Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-10

| ment NO. i, the largest amount ever YET
The farm, burdened with the sick and
| disabled from this institution, mas rot
been able TO support them by s4.t5O.l, as
| shown in statement No. 8.
The report of the Auditor of Public Ac-
/ counts, who, rs banker deals with our
cash, and. after deducting $5SlS.40 for
what is termed penitentiary criminal
charges-l. e.. the cost OF bringing in the
| convicts and returning them to their
| homes. which. We believe. ought not 10
| be charged to this Institution, he leaves
us cash balance OF s36,3l3.7i, or $2V,2olsI
more than last year.
REFERENCES TO TABLES
| Statement No. 1--Proft and loss ac-
! count
Statement No. 2-Assets and liabilities
| of the institution.
Statement No. S-Prisoners' fund.
| Statement No. 4-Cost Of feeding. cloth
| ing. and guarding convicts for one year
Statement No. 5-Account with farm.
Statement No. t-Account with Auditor
| Public Accounts.
Statement No. 7-Expenses OF conveying
prisoners to penitentiary under act APP
| proved January. 30. lss6 CThis amount Las
been charged by the Auditor. and de-
! Quoted from our cash balance)
Tables A to o. inclusive. give you gene
| raj information in regard TO the prison
I and prisoners-the number received. the
number whose terms have expired ana
! discharged; those whose sentences were
| COMMITTED. pardoned. ete: those who died.
escaped. etc; those who are still at large,
| and the number now held upon second and
| third convictions.
| EARNINGS OF THE INSTITUTION.
You will observe that the earnings or
| the institution for the fiscal year have
! been greater than ever before. As sho an
| I'm statement No. 6, the cash deposits
were $l5f272.6G. our net gain at this in
| stitution for the fiscal year has been S5S,-
| 62l75, which, after deduCting the short
1 oQa at tho farm nf 81 40 Al leaves uS
balance of S5i.1Si9t
The Auditors report will show a casn
! balance to the credit OF the penitentiary
of s56.Sl3.74, or s2o,2Sl.T more than last
year.
Statement shows the cost of mainte-
nance for the fiscal year to be $A42A.l2,
| making q cost per capita $J6l2, which is
| the cost of feeding. clothing guarding,
managing &c While ii would seem to
| be low. it is the result Of a careful and
| economical management. Many OF our
supplies, including every ounce Of meal.
large quantities OF vegetables. &c, have
been brought from the farm. and the
prisoners have had at all times an abun-
dance of good food, while plain it is
wholesome. and their clothing has been
such as has been required by law ana
humane consideration, and at all times
comfortable. The bulk of our supplies are
bought from competitive bidders at stated
periods under the direction of your hon
orable board, and from our best whole
sale merchants. The prevailing low prices
have aided us to considerable extent,
and paying the cash for every article we
buy, we are always in position TO Sc
cure our supplies at a low price Tor
every need of the institution.
The condition OF the men: That they
have been well fed. clothed. and cared
for is fully evidenced by their appear
anCe being generally remarked that the
men going out, after having served their
time. nave a much healthier appearance
than when they first entered Their physl-
cal CONDITION as a rule is greatly i'm
proved.
CONTRACTS FOR LABOR.
The contract with the tobacco company,
which was never profitable to the State,
expires on the 10Th of october OF this
year. The contractors expressed no teSlre
to renew and /. with the advice and con-
sent of the Governor of the Common
wealth Of Virginia. and with the approval
of the Board OF Directors of the peniten-
tiary Of the State entered into a contract
with the Davis Boot and Shoe Company,
corporation duly chartered under our
laws which contract provides that the
said company shall. from the 10Th Octo-
Der. 1897 and thereafter during the en-
tire term OF their contract with the state
of Virginia, which expires May /, 1906,
employ and pay for, with certain excep-
tions. 100 male convicts in addition 10
the 759 males. and all the females now
employed, we dBTtelHB 10 luILiSn NHt
buildings now occupied by the tobacco
company to be used In the manufacture
of boots and shoes, upon the same terms
and conditions as the shops now occupied
by the same company, and as provided n
the previous contracts and agreements.
This contract will insure 20 the state
steady employment for virtually all ol
the convicts suited to contract work, ana
is in my opinion, a favorable one to the
State. Under the law the Superintendent
fixes the task, which is fixed so that an
ordinary man can do II easily. As an evil
dence Of the fact, the prisoners do over
work when the company need it, and have
made as much as S2l5 in one month OF
the fiscal year.
THE STATE FARM.
Working convicts upon farm IN the
cultivation OF ordinary crops could not,
with the low prices prevailing, be
source of profit. The scheme was urged
for the relief of a congested prison, ana
TO find some sort of employment Tor those
who could not be used upon contract
work within the prison walls ana more
especially as place for the incurable,
and those with infectious diseases. Look
ing upon ii as sanitarium, l nave from
time TO time during the fiscal year sent
from here 1856 prisoners in addition to
those sent previously, many of them sick
and disabled. The large number VINO were
able to work have been kept employed as
far as possible. or course, II Will be
understood with the amount OF land when
the State owns, the whole number could
not always be profitably employed, so,
with the advice of your honorable board
and consent of his EXcellency the Cover
nor. | leased the adjoining lands of ID. W.
Tucker AZ co. We cultivated 292 acres in
corn and tobacco. for which we pay a
share rent of one third of the crop.
This large number OF prisoners have
heen kent at the expense of the farm.
strict account Of everything furnished,
including the pay of officers and guards,
has been kept against The tarm. state
m WI |
show that a result. the farm mas not
been able to meet the expense by SL45O H.
we are gradually bringing up the land
10 a high state OF cultivation, which VIII.
nerhaps. stimulate others. Its productive
ness is proved by the facts that we have
made this year, with the excellent man
agement of Mr.. Craven, a crop, which, all
things considered. is very satisfactory.
some of the principal items that l may
Inention are I,VU0 barrels Of corn, 5000
mounds of tobacco, 1,l65 bushels of wheat,
il2l bushels of rye, and over 200 bushels
OF oats, 500 bushels OF peas, and large
quantities Of cabbage. potatoes, turnps
tomatoes, etc. What was thought by
some TO be a doubtful experiment has
Droyed TO be q success, ana solved the
difficult question of what to do with
certain class of prisoners. The State
needs. in my opinion, more land.
+. SUGAR BEETs.
We have planted this season for expert
mental purpose two acres in sugar beets-
one acre on the lowland and one acre on
the upland, and, notwithstanding the dry
season, the acre on the iowland yieiaing
and the highland about ten tons 10 the
acre which has shown by the analysis
made by DR.. Probing to contain IL per
cent. of saceharine matter OF 20 per cent
with the productions in countries where
the cultivation is made speciality. III
ff. h.li haaF