propriatcd at the last proceeding Session
for new blacksmith shop, 81, 800; pro-
ceeds Of judgment in favor of State
against contractors, s945. SO; the balance
Of 81, s59.0s to apply or the amount due,
or to become due, to the State, from tho
contractors for prison labor.
II is q matter of doubt whether had
the authority to make this contract; but
as the necessity appeared to be impera
tive, and as the contract could be made
without drawing from the Treasury any
money not appropriated by law, deemed
il my duty, having due regard to the in
terests Of our State, to make the contract
and did 80.
The new shops were completed in &C.
cordance with the terms of the contract,
and have been ever since in use. The
old shops were lilly arranged, inconveni.
ent aud unsightly, and, situated as they
were, near tho centre Of the prison yard,
interfered materially with the preser-
vation 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 as yet been
made under tho law passed at the extra
session of 1862, for re-letting tho convict
labor. Ihave very serious doubts wheth-
or it is advisable, at this time to re-. let
the whole Of the labor A large amount
of work must necessarily soon be done in
and about the prison. As our population
increases, the number of convicts will
increase, and of course there will be nee.
essarily an increase of cell room. This
hp h0I
advantageously, by building Warden's
house on tho foundation already laid for
that purpose, and using the part of the
main building now occupied by the War.
den, for cell room; and by raising the
roof end walls of the main building so as
TO receive two additional tiers of cells
The wall on one side of the yard has not
yet been built, and understand some
additional grazing is needed before it can
be. The convicts can do much of the
labor required for these improvements as
we'll as hired .aborers, and at much less
cost to the State. Should this policy be
adopted it may be necessary to employ a
few additional guards, but the additional
expense will be much less than the diff
ference between tho cost of convict and
other labor.
/ have not been able to give as much
time as | desired to supervising the af
fairs Of the prison for the last two years
but l am Of opinion everything has bee,
done by the Warden aud his subordinates
carefully, economically and well Tn
Warden's report contains full accoun
Of the receipts and expenditures, and
statement Of what is, in bis judgment
necessary to be done within the next tw
years. l invite your attention to thi
Report, and recommend the appointment
Of special committee to visit the prison
to examine the condition of the priso
buildings, for the purpose of detsrminin
the policy to be pursued in reletting tn
prison labor.
oBGAAIzIha AND iKMSG VOLUNTEER coMrAsIE
became satisfied during the earl
part Of last summer that designing me
in THE 40 in other loyoI St.tae NOR