The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-02

Before visit was made to the Admin
| istration building the Commissioners en-
| tertained the party to luncheon. and at its
close Commissioner Farrell, mounting a
chair. harangued the guests. He told the
| Governor what had been done, and gave
| sketch of the history of the institution,
and urged more appropriation, so that am
other wing could be built.
President Chambers followed. welcoming
| the visitors, and when another appeal for
| addional funds was made by Rev. George
| c. Maddox, there was a loud call for the
| Governor, who poked a littel fun at the
contractors, and then said that being on
the eve of Gubernatorial election the
party in power was loathe to increase ap-
propriations Gaughterl.
Its a condition that confronts u.s. the
| Governor continued, 'swhat we want to
see here is something done. We don't
want to be always getting ready. don't
want to censure the Commissioners, for
/ perience to this work, and it is to their
credit that when it is at last finished it
will stand as a monument to their fidelity
and an honor to the State. tCheers) l
! have no apologies to make for this Re
| formatory, because it is one of my pet
schemes. Few really understand what this
institution means. There are more men
outside of the prison walls who ought to
be inside than those confined. 1t is only
those who have been discovered that are
| compelled to face the punishment.
| The Governor then talked of the efforts
to reform young men who had made
slip in life but who were not criminals
at heart The institution was not de-
signed, however, as a place to which
some could send flowers, fruits and jel-
lies. The inmates would be taught obedi-
ence and assisted to work out their own
release. When these men were consid-
cred in the light of producing citizens
the public had a balance to its credit for
the money spent in their reform. Coming
to the subject dear to the Commissioners
hearts, the Governor said
81 don't shape appropriations, but do
say this that the Legislative Committee
on Appropriations wants to see this in
stitution started-(applause)-a 1 be-
! i:s LII - o,,,,ro,,r;a.t ION. for main
tenance and inmates here there will be
an increased sentiment in its favor, not
because of its needs, but the public senti-
ment enlightened and aroused will de-
mand an increase. You all know the
buffetings experienced by the Committee
on Appropriations tLaughter.) They
are willing to help you for they know
that every dollar given to you is well
spent and there is no extravaganza"
(Cheers.)
Senator Cross, of the Appropriation
Committee, advised the Commissioners to
be modest in their demands this winter,
for the reason he added that he who
/ asked for much got little and he who
asked for little got much-sometimes
'.Oh, no, Senatorr' interrupted the Rev.
G. c. Maddox. ASK largely that your
joy may be full.'' Oaughter.)
Short speeches were made by Senator
Theodore Strong, Assemblyman Ellis R.
Meeker Che of the Anti-Spring Election
bill fame), Assemblyman Blackwell, the
lone Democratic member of the Appro-
priation Committee; Judge B. A. Vail,
the Rev. L. C. Cooder and the Rev. DR..
]. A. Leggett, all of whom threw "bo-
kays'' at the Commissioner and the in
stitution Then the party sailed forth
to visit the main, circular building, sur
rounded by dome. From this building
will radiate the four wings, one of which
is completed. u
On entering the visitor finds himself
penned in on all sides by iron bars, which
certainly make cage there A clear
view from this circular enclosure may be
had of all the floors and corridors. There
are 256 cells in the pavilion, and in this
regard the institution is the peer of any
in the country, and in some respects IS
unique Every modern appliance for
cleanliness, sanitation and ventilation has
been used, and the result is prison
which may be truly said to be model
of its kind.
The sanitary arrangements are COM
plete Each cell is supplied with water,
which may be secured by pressing knob
inserted in the wall When the prisoner
lets go of the knob the water is auto
matically shut off. There is also six
teen-candle power incandescent electric
light in each cell The fuse for the light
is on the outside of the cell, in the utility
corridor, so that if meddlesome prisoner
should short-circuit the lamp socket, he
would only put out his own light, and
would not interfere with the man in the
. next cell.
The plumbing is so arranged that there
fe valva raar the floor in the utility