Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-27
State Prison.

The following extracts from the re-
port Of the Warden and Directors Of
the State prison will show the cost to
the State of running that institution
over and above the receipt from the
products turned out of the workshops
Of the prison:
Total amount received by the War
den from all sources, during eighteen
months, ending September Both, 1875,
$74,945, 08.
Total amount paid on Indebtedness
contracted previous TO April 1st, 1874,
for land and right Of way for side
track, 81, 225, so.
Leaving the current expenses for
one and half years, $66, sos .06 or at
the rate of S44, 45.37 per year.
From this amount deduct the val
ue of goods and property on hand
September 30th, 1875, in excess of
that on hand April 1st, 1874, the bal
ance Of assets in excess of liabilities
on September Both, 1875, which will
show the cost to the State for one and
one-half years 10 be S24, 725. 81.
During the past one and half years,
there has been paid for new machinery
and tools, $696.70; for increased
amount Of clothing, beds and bedding
for prisoners. $1,743. 40; for burglar
PROOF safe, $4,000, which added to
the above balance, will leave the cost
for one and half years management
at S27, 665.65
In regard to removing the prison
to some other point the directors say !:
''The present location of the Prison
has been criticised as Objectionable to
it's self support, and it is the opinion
Of many that it can never become Iself
supporting, at it's present location !;
whether this opinion is well founded or
not can never be made apparent until
the experiment Of removal is tried.
AS an economic question for the State
regarding its removal, the officers of
the Prison do not hesitate to say, that
the interest on the money necessary to
be expended in it's removal will far ex-
coed any drafts from the State Treas
ury that may be necessary for its sup
port at its present location. The pres
ent Prison building and shops could
not be rebuilt anywhere for much Tess
than S300,O0O.OO, and in case of the
removol of the Prison, they would be
worth but little if an effort was made
to remodel them into an asylum for
the hopeless insane. as the State Board
Of Charities and Reform seems to free
ommend and advise. In case the
State should, in the future, determine
to construct such hospital, the Direc-
tors suggest that such hospital be To-
Gated at Waupnn, on or near the Pris-
on grounds, and built by the prison la,
Dor, and let the State Prison remain
where it is.
We clip the foregoing from the col
umns of the Green Bay Aduocate:
The arguments made by the directors
in their report against removing the
prison seem to US to be untenable i
not extremely trivial. They concede
chat the Institution is not self support.
ing, and admit that the question car
never be determined "until tie exper
iment Of removal is tried" This is 8
concession indeed. A test of any
question lies in its practical applica
ton; theories are only shadows al
best, but it would seem obvious to any
unprecedented mind that the remova
Of the prison to locality where the
convicts can be employed regularly anc
without obstruction in a paving EN-.
ployment, to the state, would result il
replenishing its depleted Golfers. Tha
such would be the natural result of The
removal Of the prison to the Granite