The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-11-30

:. The Fenaseas&sry Hoard.
We respectfully suggest that .
change IS needed IN the msnner>o5
selecting, the Board Of Penisentiary
Directors, The Boasd for the past
two years has been composed al
most entirely Of members OF the
Legislature, these members living
in diiEaayat parts Of the State and
most Of them at . distance from
Colnmhss. There are three strong
objections, we thing, to this ar,
rangement. ass -.:os.,:..s
First The Consultation fosbids
that ona, .aan shall. hold more than
one oasce Of profit under the, State.
These directors who are memaers
Of, the Legislature draw, pay as
members. Of that body and also
draw pay at the rate Of s. per day
and 10 cents mileage each way IS
members Of the Board of Peniten-
tisry Directors, This is in viola
Eon Of the Constitution -;si.~ as~
Second. The Legislature is called
upon as 8 parsef its duty to- pass
upon: the actions OF the Board: OF
Direc5ora, The: majority Of. the
Penitentiary Directors, therefore
sic in judgment upon their action;
and the whole Legislature SITS {; IN
Judgment upon the actions, Of a
portion. Of that body-and TINS NE
do net think right or proper.
/; Third. The members Of the
Board being scattered about over
the State, cannot have the full and
accurate knoWledge OF the Peniten.
stiary afsire that wiz enable them
30 act insenigeatly and wisely in
the matter. Only a few months
ago the Board passed resolutions
aofceasnre against the Superintsnd-
.ens for moi: having sufficient num-
Der Of hands at work: on the Canal
Il turned out that the Board, and
not the Superintendent, Was to
blame. The Board had authorized
the Superintendent to establish 8
bHckyard, at o cost ISL 500, and
20 employ one hundred hands in it;
and shortly afterwards it tentered
into o contract with the Greenwood
& Lsurens 3, R. 10 furnish it one
hundred hands. 20 supply the one
hundred to She rail road it was Ne
csssary to take 8 portion Of the
number RON the Canal Aad when
this was done che Board eansured
she Superintendent iornot having
ona hundred and twenty hands on
the Canal. Al these facts appeared
in the Gol8mbis Register at the
time, and proved, that the. Board
had acted hastily snd iunadvisedly,
andthe Superintendent mas vindi.
Gated. 1ass...s:ts's o,sI2eage So.
The CONTRACT made by she Diree
tors with Mr.. Devereux. Of Charles
Con, regarding granite has cost the
State SfT,5Oo-and there has been
no return for il. And this contract
vas made against the earnest sd.
vice of the Superintendent assj
II is reasonable to conclude that
the Superintendent will know more
about how the Psnitentiary should
be, managed than men do whose
knowledge otis workings is neces-
ssarily ysry limited. ....,. ~. =,
The Board as at present consti-
tuted is somewhat expensive too:
Cor the past yesr the members have
been paidSl,3eo. - ..ra.. ~. ..
We believe the Board as at pres
ent constituted is a hindrance to
the efficient management of the
Penitsntiary. It would be well
enough and proper to have 8 super
visogy board or 8 board OF inspec-
tors to whom the Superintendent
should be required to make stated
reports, and having power to ap-
prove OF disapprove; and it would
be better If shis board were local,
with the Governor, Comptroller and
one or two other State officers
members OF il. No member Of the
Legislature should be q msmber Of
the Board.
Laurens farmers carried off $272
in nramirms sronn tha SfsfA Fair.