The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-01-14

VIII bring, without opportunity Tor delay OF
redemption. while, on the other band, the non-
resident l.ndholdsr may avail himself of long
delay, and. ii what is claimed be true, escape
any fennlty for his neglect and in the end
wholly avoid payment, shifting the burden OF
his taxes back upon others who have timely
paid their fair share of the puilic dues. Tins
works great injustice and sery, = to Discriminate
against prompt taxpay,rs und makes the law
subject of comment and complaint. IL should
be iemodied by compelling NONRESIDENT land
holders TO pay their taxes within reasonable
time or lose their nds.
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
! IL il 90 me source OF gratihcstlon 10 be
able to inform you that all OF the State nst-
tutOns arc III satisfactory condi-
| ton, and are doing the work for
which they were designed in an excellent man
ner. Without exception they have lived with
ing the means provided for them, not running
in debt nor anticipating appropriations. The
public buildings have been well cared for and
no damage from fire or otherwise has befallen
any of them. The treatment of persons COM
mltted to the charge of the State by reason of
crime, misfortune or dependency has been
humane and judlcious, and generally attended
with good results.
1t i, made the duty of the Board of Correc-
tons and Charities TO inspect and report upon
the condition of the penal and charitable lnsti-
tutions of the State. In addition to this, IL
should be required to examine Into their wants
port TO the Governor III writing at the close of
each fiscal year preceding the session of the
Legislature a statement of the appropriation
thus sought, with the reasons therefor. and
their own opinions and conclusions relating
thereto. Such action, by dislntercsted board,
would greatly aid the Governor in JUDI ing upon
the amounts and merits OF appropriations that
he II called upon To recommend TO the LeSls-
lature.
| desire also to call attention to the fact that
institutions shall be made at q time and 10 an
authority different from others. This needs
correction They should all be made TO the
Governor at the close Of the fiscal year.
STATE PRISON.
The management OF the State prison Is highly
credtable. Daring the year ending Sept. 30
it, earnings were so ,6l2.0l over and above all
current expenses. The Oily average of con-
victS throughout the year was Sl3, and the
whole number in confinement at the end there
of 77S. Notwithstanding the numb,r OF prison.
crs il considerably IN excess of the
capacity Of the prison, all have been well cared
for. The discipline has been good, ana the
eStablishmtn MT conducted systematically and
without nreguarity or disorder. Provision
has recently been made for prison school. A
teacher has been employed, and convicts who
need it will be instructed III the elementary
branches of learning. IL liz expected that the
influence of this training will produce good
: degree Of int, lectual and moral Improvement
upon such NJ receive its benefits. The LegiS-
lature. at its last sesson, authorized the pur-
chase OF certain land adjoining the prison, if
the Governor and Il ard of State Auditors
should, OH examinat on, certify that 1t con-
tanned coal in quantities sufficient to make IT
IN object for the State to buy IT. An exam
nation was made by experts, who reported
the presence of coal in such quantities. The
land WAS accordingly purchased, and the result
thus far has equaloi the expectations ana
proved profitable to the prison in furnishing it
with an abundant supply of fuel.
STATE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
| The current expenses of the State House of
Correction ut Ionia for the past year were
Si7,279.7l, aud the earnings s3l Ala II. leaving
tue institution n net cost to the State of
$3.50 "a. The earnings include work done
on permanent improve monts To the build ny
AMI grounds, embracing labor IN the
cons ruction of n new block of cells
and lsrJe brick shop, with the cltar'ng
and grading of land, and work of similar
character. Soon aft-r the institution opened
: it seemed beset with difficulties There was no
opportunity for contracting the lalor of the in
mates most of the officers were inexperienced.
, and chickering's, jealousies and want OF harmC ny
in the management made the outlook exceed
: ingly unfayorable. BIT am glad to say that
all this has been corrected, and that it's affairs
now move along smoothly with favorable
prospect that it may soon tie made self-support-
ing, ~ well as valuable factor for the i'm
provcment and reformation of offenders. There
has been large i'll rea 80 in the number OF in
mates received within he past year. The daily
average nnmb, + was 3S3, maintained at year.
ly cost per cdpia OF 1886.
Imperfectons III the law seem TO make the
term for whoa Justices of the Peace may COM
m I offenders to this institution uncertain.
, There il also want of clearness in defining the
class of persons who may be committed, tke
loose VOID Ing of the law leacing some magis-
tratcs to suppose they have juils fiction o seq
teucc female couviots thereto. These defects
III the statute need correction. i venture, also,
/ 10 cal your attention TO an abuse resulting
from the faculty afforded inferior courts 10
sent nee persons Onyictcd of trivial faults to
! imprisonment in this establishment. Migrants,
beggars drunkards and hayward boys are fire.
quently arrested and summary committed
thereto, large y, / apprehcnd, to enable Ju,tices
of the Peace and con>taDles TO profit by the
fees they obtain therefor. THUS great niu-t.cc
Is pract ced upon men under the form OF law,
/ and the publ; made liable for unnecessary and
un ust charges. III man III part Cf the
, State remote from Ionia IL arrested ana sent
to the institution, the expense of conveying
h M, and of the officer III whose charge he
Is brought. as well ~ tho cost of board
and clothing, ard the charge of returning
HIM at tine expiration Of his sentence. Is lul-
posed upon the State. If his Imprisonment Is
but for Il short time, his earnings will not equal
the outlay, and the term is insufficient 10 work
is bill of expense to the State, and of no
tenefit 10 INN. The cost of taking and sup-
porting such persons III the institution last
year amounted TO $40 100 81. Financial con-
siderations, Therefore, as well aspersona rights,
, demand that some proper restraints be laid
upon magistrates to Lrevent the indiscriminute
sending of such persons 10 this prison. Right
H. re | desire to saw that / am informed that the
aggregate charge for transporting convicts to
our prisons might be materially les>encd, if
aprha ,x-taf.1
at about the SINE time, were brought to prison
together. IL would seem an though one gu1rd
was all that was neccssarY to the safe cow, V
ance OF two or mere manacled prisoners. A
compaii on of the amount pad for transport
ing prisoners for the last two years shows that
the cost in 1880 nearly doubled the amount paid
IN 1879. If the policy Of making the State pay
this expon' 80 liz to lie continued. | suggest that
an experienced officer of the prison TO which
the convict IL sentenced be sent 10 bring
linn 10 the place OF confinement. Such an Off
Ger would be allowed simply the actual cost OF
conveyance, ant i am advised that in States
whore this plan il adopted here is a great
saving n compared With others in which the
lot.aI nff ID. fiji