The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-02-18
The Penitentiary and the Leasing
System.

EDITORS CLARIoN-As this is a question
of great Importance to our State, and is just
now attracting the earue-t attention of the
Legislature Is we'll aS The press, | propose
in a orict way, 10 deal with it-as simple
business problem, one of dollars and cents
to our State Treasury.
The present lessee, Col. Hamilton, states
in his comm. unication to the joint Commit
tee on the Penitentiary, published in your
issue of January 30:
"Our lease will yield to the State over
$40 1000, with no expense to her
Again, he says, liz same document;
The State will owe us, at the termina-
ton of-our lease, between $40, 600 and s25,-
600, according TO the law and the terms Of
our contract"
1t would appear, then, that instead OF
$4,000 of clear profit being realized
by the State, from the lease to Hamilton &
Co. that from $40, 900 to So, 900 will have
to be paid them from the State Treasury, at
the expiration of same, Jan. 1st, 1881. How
can We reconcile those two statements show
ing as they do, manifest discrepancy OF
from sixty to sixty-fve thousand dollars on
final settlement?
Referring, next, TO the annual report OF
the Superintendent, to be found in your
issue of Feb. Sth, we learn, under the head
of amount due the State by lessees under
the terms of the contract, and the amounts
of improvements, etc.
''By the terms of this contract of lease, the
lessees obligated themselves to pay the
State for all convicts over one hundred and
forty. Q40,) one dollar and ten cents per
month.
The total amount of funds accruing to
the State from date of lease, June 10Th,
1876, to January 1st, 1880, is S29,sS4 50"
"The total amount OF
| improvements and repairs contracted for
/ from date of lease To present time, is S25,-
/ S97 66."
/ In addition to the above bill Of repairs
and Improvements, he then makes total
/ of 81, S74 33 of permanent improvements,
which are to be accounted for at the expi-
ration of the lease.
In other words ''the total amount of
+ funds &ccruing to the State from the date
of lease to January l, 1850, are already alb
sorbed in "repairs and improvements" and
our State Treasury, has not to the present
time, and cannot hereafter receive one dol
lar in cash from this source. The large in
come which the State should receive from
one thousand able bodied hands, for the
four and half years embraced in this
lease, dwindles into the simple repairs and
/ improvements of our State prison, with a
contingent remainder of S20, 900 to go, 900
to be paid by the State, at the expiration
of the lease, to Hamilton Il Co.
But this is not all. By the terms of the
contract the lessees have the use during the
whole period of four and a half years of 40
adult laborers free of charge. Computing
the hire of such hands at ten dollars per
month"; or even at 800 per year-certainly
a reasonable estimate-we find the lessees
are enjoying an actual bonus of $40 per
annum, or a total of $56, 900 for four years,
whilst the State suffers an actual loss of a
like amount.
Is it to be wondered with these figures
confronting them, our Legislature should
pause before renewing or extending such a
lease; and consider if some plan cannot be
devised by which this valuable and increas-
ing fund of labor can be made a source of
revenue to our State, at the same time that
maintenance of the cOnyicts is provided for?
By creating Board of Public Works as
provided for in the bill yesterday, reported
/ from the Joint Committee on Penitentiary
and confding to their hands the manage
ment of our State prison and its convict
! labor, simple and efficient agency would
be established, and ut trifing expense to
the State, by which the Legislature would
! be relieved of this embarrassing and per-
| picking question, in future. Composed as
it should be, of good, practical business
men, they should certainly be able to So en-
| ploy and direct this labor as to make it n
source of considerable revenue to the State.
Should it be found impracticable or expen-
sive to employ it in building railroads and
levees, can they not hire out the convicts,
as is now done by the lessees, and make the
State the recipient of all profits, instead of
the lessees?
The objection urged by some, that the
plan proposed is an experiment and new de-
parture, is scarcely a tenable one in the
face of the facts above referred to, drawn
from the statements of the Lessees and the
Superintendent.
It's full time new departure were de-
termlned on, and no time seems more favor
able than the present; when nearly year
would be given the present Board to inform
themselves fully, mature their plans, and
on lst January next, assume the manage
ment of this institution, with the sole
object of not only making it selfsustaining
but source of income to the Treasury,
and general benefit to all our people.
COMMON SENSE.