The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-01-21
STATE uoUsn OF CONTRACTION

The second annual report of the
board Of managers OF the State house
Of correction and reformatory at Ionia
for the year ending Sept. 80. 1873, has
Just been issued from the press OF w.
s. George a Co. II makes a neat pam
phlst Of 81 pages, which. besides the
report proper Of the managers, con-
tains the warden's, treasurers, chap
lain's, and physicians reports.
The managers OF this institution are
Hampton Rich, Of Ionia; Westbrook
Divine, OF Montcalm; and Thomas L.
Moore, Of Lenawee. They give brief
history of the location and erection OF
the buildings.
The Legislature Of 1877 appropriated
the sum of Sl41, 25S for building two
wings with cells, workshops, inclosure
walls, etc. This amount was expended
under the direction Of the Managers
Wherever it was practicable, the in-
mates were employed to do the labor.
The season was favorable for construc-
ton. The various buildings contemp-
lated by the plan have been completed
with the exception of one wing Of cells
and one section Of work shops. The
workshop is inclosed and in process OF
erection. The foundation is In for the
northwest wing Of cells, and large
portion OF the material necessary 20
complete it is on the grounds and paid
| for. The appropriation above mention
ed in the aggregate will complete all
the work called for. The appropriation
for seating the chapel, dining-room,
! furnishing cells, ETC., was found made
/ quate.
At the end Of the year the allowances
of the board amounted 10 Sll7, ,42l.24
aud the balances on hand in the various
/ funds amounted TO S24, 605. 08.
The continued depression IN the
/ general business interests of the coun-
try has rendered il very difficult 10 let
| the labor of the inmates on contracts
at any figure that would be remuner-
atiye TO the States. A force OF about 40
men was let on the work-train of the
Detroit, Lansing q Northern railroad
at 60 cents a day for each man. On
| Sept. II, a contract was concluded with
G. II. Fargo & Co., of Chicago, for the
| labor of 100 men, with the privilege Of
300, for the term of five years from
Jan. !. 1879, to be employed in the
manufacture Of boots and shoes, at the
rate OF 40 cents per day for each man.
/ They had the services Of 100 men from
/ Nov. /. 1873. 10 Jan. /, 1879, for in
struction, without charge.
Within the next two years the mana
gers think appropriations will be need
ed amounting in tie aggregate to Ss,-
/ ls4 so, for furnishing cells, kitchen,
etc.
For the purchase of additional land
contiguous TO the prison, TO be used
for agricultural purposes, the managers
ask the privilege of using the 1000 Of
the present appropriations. Most Of
/ the land near the prison is covered
with timber, especially for about half q
mile to the south. The clearing OF this
land would be very beneficial to the in
stitution in a sanitary point of view.
The managers recommend the repeal
I OF so much of the law governing the
| institution as relates to the furnishing.
/ by the court imposing sentence, OF an
abstract or copy Of the testimony given
aud the names and residences Of the
witnesses sworn IN the case. They say:
MANY of the courts, to avoid max
/
victed parties to the State prison at
Jackson, 20 await the chances of a
transfer TO Ionia. The probabilities are
that the convict is at once placed on
contract work, and when the opportu-
nity offers to transfer him, the state
ment il made that he is working on "A
contract and cannot be spared. The
authorities at Jackson are not RESPONSE.
bile for the action of the courts, and
must employ the men when received to
the best advantage; neither must con-
tractors be blamed for hesitating to
part with a convict after educating him
10 any part of their business. Ii also
has an Injurious effect upon the young
or class Of criminals, for whose benefit
this institution Was especially design
ed. They have taken their first step
in crime, aud have committed some
petty offense. At Jackson they come
ia contact with older and more harden
ed class of criminals, who lead them
still onward IN a career Of iniquity.-
4 Their minds are as susceptible 20 a
knowledge OF evil as of good, and the
bad seed sown is not without its
fruits.
Warden Grafton's report give in de-
tail the receipts, expenditures, and va
Z ried workings OF the institutions.
The property was invoiced az the
close OF 1873 at 1901, ,32917 against
| e19G, ,09l.36 in 1877. The net current
expenses for the year were S45, 74434;
the earnings for the year, 50, S92 81
leaving expenses in excess Of earn
ings S39, ,s5l.67.
The average daily number Of inmates
for the year vas little over 2l6; cost
for each inmate for the year Sl9s. AZ;
and average cost per inmate was lit
tie over "a cents. The total cost OF
feeding the inmates for the year was
SlO,04S 81, aud the daily cost Of feed
Jog each inmate was a little over II
cents.
The number Of prisoners at the close
Of the year was 233, the greatest num-
ber at the close of any day was 242.
aud the least number l36.
The total number received during
the year was 346. OF these 32l were
white. 13 negroes, 10 mulattoes. and 2
Indians. OF the total number, 81 were
temperate, 1877 moderate drinkers, and
liS Incorporate; 236 never learned a
trade. 4S were apprenticed and left,
and go had trades. 259 we're single,
G3 married, l3 married and separated,
IL widowers; 20l could read, write and
cipher, AZ could read and write, 81
could read only, 50 were illiterate. 1917
attended church regularly, and 225 ir-
| regularly; 1G7 had parents living, 81
parents dead, 46 father living, G6 moth
ers dead: the parents OF 1876 were tenn
perate. 33 parents Incorporate, AZ
fathers temperate; 36 fathers intemper-
ate; 50 mothers temperate, 26 mothers
Incorporate; the parents OF 2l7 were
pious, 93 parents not pious, father
pioHs, 81 mother pious.
OF the occupations represented, there
we're l27 laborers, AZ farmers, IA paint
ers, II carpenters, BARRIERS, tramps,
7 blacksmiths, and a few OF almost
every other avocation, the number
ranging from TO 6.
The table on nativity showed lis
from Michigan. rs from New York, "A
from Canada, 25 from Ohio, l3 from
Pennsylvania, II from Indiana, from
Germany, and other States aud coun-
tries had from 10 representatives.
The ages of the inmates ranged from
Is 10 y years, but 2SS Of them were %
years or under.
There were 347 convictions reported
among these prisoners for the year, the