The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-11-20
krHE IN1EREsToF ECONOMY

The report of the grand jury. pub
fished in another column. makes some
pggsstions that are worthy OF more
IN passing notice. That calling the
Ition of the legislature to the cost
ling prisoners confined in county
Important, and should be con-
By the legislature at the next
II the information of the
nd Jury Is correct, that contracts
are made for feeding prisoners at IL
cents meal, for two meals day, the
prisoners are fed for sl.68 week,
when the cases where more than FIVE
prisoners are in the Jail the law allows
sherifss $S per week for their food, or
80 sfbove actual cost, and in cases
less than four prisoners are in
80 cents above cost.
his no fault of the sheriffs, but is
y fault of the law. If the sheriff is
able to contract for meals at 81 -6S a
week and the law allows him SO or S5,
itis but natural that he will accept the
profits to be made on the contract.
Buttsince it is not the purpose of the
Jaw that any officer shall speculate off
the natural expenses of government,
the law should be so amended that
such speculation would be impossible.
County courts or sheriffs should be
empowered to let contracts for feeding
prisoners with good, wholesome food
pshe lowest bidder, and the actual
st of feeding them should be all the
|pnty is required to pay. A saving
1.32 cents per week to the county
= small amount, yet when num-
Esoners confined from time to
Il County jails is taken into con-
ltibn it amounts to considerable.
for instance Wasco county the
70 months. There have been
.aately an average OF eight
confined in the jail. Under
Rtion of the present law. If
2 been eight men Ia che Jail
weeks land that is near
= tual p,dmbsr for this ar
as cost the county 1892 to
iced them. If, al the grand jury says,
khey could have been fed at IL cents
Aeal, or s1.68 week, the cost should
We been s1O4.52, or saving of Ss4.4S
he county. Should this number OF
oners he confined in jail the
kround, and contract could be
ed into for feeding them at sl.68
it would mean saving OF
p0 year to the taxpayers.
uggestion made by the grand
btices of the peace regarding
(hg persons to Jail on trivial
charges is also in the interest OF
economy; though this abuse is largely
the fault of the law. In that the juris-
diction of Justices of the peace in deal
ing with criminal cases is not broad
enough. They should be given wider
scope in the punishment OF all mis-
heaners. That is, all cases punish.
"a by fine or. imprisonment in the
unity Jail should terminate in the
hstice court. The justice should have
and exercise the right of committing
offenders to Jail for petitslarceny and
assault and battery, instead OF COM
mitting them to the grand jury, which
in many instances results in their
serving double time-frOH the time
they are committed until circuit court.
and afterwards serving the sentence
Imposed upon them by the latter,
ehereas justice would be equally
served if they were committed dirertly
by the justice court. In this instance
EInuch could be saved to the taxpayers.
These two suggestions of the grand
Jury should not only receive the atten-
tion of officials, but also of the legis-
y at,1ro