Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-10-27
The .ss,c County Prison.

The .ss,c County PRISON.
Much public and private discussic
= has taken place in our midst durin
! the past six months with reference
the location of the building in que
ton. As we have no lots to sell nc
money 10 buy one, and therefore n
personal interest in the matter. W
may with propriety give our view
upon the vexcd question, and wi
, therefore proceed TO discuss it who'll
from financial point of view.
That the prison should be locate
near the Court House no one denies
but that it must be erected on tn
present site is not essentially neces
sary When disconnected, one, two
three or four squares off, it makes n,
difference. 1t costs no more, nor /
the risk any greater, to convey pris
oners this distance than TO bring then
from an adjoining lot.
Suppose the Commissioners proceed
to erect the new building on the ole
ground, what followsY We will hav,
no place to keep prisoners or convicti
for three years 10 come. They must b,
kept at Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg, oi
still farther off What will it cost the
taxpayers during this period to EN-
ploy the Sheriff and a half dozen
deputies to convey back and forth
from eight TO sixteen prisoners, from
four to six times year, during the
sittings Of the CourtY This cannot
be done for a trifle And then there
is no place TO keep them during Court
after they are brought hero. There
must be good round sum expended
to erect building to contain them,
as they cannot be kept in the court.
room. This arrangement alone will
cost thousands of dollars.
This is not ALL A Sheriff's s residence
must be procured for at least a similar
period, at a cost of not less than 5000
per annum; with a large amount of
other incidental expenses not dreamed
of now.
Again, il is stated that the present
site can be sold for 5000 after the
new prison is completed. If this is
true, why not erect the new structure
in the upper Park, which would not
cost the taxpayers one cent? Where
is the individual who would fail TO
make an exchange of this kind on his
own hook Besides, the latter is by
far the best location. The question of
keeping up drainage, and the case by
which water can be secured, alone, in
in our view, is enough 10 produce a
change. We are aware that an obiec.
ton is made to erecting the prison in
the Park, upon the ground that the
County Commissioners have no title
to the premises. This is true, but it
will cost nothing to secure one through
tho Legislature, from the fact that It
is every taxpayers interest to get a
prison lot for nothing, sell the old one
for large sum and apply the proceeds
towards the erection of the now one.
besides saving at least $4,000 in Incl.
dental expenses. Men are not often
found acting against their own fnnn-
cial interests; never in cases of this
kind, unless they are wholly personal
in their motives, and ,hen they are ofl
no public consideration, and need only
be probed a little to reveal their nast |
ness Public interest should first be
consulted upon this question, and i'll
private interest is adjusted by this
standard, then neither will receive
injury.
Citizens of this borough, more high
ly endowed with private than public |
interests, have the right to object to
our views and designs, but no one else
has, hence we propose to compromise
with such. Our borough is very much
in need of a good lookup or local
prison. Now, why not allow the
County Commissioners to erect their
building on the Park, and in oonsid- |
Grafton for our title erect jointly
complete lookup on the same groundY
A building of this kind must be built
ere long by our borough authorities,
and where else will they locate itY
II they are compelled to buy a lot
and then erect the building, it will be
found TO be very expensive. Besides,
a county prison and a lookup can
both be erected in the Park in quos-
ton, and still be ample room for a
promenade ground. Moreover, the
Commissioners propose to erect a
prison that viii be an honor to the
county and an ornament to the town,
IL properly located on the bank Of the
river and disconnected from other
where the cost of water and
drainage will not amount TO the inter.
est, if located on the old sile. And,
better than all, zen thousand dollars
saued 10 the Taxpayers, and not a dol.
lar lost to a single individual.
Such are our views. If they are
ovor-drawn, or entirely theoretical, lei
some practical-minded writer over.
turn them. Tho columns Of the Re.