The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02


steady, healthful and useful employment so
necessary for the attainment of the great oo.
Jcct Of prison discipllnc-thc reformation OF
this matter, and believe that the authorizing
of the board to take contracts for work, anu
the purchase of land to be titled by convlcts,
will certainly increase the revenues OF the
prison, and may possibly lead to the complete
abandonment of the lease system, which has
produced so many evils. These evils, which
arc inSeparable from the lease system, cannot
be wholly prevented when convicts are hired
to contractors, whose object must always be
to secure the largest profits possible, without
regard to the motives which Influence hu-
manc and enlightened Government In pun
iShing those who nave violated its laws.
The establishment of a reformatory institu-
tion for Juvenile criminals is a matter which
should engage the attention Of the General
Assembly. The financial CONDITION OF the
State may not warrant the establishment OF
such all Institution at this time, but, AS part
prevention of crime, it should be established
the Pententiary IN 1868, to October 81, 1885, the
number of convlcts under fifteen years OF age
was 223. There is no record to show how
many of similar age have served sentences IN
youthful prisoners first lesson in crime may
be made to serve as q warning against further
violations Of law, but a jail or penitent1ary,
ual criminals must be allowed, is for the
young but training school In vice. 1t is un-
auestfonably true that many violations of law
by juvenile criminals arc not reported De-
are unwilling to prosecute the youthful Offend
ers; who If convicted must be punished by in
carccration In the Penitentiary or In county
Jail.
The Canal.
The work on the Canal has been greatly re-
tarded by the embarrassed condition Of the f.
nances Of the Peni.entiary, The board OF al:
l. Win ri irnf tad q
pend during the year 1885, for the employment
Of skilled labor and engineers, and for the pur-
chase of machinery and materials, and for
other proper disbursements, S15,D0 OF the In
come of the Penitcntiary over and above the
amount necessary for the support and main-
tenance of said institution"
Early in the year it became evident that the
income Of the Penitantiary,. over and above
the amount necessary for its maintenance,
would be much below the amount which the
law authorized the board Of directors to ex-
pend on the Canal, and the appropriation for
chat purpose was gradually diminished. At q
directors notified the engineer and the man
ager Of the Canal that, for want Of funds, 1t
might be necessary TO dispense with their Ser
vices after the lst Of, the following month; On
that his services would be dispensed with after
the 18th of that month, and informed the
manager that his salary would be reduced
four forcmcn then allowed, he would be per-
mittcd to employ two at $40 month each.
The finances Of the Penitentiary would not
the board Of directors determined to prosecute
the work as vigorously as possible, not only
for the purpose of protecting that portion OF 1T
already completed, but also because they
would thus be enabled to give employment TO
a large number of hands, who would other
wise have been kept closely confined In idle
ness-a result which would have been iniur-
ous to the health Of the prisoners and prcjudi-
cial to the discipline of the institution. 1t was
not practicable for the hoard of directors to
make any expenditures for the purchase of the
tools and materials required for the work. The
city council of Columbia offered to make ad-
vancns for the purpose and the board OF drcc-
tors accepted the offer, it being understood that
no obligation WAS incurred for the rcpaymtn nj
of any portion of the sum SO advanced. Hur,
ing the last fiscal year the amount EXPENDED
on the Canal by the board of directors was So
i02.5S; the amount advanced by the city colll-
ell Of Columbia, from May IS to October 81,
was 81, $3.50, making the total expenditures on
the Cana! since the last report Slo.3l.SS.
The present manager OF tie Canal entered
upon, the discharge OF his duties on the ISL OF
March last. The means ut his command were
inadequate for the purchase of the requisite
tools and materials, and for the employment
Of as many skilled fOrpmcn rs were needed
for the proper direction Of the hands employ
cd, but, under the circumstances, the pros res'
made has been satisfactory. The daily average
Of hands of ali classes employed on the Canal
during the year was about A5.
The manager states in his report that, in his
opinion. more than half of the work necessary
for the completion of the Canal Is already hn-
ishcd.
If the work be even temporarily abandoned
now, that portion already completed at heavy
cost would be liable to serious injury from
freshets In the river, and the hands engaged on on
the Canal would he without employment. In
view Of these facts. as well as Of the advan-
tages 10 be derived from the Canal when conf
pletcd, recommend that the Acts now IN
force authorizing the employment of labor on
the Canal be continued, and that such sum be
appropriated rs may be necessary to ensure
the strady progress Of the work during the
year. There being no engineer now in charge
of the Canal am unable to give estimates o.!
the amount OF money necessary TO continue
the work.
The services of an engineer arc needed to
prepare plans and drawings and to inspect the
opinion. will not hereafter demand all of the
time Of an engineer, and the services required
can therefore be obtained ut lower rate OF
compensation than that heretofore allowed.
The Lunatic Asylum.
At the beginning of the last fiscal year there
were G3S patients in the institution and fifteen
absent on trial. During the year nc We're ad-
mitted, making the whole number under
treatment $50.
At the close Of the year there were COS pa
ticnts present and fifteen absent on trial. 1t
will be observed that the number of patients
WAS IWtIlly y-LllItC lCSS ut CiN NI lAS
beginning Of the year. This decrease has
probably never before occurred in the history
of the institution. For the last seven years
there has been an annual increase of about
forty patients. This reduction is attributable
to two causes: lst, The number of admissions
was seventy-seven less than last ycar-the re-
suit. In great measure, of the Act passed at the
last session of the General Assembly requiring
more rigid examinations for commitment ;
and, I'd, Seventy Of the imbecilc class, who
were believed to be harmless, were rcmandcd
to the care of their families, or Of the commits
sioncrS of their counties. The report of the
superintendent calls attention to the difficulty
of Thus diSpusing Of the ilnbecile patients,
who invariably accumulate in the Asylum be-
cause of the inadequate provision for their Gus
tOdy in the county poor houses. The large
centre building Of the Asylum was completc'l
during the year. and it is now occupied. 1t is
not probable that the State will ever again be
the use of tho insane. The condition of the fl
nanccs Of the Asylum is highly satisfactory
The increase In the number Of pay patients,
the low prices Of some Of the leading supplies,
ed in the saving of a. considerable amount
from the last appropriation. The whole appro-
priatinn asked for Is S31,DO0 less than the
amount appropriated last year The rtSu!t OF
There have been no epidemic diseases; no case
Of suicide Or of homicide has occurred; the
death rate has been reduced nearly one-half ;
there has been some increase In the percentage
of recoverics; a number of permanent inn
provemcnts have been made and the instiu-
tion, in all its departments, has been kept in
| thorough repair. The liberal appropriations
| by the General Assembly have enabled the
board of regents and the officers Of the inStitu-
tion to keep abreast of all the advances made
in the care and treatment of the insane. and
the present condition Of the Lunatic Asylum.
| in its appointments and in its general manage
mcnt, entities it to rank with the foremost in
stitutions of its kind in this country.
The Department Of Agriculture.
| The annual report of the department of az
| rinnltire for lSE5 includes the rnN0rtS of 1ln