The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-12-03

institution for Juvenile criminals is a
matter which should engage the atten
tion 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 Of
q general scheme for the punishment and
prevention of crime, it should be estab.
lished as soon as practicable. From the
opening of The Penitentiary in 1868, to
October 81, 1885, the number of convicts
under fifteen years of age was 223.
There ia no record to show how many Of
similar age have served sentences in the
County jails. b. proper punishment the
youthful prisoners first lesson in crime
may be made to serve as & warning
against further violations of law, but
Jail or a penitenliary, in which promis-
cuous association with habitual criminals
must be allowed, is for the young but a
training school in vice. 1t is unques-
tiopably true that many violations of law
by juvenile criminals are not reported
because persons having knowledge of the
crimes ere unwilling to prosecute the
youthful offenders, who, if convicted
must be punished by Incarceration in the
Penitentiary or in County Jail.
THE CANAL.
The work on the Canal has been great
ly retarded by the embarrassed condition
of the finances of the Penitentiary. The
board of directors were authorized and
directed to expend during the year 1855,
for the employment IF skilled labor and
engineers, and for the purchase of ma
chinery and materials, and for other
proper disbursements, $4,000 of the in.
come of the Penitentiary over and above
the amount necessary for the support
and maintenance of said institution."
Early in the yesr it became evident
that the income of the Penitentiary,
over and above the amount necessary for
its maintenance, would be much below
the amount which the law authorized the
board of directors to expend on the
Canal, and the appropriation for that
purpose was gradually diminished, at
a meeting held on the I'd of April the
board of directors notified the engineer
and the manager of the Canal that, tor
want of funds, it might be necessary to
dispense with their services after the lst
of the following month. On the 9Th
of MAY the board notified the engineer
b that his services would be dispensed With
after the 18th of that month, and in.
formed the manager that his salary would
be reduced from S100 to SIS month,
and that, instead of four foremen then
allowed, ne would be permitted to EN-
ploy two at $40 a month. each. The
finances of the Penitentisry would not
permit . larger expenditure for the
Canal, but the board of directors deter
mined to prosecute the work as vigorous
ly rs possible, not only for the purpose
of protecting that portion OF it already,
completed, but also because they would
thus be enabled TO give employment to
large number OF hands, who would other
wise have been kept closely confined In
idleuess-a result which would have been
Injurious to the health of the prisoners
and prejudicial to the, discipline of the
institution. 1t was not practicable for
the board of directors to make any ex-
penditures for the purchase OF the tools
and materials required for the work.
The city council of Columbia offered to
make advances for the purpose, aud the
board of directors accepted the offer, it
being understood that no obligation was
incurred for the repayment OF any por'
ton of the sum SO advanced. During
the last fiscal year the amount expended
on The Canal by the board of directors
WAS *8, 4O2.5S; the amount advanced by
the city council Of Columbia, from May
% to October 81, was 81 l,S99.3O, making
the total expenditures on tho Canal since
the last report S10,301.8S.
The present manager of the Canal en-
tered upon the discharge Of his duties on
the 1st OF March last. The means at his
command were inadequate for the pur-
chase of the requisite tools and materials,
and for the employment of as many
skilled foremen as were needed tor the
proper direction of the hands employed,
but, under the circumstances, the pro-
gress made has been satisfactory The
daily average of hands of all classes en-
ployed on the Canal during the year was
about 245.
The manager states in his report that,
in his opinion, more than half OF the
work necessary for the completoniof the
Canal is already finished. .
If the work be even temporarily aban-
doned now, that portion already COM
pleted at heavy cost would be liable TO
serious injury from freshets in the river,
and the hands engaged on the Canal
would be without employment. In view
of these facts, as we'll as of the advan-
tases to be derived from the Canal when
completed, I recommend that the Acts
now in force authorizing the employ
ment of labor on the Canal be continued,
aud that such sum be appropriated as
may be necessary to ensure the steady
progress of the work during the year.
There being no engineer now in charge
of the Canal / am unable to give estl-
mates of the amount of money necessary
10 continue the work.
The services Of an engineer are need
cd to prepare plans ana cravings ana m, w
inspect the work as it is finished. These
duties, in my opinion, will not hereafter
demand al! of the Time of an engineer,
and the services required eau therefore
be obtained at lower rate of compensa'
.ion than that heretofore allowed.
THE LuNAT1C ASYLUM.
AT tho beginning Of the last fiscal
year there were 628 patients in the ia
s.itution and fifteen absent or trial,
During The year PIG were admitted
making the whole number under tieat'
ment $50.
At the close Of the year there were 500
PATIENTS present and fifteen absent on
trial. It will be observed that the nnm-
ber of palieuts was twenty. less at
the end than at the beginning of the
year. This decrease has probably never
before occurred in the history of the in
stitution. For the last seven years there
has been an annual increase of about
forty patients. This reduction is attrib-
utable to two causes 1st, The number
Of admissions WAS seventy'seven less
than last year-.he result, in great meas
ure, of the Act passed at the last session
of the General Assembly requiring more
rigid examinations for commitment;
md, I'd, Seventy of the imbecile class,
Who we're believed to be harmless, were
,emand~l to the care Of their families, or
Of :he commissioners of their counties.
The report of this superintendent calls
...t:s - ,l,o ,l;U;nnltv of thuS dis.