The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-11-27

Extracts from the Biennial Report Of the
inspectors ana Warden

Extracts from the Biennial Report Of the
inspectors ana Warden
In June, 1889, the contract for new cell
building was awarded to the Northwestern Car
company for $49, 1856. The building is approach
ing completion, and is well built structure
containing 100 cells Of the most approved kind.
OF this contract $2S, 600 has been paid. The
main prison building has been rebuilt by the
inspectors themselves G. M. Seymour acting
as superintendent of construction and convict
labor being employed at the contract price,
As cents per day. The building is vast
improvement on the old one, having heavy
iron roof with iron rafters, and is almoS
absolutely fre-proof. The inspectors
recommend that all permanent buildings OF
the state be SO constructed The cost of thu
iron roof on the entire building, with the ole
cell building, was 900, the steam heating
about $1,000 and the rebuilding $2S, 600, max
ing total cost of not over $45, 600. The engine
and boiler house has been reconstructed COM
plete and fre-proof at a cost of ~, 700. The
amount of insurance collected on this was
1880 Since the fire, the insurance money
was used IN rebuilding and the earnings Of the
convicts have been allowed to stand as an offset
to an equal amount each month against the bllls
of the contractors 1t is hoped that the legisla-
ture will approve this action. The closest esti-
mate that now can be made to complete the work
is as follows. That to use all the earnings I'M
til Jan 1, 1885, and all appropriations author
lied by law up to July 81, 1855, there will still
inspectors anticipated at the time of the fire.
The financial difficulties of the car company
have not affected the contract Either party
has right to terminate the contract on Sept. l,
1887, by giving one years notice. The con-
tractors advise that the present contract be
30 1,n tai for Tho
ending July 81, 1884, were s33, 73a. To this
should be added the loss of IA, 49S days labor,
at 45 cents day, caused by the fire, amount
ing to $6,524, which would have made the
actual earnings at least $40, 600.
PARTIALLY SELF SUSTAINING.
The earnings of the next fiscal year will be
nearly, if not quite. $45, Goo Thus the prison
about two-thirds sustains itself, including all
expenses The last years record, not includ-
ings per capita, to be 1922 ~, and total expen-
ses per capita, $4,000 From this expense de-
duct amount of salaries per capita of S73. AZ,
and it is shown that each prisoner earns for
the state s122. 40, and 1t costs the state to
fssd f Gohs sm fGf hm Medicine Sf o
bacco and freedom suits when dis
charged, but s1O723, leaving a profit to the
state of $l5 Is per capita. Thus, aside from
salaries, the prison is self-sustaining. AS the
state increases in population the prison will
become self-sustaining IN the fullest sense
The combined pay of the three inspectors for
the last fiscal year was about 500 They
recommend that the board be allowed to use
the earnings of the prisoners until they can
pay the debts contracted in building-proba-
bly, about July 81, 1S65-or a special appropri-
alton be made of s12, 600, to be paid not later
than Feb. l, 1885 In conclusion the board
extends its thanks to the governor for aid
and counsel Warden J. A Reed, Deputy
Warden Abe Hall and subordinate officers
are complimented in the highest terms. A
copy of the contract with the car company If
appended The report of Warden Reed de-
tails infinitely the fires and attendant circum-
stances, all of which are familiar to the readers
of this journal. The completion of the new
cell building is very requisite, as now $50 pris-
oners is crowded into 296 cells. The warden
estimates that an appropriation of $4,000 for
1885 and 5000 for 1886 will be required
and that the earnings will be $4,000 for 1885
and $50 COO for 1886 There were confined u, al
Now there are $50 The highest number
reached was 36S. The increase of 50 during
the year is the largest in the prisons history.