The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-29
CREDITORS WANT MONEY
AND ARE KICKING BECAUSE
QUIBBLING KEEPS THEM
OUT OF IT.
A STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN TRAVIS
Some Figures as 10 the Indebtedness on The
First Of January and on the Six h Of
March. An culspoken
Interview,

Interview.
On the first day of January, 1899 the
penitentiary owed S121 ,935.47.
There is now in the State Treasury
S120,2N.0O, the proceeds of the bonds
issued to pay this Fusion debt.
The recent Legislature, after long, in
vestigation, found the penitentiary in
dilapdated condition, indebted to ev-
eryhody and having nothing 1t resoly-
ed to issue bonds to pay off every cent
due, clean out the Russell gang, and put
it IN the hands of capable business men.
The bonds were issued. but the Supreme
Court vetoed the legislative act that pnt
the pcnitentiary in the hands of the Dem
ocrats. But the bonds have been issued,
the money is on hand, the Executive
Board has audited the accounts, but the
people who hold claims for accounts
made since January LIST cannot get their
money. They have no time or purpose
to find out who has Numbered. The
State owes them money; the money Is in
the Treasury for Them and they feel out
ragged because they cannot get it.
Il will tell you the reason the claims
are not paid said gentleman yester-
day. Its a piece of petty politics got
ten up by John Denmark. He is trying
to show that the Russell gang only owed
S95.000-that is had squandered that
amount instead of S121 .935.47. Ii he can
show that. he thinks he has done some
thing smart. State Treasurer Worth
who had all along regarded the bonds
as issued to pay all the debts, appealed
to the Attorney General, the States law
officer. who said that Denmark was right
about it. and that the receipts from bonds
could be utilized only to pay the old
debts. | was surprised at the Attorney
Generals making such ruling, for there
Is nothing 10 support it. Ii you will
examine the act which passed March
9Th. 1899. you will see that it begins in
these words:
Whereas. There are NOW outstand-
ing and unpaid divers liabilities of the
State of North Carolina. arising out of
the conduct and management of the
States Prison." etc. The word used
is NOW March {. not January u, and
it was intended by the Legislature to
pay the whole amount that Russell's
gang had squandered and stolen, and
start with clean slate. The Russellites
don't want to do this. They want to
go into the campaign to juggle figures.
That's the milk in the cocoanut, and
that's why the States creditors cannot
get the money that is in the Treasury
to pay the debts. It's piece of politics
nothing more nor less
Let MS look for moment at the con-
dition of the penitentiary. Its indebted
ness Oh the first of January, 1899 was
as follows:
JANUARY 1ST, 1899.
Ooutstanding accounts ..$ S3262. 81
Pai rolls S,6i2.33
Due Treas. Worth ........ 3eO00.00
IOtai SI2l.3 oo.4t
1t will be seen that there was due
$4,000 to the State Treasurer which
he had advanced to Mewborne. During
the months of January and February.
State Treasurer Worth took S23.S41 .21
from the proceeds of the crops sold and
applied it to the $4,000 dent due him
by Mewborne. The penitentiary during
/. these two months Went in debt for sun
plies. etc. to the amount of $19.4S724.
The Indebtedness, therefore of the peni-
Tertiary on the 9Th of March, 1899,
(the day before the bill to issue bonds
was ratified stood:
MARCH 9TH, 1890.
Outstanding accounts .....S 92.110.29
Due Treas. Worth ........ S,462. 90
Pay rolls ................ 17,009.2i
Total ...... ...........S SILT ,5S1.50
There are other claims against the
penitentiary, not yet approved. which
if allowed may run this amount up to
$500 or 81 600 moro
The whole question in nutshell tx:
did the Legislature intend to pay all
the debts due up to March 9th. 1897
] asked Senator Travis about this last
night and he said:
STATEMENT BY MIR. TRAVIS.
During the session of the General
Assembly we went to the legislative
committee They wanted to know what
it would take to run the peniteptiary
for 1899 and 1900. Col. Osborne stated
that it would require $4,000 to re-
stock the farms which were very much
run down. buy fertilizers, and pay all
other expenses for 1899 and $4,000
Tor I9oo. The committee called his at
tentlon TO the fact that the bond issue
would pay everything the penitentiary
owed Up TO DATE and leave part
OF the crop Of 1898 on hand. They ask
ed If, III consideration of these things.
the Appropriation for 1899 couldn't be
made less than 100000. Col. Osborne
replied that If THE CROPS WE'RE
LEFT AND THE DEBTS PAID. 49,
900. The committee thought that after
getting everything paid up to March
the penitentiary could be run from that
time until the crops came in on $50 900.
and made the appropriation $4,000 for
each year. ] was Oh the committee and
remember that conversation. 1t was
understood by the legislative committee
and everybody else that it would re-
qnire more to support the penitentiary
in 1899 than thereafter because nearly
all the crops had been disposed of. most
OF the teams were worn out and had