The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-10

The average number OF prisoners I'm this In
sttguon curing the year 1870 was four nun.
i've hundred and thirty-one. On the 18TH of
June, 1875, Colonel shuler,. warden, Captain
resigned their several offices and were sue
ceeded 10y Captain Andrew j. Howard as
garden, John Craig as deputy warden, and III.
Il. sage rs clerk. The prison was at that time
in many respects In = bad condition, as APP
pears by the reports Of the directors aad pres
had 10 be made and the prison supplies we're
exhausted. The convict labor of the prison
was then employed under contracts with the
Southwestern car company AT sixty cents per
day. That company was then insolvent and
in arrear with the state i'm the sum OF S22,-
lZ3.bS. That Indebtedness has since been con-
tested upod the ground that the discipline OF
the prison had not been maintained the
contracts required, and that therefore the labor
wa, less valuable. The question OF liability is
pending In the Clark circuit court. SubSe-
quently the company made further defaults In
payment for the labor, and by virtue OF pro-
vision In the contracts they were, on the 10th
| OF January, 1876 declared Cancelled. The car
company has gone into bankruptcy. The at
tOrneys for the state claim that II a judgment
be recovered for the balances upon the labor IL
may be collected as preferred claim under
pany left the entire labor OF the prison unem-
ployed Every effort was made by the directors
and warden TO obtain employ MT. On the
! 2lst OF March, 1876, contract was made under
| which twenty men have been employed. The
residue of the prisoners remained unemployed
| a contract was made for the employment
! of four hundred men, at forty
hnndred c-s That Work reonired abo,, Oh ~ rs
months for its completion. Perrin, Gaff & Com
pany have since contracted for the labor as
| 1876; one hundred nom December /, 1876; one
| hundred from January -, 1877, for i've years
at iorty-nNe cents per day; an 10 De employed
| In the manufacture of shelf hardware. These
are advantageous contracts on the part of the
| state, because they are made with parties OF
ample means and established character, and
because the business will not come I'm con-
4 fiict with outside labor. The shops used in
| the manufacture of cars We're not suited TO
| the new work nor adapted to the compli-
| Gated and costly machinery being erected for
its prosecution. The machinery will rep
resent nearly one-half million dollars. The
| great cost of preparation for the new work is
an assurance to the state of permanent en-
| Ployment for the prisoners. More than one
hundred men hit for work yet remain idle.
/ Could all be employed at forty cents per
| day the institution would meet its ordi-
nary expenses at reduced cost of supplies
| Expensive repairs Were made and adj
ditional shop room provided for the new ma
chlnery. That work required large ex-
ness OF the prison at the time of Colonel
Shulers resignation was s57 ,2T7.l4. The pres
ent warden has paid thereon Sl3 23i.2l. The
Indebtedness which has since accrued in con-
sequence of improvements made and want of
work for prisoners is s6i,297.6S. For further
details refer you 10 the reports and ask your
attention to the recommendations made by
the directors and warden.
HOUSE OF REFUGE.
concur in the recommendation Of the COM
missioners for the purchase of additional farm
the boys and 10 provide supplies for the insti-
tuition. ! understand that the purchase can
now be made upon iavorable terms l also
preparation be made sufficient for the con-
struction of chapel and hospital. The COM
missioners estimate that il will require 5000
to construct the chapel and hospital and make
improvements i'm the other buildings neces-
sary TO give proper ventilation. lam gratited
penses for the next two years are upon a re-
duction of % per cent call your attention
to the report of the superintendent, which
gives most satisfactory statement of the gen.
eral management of the institution, and also
of the details of its management and expen-
ditures.
THE REFoRNAToRY INSTITUTION FOR WOMEN
AND GIRLS.
The repairs and improvements upon the
building and grounds contemplated by the APP
preparation of March r. 1875, have been COM
pleted The work has cost more than was
estimated, and the excess over the appropria-
ton has been paid out OF the appropriation
for expenses. The managers believed them
appropriation because the improvements
upon the adjoining streets and the cOnstruc-
ton of a portion of the fence required the
found that the symmetry of the work, well
as economy in its prosecution, required that
pleted together. The greater part of the work
Inside the building, providing adequate drain
age sewerage and an improved mode of
heating, may be claSSed among the necessary
expenses of the institution, because they were
REQUIRED to preserve the health of the inmates
For full statement and description of the
improvements made and the cost thereof,
refer you 10 the reports of the managers. The
management of the institution under the
charge of Mrs. Smith, as superintendent, has
been in a high degree successful. Its influence
is seen in the Improvement In the character
and conduct of the inmates of both the penal
and reformatory departments. The exDendi-
lures for the ordinary expenses have been
carefully and economically made.
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
call your attention specially to the finan-
cial report of the secretary of the board, and
to communication by the president, secre-
tary and treasurer 10 myself, touching
the condition OF its financial affairs, which
/ lay before you, ! need not say TO you that
the board of agriculture is an institution in
which the people take great interest. II is in
tended to promote their welfare by the en-
of the state IL Should be sustained. If posi-
BILE. do not favor making IL burtneD upon
the state treasury, or encouraging its manage
The ia fairs oA and pe8Ribitions are nsefui
mainly because they are maintained
by the voluntary, efforts OF tie
the board is the result of causes not likely
again TO occur, and the relief required is tenn
sSsoyooO. Its inde6tedness is $50 500 I can not
say that mistake, or acknowledgement,
may not have contributed somewhat
greater part it is attributable TO causes which
the board could not control. In 1873 the board
undertook the construction upon the fair
grounds of a spacious structure for a state ex-
position, Responsible citizens of Indianapo-
lis gave their guaranty for $4,000 against
loss II was not supposed that its construc-
ton would cost more than that sum. In my
message 10 the last legislature said of that
enterprise: 1.-THE most important move
ment OF the board during that
period 1873 has been the cree
ton upon the state fair grounds of a beau
tiful and spacious structure for a state exposi-
ton. To induce the board to enter upon that
work four hundred and twenty OF the BUSINESS
o the city of indianapolis gave their |
guaranty in the sum of 100000 against loss.
The guarantors have paid a large sum upon
the cost of construction. The exposition has |