The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-06
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, JAN. 6, 1899.

certain patients mentioned in the reports
referred to.
The reports of the Boards having con-
troll of the School for the Education of
the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind, are
Transmitted herewith. and the recon
mendatious i'm these reports deserve care
FIJI consideration and study at the hands
of the people's representatives. During
the last year commodious and well
adapted. structures have been erected
upon the grounds Of the Institution for
the Education of the Blind, in the city
of Raleigh; and these building will. it
is believed, enable these Institutions to
do their work more comfortably and
more thoroughly than heretofore. l
recommend to the General Assembly to
take such steps at this session rs they
may deem necessary to gather into these
several schools all those unfortunates.
who ought to be in one or another of
these institutions, but who have not
been reached hitherto. The stage Of
progress of n Christian people is deter
mined by the provision they make for
the care, comfort and education of the
unfortunate, more than by anything else.
y
can be Justly entitled to the name of
Christian that does not look after the
unfortunate and protect the weak.
Special attention is invited to the re-
mort of the North Carolina institution
for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb
and the Blind. pages II and % inclusive.
wherein the special needs of that Insti-
tuition are specially set forth.
OXFORD ORPHAN ASYLUM.
The work Mt the Oxford Orphan
Asylum has been carried on very sue
cessfuly during the past two years.
Large additions have been made to the
buildings OF the Asylum. There have
also been large bencfactions bestowed
upon the institution by the Masonic Fra
ternity of the State, and by Mr.. b. n.
Duke, of Durham, n. c.
1t is recommended that this General
Assembly make such appropriations to
ifs work as it may deem to be demand
ed by the condition and opportunities of
the Institution.
THE STATE PENITENTIARY.
The operations of this institution for
the past two years have consisted mainly
l..
Informed. has not been able to secure
labor contracts for the convicts except
to very limited extent, and the institu-
ton has been compelled to rely ,aailly
upon the production of cotton as the
money crop with which 10 realize for
the payment of its expenses. The crops
have been large in amount, but sadly
deficient in pecuniary value. The low
price of cotton, has seriously reduced the
earnings Of the institution. 1t was con-
tended by the management during the
year 1893, that the institution was self
supporting. This was denied by the
succeeding management, who contended
that it was not self-supporting in that
year, and never had been. An eXpe-
rienced accountant was employed by the
prison board. who reported that the in
stituiion for the year 1893, 1894, 1895
and 1896, ran behind more than $780,
000
Seeing the difficulties of maintaining
this institution without legislative appro-
priations considering the low price OF
agricultural products and believing that
its expenses could be reduced by enter
ing into contract in the nature Of
lease with private, parties, they taking
all the incomes and paying all the OK
penses and having good reason to be-
lieve that a responsible party, willing TO
do this. had been found, / addressed
to the Board of Directors on the Dist of
September. 1897, Il letter strongly urging
that such contract he made. and the
State thereby relieved of further expense
or risk. The following is n copy OF so
much of the letter as relates to this
particular subject.