Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-12-06

tlentS is from 5O 10 bO. Inc SCaClSClcS Ol tIle
census of 1880 show that the rate of increase
will probably continue.
The General Assembly at the last session,
provided for the erection of an additional
building at a cost not to exceed $4,000, not
more than 100000 to be expended on it du-
ring the last fiscal year. The superinten-
dent reports that satisfactory progress has
been made in the erection of the building,
which, under the terms of the contract, must
be finished.not later than October !, 1884.
The report of the superintendent contains
tables showing the comparative cost, per
capita, of maintaining the insane in fifty
five asylums, in the country. 1t will be seen
from an examination of these tables that the
cost, per capita, in this State, which is about
$40 a year, is less than the average cost in
other Southern States, and much less than
the average cost in the other sections Of the
Union.
It is gratifying to know that while in the
cost of maintenance the Lunatic Asylum OF
this State ranks among the cheapest, in all
that pertains to the proper care and treat
ment of the insane it compares favorably
with the best institutions of this kind in this
country The expenseSof maintaining the
institution is heavy; but the true line of re-
titled to charity from becoming the benef-
ciaries of the State. The superintendent re-
ports that the Act to regulate the admission
of beneficiary patients, passed at the last ses-
sion Of the Legislature, has not produced
the results desired or expected. The powers
and duties of county officers under the Act
should be more clearly, defined, and penal
ties should be prescribed for failure on the
part of county officers to comply with the
provisions of the law. There was much de-
lay in obtaining reports from some OF the
county officers, and from three of the coun-
ties no reports were received during the year.
The plan of requiring each county to bear
the expenses of it's INDECENT insane in the
State Asylum would, at least, lead to more
careful scrutiny of the pecuniary condition
of each person claiming the charity of the
State, and thus reduce the number of bene-
ficiary patients If this change be made, l
would suggest that each county should be
required to pay into the State treasury the
amount necessary for the maintenance of its
insane paupers in the Asylum, instead of
imposing upon the officers of the institution
the duty of making collection from the coun-
ties.
The appropriation asked for is 1000.
This amount includes cost Of maintenance
and of completing the buildings.
PENITENTIARY.
The number of convicts in the Peniten-
tiary on the 31st of October last was $780, an
increase of 70 over the number reported at
the corresponding period of last year. Of
this number 55 were white and 841 colored.
The leases Of the convicts hired on one of
the railroads and on the Seegers farm will
expire within few weeks. The other leases
will expire in one and two years. If the hi
ring of convicts to contractors outside of the
prison walls is to be discontinued, it will be
necessary TO provide for increasing the ac-
| o1oti tha
penitentiary. There are now 250 cells COM
pleted, and in short time 81 more will be
ready for use, making 314 cells available.
These cells are designed to hold one prisoner
each, but when the convicts now employed
on one of the railroads and on the Seegers
farm are returned to the prison, it will be
necessary to put at least two in each cell.
Considerations of health, of safe keeping
and of proper discipline forbid the croWding
of convicts in the cells. l recommend that
authority be given to the directors to use the
the buildings. Unless this is done, or the
requisite amount for the construction of new
buildings be provided otherwise, it will be
necessary to continue the plan of hiring a
portion of the convctS to contractors outside
of the walls. Ihave given this matter much
attention, and I cannot too strongly urge
upon the members of the General Assembly
the importance of making such provision as
will at an early day permit the working OF
all the convicts under the immediate super
vision of the officers of the penitentiary.
The proper care of large bodies of prison.
ers requires vigilance, Judgment and expe-
rience. / am convinced that it is to the
want of these qualifications on the part of
contractors, rather than deliberate cruelty
or wilful neglect, that such evils as now ex-
ist in the system of leasing convicts in this
State are to be ascribed. To whatever
causes these evils are due, the results are the
same. The great object of prison discip-
line-the reformation Of criminals-cannOt
be accomplished when convicts are hired to
contractors, who fail, either from ignorance
or neglect, to perform their duties both in
in the spirit and the letter of the law.
The Penitentiary is not only self-Sustain-
ing, but source of revenue to the State.
With proper management it can and will be
made so in the future. But the institution
is designed to prevent and punish crime, not
to swell the public revenue. The increase
of revenue sinks into insignificance in COM
parison with the abuses which believe will
continue to exist while the cOnvicts are
hired to work beyond the control of the Off
GERS of the penitentiary.
The report of the board of directors will
furnish in detail statements of the manage
ment Of the institution during the last fiscal
year. The earnings during that time were
less than the amount reported for the pre-
ceding fiscal year. The decrease is due
chiefly to the fact that near the close Of the
last year the board of directors reduced the
hire of hands on the phosphate works $50
per- capita per annum, the estimated decrease
from this cause being from $4,000 to S15, 900
year. The balance of the earnings on
hand October 81, 1883, in cash and bankable
notes, was So, 1861.
The "Act to provide for the more speedy
development of the Columbia Canal" ap-
proved December %, 1882, required the di-
rectors to put the hands at work on the Ca
nal under the direction and control Of some
suitable and discreet manager.
In accordance with this provision Of said
Act the board of directors on the 7th of
March last selected the superintendent of
| the Penitentiary as such manager.
In the discharge of the additional duties
thus imposed upon him the superintendent
has displayed the zeal, energy and discre-
| ton which have marked his administration
of the affairs of the Penitentiary.
The report of the engineer will show the
| large amount Of work which has been done
upon the Canal and the satisfactory progress
which has been made. The original esti-
mate of the engineer was that it would re-
quire the labor of 225 able bodied hands for
three years and an expenditure of SSO, 900 to
complete the work. He reports that the
correctness of this estimate is confirmed by
his calculation based upon the work already
DONE 10 continue the work during the
present year, according to the plan already
pursued, will require an appropriation OF
$1,000.
| Til>o onr;naor ond tho maporor Of tho