Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-06

slja.36s $lll5.9
Here, then, is an apparent difference of
S53,9jl in less than five months, of which
$50, $50 is reduction in the valuation OF the
stock on hand, and S23, l0l is change in the
balance of notes and accounts payable and
receivable.
Let us first examine the process by which
the valuation of the stock has been cut down
The commissioners ''shrink" the
Carriage department, s2I6ss 81 = ~ per cent
Harness department 2,126 10 = &c
ShOelnaking department, l,111 Gj - %
Expense (lcs- value of en-
Clothing. 2.o.3 is 40
Now it has cost for clothing the convicts
which includes bedding
In 1875 with 100 convcts s2,l79 60
In 1877 with les convicts 2,4iJ 81
In ISIS with I'll convicts, 1853 80
But with this shrinkage of valuation, when
you add what has been purchased for that de-
partment since Dec. LIST, it will have cost over
$500 to clothe the convicts little more
than one-third of a year.
Take for another illustration of the absurd
ity of this valuation, the harness department.
About 3s men were employed in that bust
ness last December, and are now; and
and they require about so much stock
on hand to keep them at work, and then
now the orders for harnesses were ahead, so
that there was very little finished work on
hand. The commissioners reduce the valua-
ton of that department from S7,959.GO, as
made by the inspectors, to S5,033.50,-a re-
duction of 81, 92G. 10. That, with the amount
charged to that department less the credit.
would show that instead of earning anything
the men are destroying property to the amount
of nearly $4,000 in four months. That of
course cannot be, as the overseer of that de-
higher salary than any other oyerseer at the
prison, and he would not thus sacrifice the
public property.
These two departments are fair sample of
the whole, and will give you an idea of the
way the appraisal is made up.
Then the commissioners allude to 81 800
worth of property in the hands of agents,
which they carefully omit to reckon as assets.
They assume that there should be allowed to
persons who have claims against the prison
SO, 439. PC for interest, but ignore the fact that
at least the notes due the prison bear interest.
There is certainly as much interest due the
prison as there is justly due creditors, or that
need be paid them. The commissioners even
go out of their way to insinuate that some
81 $50 worth of notes are missing, ''except a
small part of it, which is perhaps explained
by memorandum on the note book, ndicat-
ing that some of the missing notes are in the
hands of agents" If they had added the
memoranda, they would have found every
thing accounted for. At least that was the
case few days before left the prison.
If the So 439 added arbitrarily for interest
and the 81 800 admitted to be in the process
of collection be deducted, as is only right and
l0l in the balance of notes and accounts, there
remains $40, 1872 to be accounted for. But it
cost to support the prison last year S32 .2ll, 50
equal to SSS.25 per day, which for the 40
days from the lst of December to the 10Th of
April (Which is the date of the commissioner
report although they were not at the prison
until the 25th) would amount to Sl2, $50
Note also, that this was the most expensive
portion of the year to support prison, the
season when the earnings are least, and this
year less than ever in consequence of the I'M
certainty about change of wardenship.
| suppose moreover, that there were in
fact several thousand dollars more of
stock on hand when Mr.. Toman took charge,
than at the date of the inspectors report.
There always has been more property on
hand in the spring than in December, and
very much doubt whether valuation and
schedule of it all was made by these commits
sioners
But this farce is no new getting up. 1t is
only repetition of an old performance. In
April. 1855, Mr. Bennett was removed and
Mr.. Xix appointed warden, and commission
} was then appointed to appraise the stock
and reduce the valuation made by the in
spectors in December previous, 30 per cent.
In the fall, when the inspectors made their re-
port, the valuation was put back again. Then
in March, 1856, Gov. Wells re-appointed Mr..
Bennett and appointed commissioners who re-
duced the valuation AZ per cent, but it was
increased again in the December following,
and suppose this kind of business will be
continued so long as the people are willing to
pay the bills.
But | have written much more than l in
tended. l have done the best could for the