Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-15

differ in their understanding of many of the
charges. For instance, the system is such
that while no frauds are positively proven to
have bsen enacted under it, certainly it may
be said TO make fraud possible and EASY
to be no good reason why "prison i'm
provements and general expense should
be coupled together as one ledger account of
prison improvements and general expense,n
IN such way as TO render it impossible to
segregate them. This account embraces al
| lowance to prisoners, transportation, postage,
kilograms, hardware, lumber. drugs, sta.
tlonery. iron, cement, and other things, nots-
bly, drugs and medicines, for which there is a
separate account kept. Again, tie receipts
from hired labor and those from the sale of
certain materials are coupled together in the
same doubtful way, in ledger account called
labor and merchandise" Bricks sold
and bricks used, is another couplet Of ques-
tionable propriety 4; also, "sslary aud mate
rial account" real eEtata and gas mains"
The object of bookkeeping is to enlighten and
not to confuse the understanding. The Di.
rectors were shown to have examined these
| books every quarter, and we hear of no OBJ
jections to this System of bookkeeping.
8. The Directors authorized the Warden
to pay each convict ten cents day for faith
ful labor. The amount go paid ia estimated
at the sum of 1926. 900 per annum. The Di.
rectors and other employees have neglected
and failed to report the Same. The Governor
is in profound ignorance of the amount SO
paid, the fund from which 1t was paid, and
to whom paid.
There are numerous other instances in
which business principles were ignored and
official propriety violated but it would be
tedious and improbable to fully enumerate
them all. Amongst others, the following
will be mentioned as constituting q part Of
the Irregularities referred to:
l. Notably, the report of the purchase of
two hundred and fifty tons of jute at one
| price, and the payment at another and greater
price.
2 The unrestraiued and arbitrary manner
in which the Warden is allowed to sell and
dispose of manufactured articles st the prison.
He sells by schedule prices, but have no iu-
formation that explains the correspondence
between the prices fixed and the market value
Of the property.
3. The mingling Of private interests with
State property, as the loaning OF convicts to
parties. outside of State business, to perform
labor tor private parties the keeping Of ani-
mails belonging to employees. and suhsisting
them upon the States forage q portion of the
time without charge failure to keep &C.
counts showing and reporting the net results
of the shops at the prison
There are many other Objectionable features
IN the management of the prison, but I
will abstain from a further enumeration of
them.
The Warden, J. P. Ames, was examined
several times, and at very great length.
Many Of these transactions he was unable to
explain satisfactorily. He usually shielded
himself by reference TO "lost table" which,
he says, was attached to one Of his reports.
He failed to produce copy, or show by any
other evidence besides his own, that any such
table ever existed. He vas very lavish in
quoting precedents of his predecessor, when
other expedients failed.
1t would require more credulity than I
possess to attribute all these irregularities to
or account for them by the lost table" or
the precedents of his predecessor.
l am of opinion that the Directors of the
State Prisons should, for the reasons herein
given, be removed.
Wherefore it is ordered snd directed by the
undersigned, the Governor Of the State of
California. that the Directors of the State
Prisons, to wit J. Il. Neff, William F. Nc
Mutt, A. Il. Chapman and G. W. Schell be,
and they and each Of them are, hereby re-
moved from the respective Offices they have
heretofore held of State Prison Director, and
discharged from all powers, duties and respon-
slbilities In any manner connected with the
said Offices. GEORGE SToNEMAN,
Governor of Californis,
Sacramento, September 13, 1883.
NEW DIRECTORS APPOINTED.
Upon the issuance of the above decision in
the case, four vacancies were created in the
Board of State Prison Directors, the only
remaining member being John Beggs, of Co
luss, who was appointed by Governor Stone.
man last January. The four vacancies were
filed yesterday by appointments, as follows
William J. Hill, of Monterey, vice Chap
man; G. P. Berry, of Suffer, vice Neff W.
G. Hendricks, of Butte, vice McNutt; Irving
M. Scott, Of San Francisco, vice Schell.
William J. Hill is Republican was .
member of the State Senate of 1880, elected
by the New Constitution party, and is editor
and proprietor cf the Salinas Inde1, pub.
lished at Salinas City. G. P. Berry, sg
is well known, is Democrat, and was q
member of the 46sh and 47th Congresses
from the Third District. Prior to that he
had represented Sutter county in the Legis.
lature, and was Speaker of the Assembly.
w. c. Hendricks is a Democrat, and was
formerly a member of the State Senate from
Butte county. Irving NJ. Scott is Rspub-
licaD. prominent business man Of San Fran.
cisco. and we'll and favorably known through,
out the State. From the best information
that could be obtained last evening, it was
thought that Mr.. Scott would noe accept the
position upon the Board.