The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-02-04
-
RATIONN rOR CRIMINALS.
Editor New Orleans Democrat

Editor New Orleans Democrat
have been greatly SURPRISED snt the
djscussjoh which occurred In hesHotise
or REPRESENTATIVES on Tuestlay 1ast, ID
fegardto the proposed redhotioh Of pay
70 ths Criminal sheri6 fog feeding
prisoners held In the Parish Prison,
Never has there been clearer demon
stratlon OF men wasting the public time
In discussing n matter Of which to take
the most charitable viewAthey know
nothing.
II seems that Mr.. Bower has intro
l,ced o bill reducing the cost TO tho city
of tho prisoners ration from sixty to
twenty-five cents per day, SO fur. 50
good. Mr.. Bower Is right. though no does
not go far enough.
Mr.. Keatihg, "a member of The com.
inittee which had had the BILL" said
the committee had no data on which to
form ~, idea vt the expense II feeding
city prisoners, but that they were upan-
imous In the opinion that IL Is "impos-
sible to keep n prisoner In good condi-
tioh on twentyailve cents n day" In the
country. t..
This exhibition Of ignoranee Of simple
things II deplorable. ~,
Mr.. Hahn said. ITO talk of feeding ~
man on twenty ilvc cents day Ia pre-
posterotts. Doubtless avaricous and
inhumaie ipen could be found to under
take the contract at any price"
Mr.. Dupre declared his belief that
sixty cents was cxtravagant. aud moved
to fix u at forty cents IN eurreney.
Mr.. +-f@ moved that the price be fixed
at thirty cents.
Another member moved for tlfty cents.
Mr.. Young thought two bills were no
eessary one for the city aud another
for the country. "a
At last. fmuabis dietuU the whole
matter was reforrod to the Jndiciary
Gotnmitteei
Well, ] will address myself 30 the Ju-
dietary Committee, ana give them some
items of Information.
In 1863, when tho army of tho United
States Government was In active fold
service, and when tho highest physical
development Of the soldiory was re-
qtired, tho ration was altered from that
0f 1861 and established as follows (sJee
Army Regulations Of 1869. page 244.) f
"a ration In the established allowance
of food for ono person. For the United
States Army II ts composed MS follows
Twelve ounces of pork or bacon. or. one
pound and four ounces of shlt OF fresh
beef one pound and six ounces If soft
bretd or flour, OF ono pound Of hard
bread, or one pound and fottr ounces Of
eornmeal and 10 every one hundred
rations, flftsen pounds of bears or pcs,s
aud ton pounds Of rice or hominy ten
pounds ri green coffee. or eight pounds
Of .onsted Tor ronstetl and groundJ cor-
foe. 0r, one pound md eight 0uflors of
ten fifteen pounds Of sugar. four quarts
of vinegar one pound and four ounces
OF adaipantiDe or star candles four
pounds Of soap, three pounds and
twelve ounces of salt: four Oonces III
pepper thirty pounds of potatoes when
practicable, and one quart Of mo
llsses.''
Now, let my man take this list Of ar-
ticles Of food and calculate tho cost to
my ono feeding ono hundred or more
men. and he Will find. beyond IL doubt,
that II will full below twenty-Hve cents.
For the prisoners Of the parish. not
IN active military duty. but positively
inert. make the following estimate for
The benefit of tho Judiciary Committee,
akibg the current prices of tho day: