The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-29
CONDEMNS RAhSEY'S JILL
SECRETARY JACKSON SAYS IT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN CREDLTABLE
IN COLONIAL DAYS,

But In This End of the Nineteenth
Century He Does Not Think 1t In
Keeping-I.Ock-Up and Tramp
Rooms Are Also Discussed.
Secretary Jackson, of the state board Of
corrections and charities in his annual
report, sent to the printer yesterday, says
Of the Ramsey county Jail:
This jail was erected before Minnesota
became a state, upon plans which doubt
less would have been quite creditable be-
fore America became a nation. The oon-
dition does not much rise above the point
of condemnation. In fact 1t is stated
that condemnation has been threatened
by the building inspector, and that grand
jurtes have urged the erection Of a mod
ern structure"
Speaking Of lockups, the report says
that Duluth has the best central station
in any OF the three largest cities Of the
state. AS to ST. Paul and Minneapolis,
the old rivalry does not extend to these
central stations, unless 1t is to see which
can maintain the poorest.
The st. Paul station has the poorest
facilities for the classification of prison
ers, and more danger from fire, while the
Minneapolis station is decidedly the less
sanitary. The Minneapolis plan, he says,
Is sane enough to provide a place for
drunkards on the first floor, while in
St. Paul the officers must carry the
drunkard up a. long fight Of stairs.
Minneapolis places her tramps on q
great bench in an lily ventilated cellar,
while st. Paul quarters them on the third
floor
Both central stations are cIassed as old,
unsatisfactory and inefficient, yet because
of the continual watchfulness of officers,
at both stations, it Is doubtful If either
Is quite to the point that would warrant
condemnation.
When the city warehouses were in
spected Dec. Is, Minneapolis had 50 men
and 7 women, and ST. Paul g. men and 9
women. Some Of the offenders had been
sent back as many as 40 or so times.
The new system of Analysing accounts
of the various state institutions, a new
departure provided for by the last legis-
lature, after six months trial, has
demonstrated the wisdom Of the change
the new system, says:
The compiling of the analysed ac-
counts Of the state institutions. for which
provision was made by the last legis-
lature, is proceeding satisfactorily.
THE books have been written UP for
four months, which, perhaps, Is not suf-
1ciently long to make any surprising dis
covertes. In fact, it did not appear to
be the expectation of the legislature that
anything startling would be developed,
but rather that the compilation Of the
analysed accounts would enable the gov
ernor and the Legislature, as well as the
boards and institution officials, quickly to
find in convenient, comparative form a
statement of the cost If the various
articles Of consumption for various
periods and thus lead to fuller knowledge
and perhaps to some economies The
convenience and fullness Of the informa-
ton is demonstrated to the evident salts
faction Of the inQuirers.
There seemed to be doubt in the minds
of some whether these records were open
to inspection. They are at all times open
to the inspection Of any interested citizen
or Official"
The report also gives the result of the
nineteenth pauper census which has Just
been completed. The record shows an in
crease Of 131 over the total number of
people who received aid during the year
1898. The grand total for this year is
given at 7,4S0. OF necessity all Of these
are not dependents, the total representing
the number of people who received some
kind Of public aid. Tho number boarded
in poor houses or elsewhere is given at
1,Q73 These figures include the three
large counties of the state Minneapolis
gave aid to 1886 people during the year,
Ramsey, 1,040, and St Louis, 4l6.