The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-22

nCnt OF the pcmtcutlanes was that these
in charge Of the States penal institutions
keep books after approved methods, which
is more than was found at such other State
institutions and departments as have been
examined. VITA the exception OF those
kept by Assistan, Superintendent Sluithcr,
In charge OF the Huntsville prison proper,
the books have not yet been checked UP,
hut the committee is at least satisfied on
one point and that is that 1t has at las;
come across an iuteligcntly prepared rec
ord of transactions incidental 10 the man
ngemcnt Of a state institution. with re.
gard to Assistant superintendent Smithers
books, they were found IA balance aud kept
in manner that lett no room for SuEgcs
tiouS for Improvement. Thcy relate solely
to the property and money belonging to
conNicts In his charge, which amounts on
an average to something like 5000. The
property and finances OF the pcujcntsries
are handled by the financial agent, who a;
present is W. Nj. c. I'M His books VIII
lie examined next week
Another thing the committee has casually
been made aware of Is the inconveuicnt To-
cation OF both the Rusk and huntsville
penitentlarles and il has gone SO lar as to
ask for figures and suggestions relative 10
The adVisahillty of consolidating and NOV
ing them 10 some more accessible point,
the cost OF transporting convicts being
quite an Item, To say nothing OF the facili-
vast amount of freight coming to and going
from the prisons each year. In so far as
the Huntsville prison Is concerned, the
main building Is Anticipated ana expensive
Of maintenance, while many OF the shops
are in the same condition. In fact, 1t Is
n question of only a very short time when
most Of the buildings VIII have 10 oc ne.
built. Under these circumstances tt is
question in the committees mind whether
IL would not be best 60 turn the HuSb
prison into a hospital for the insane, abaH-
don the Huntsville prison altogether. and
build one large new penitenhary at place
where considerable body OF tll0hlc land
could he obtained. this way such con
yicts as must he kept inside the walls
could he employed mainly In manufacturing
Supp"es for those employed M farming
and the freight on these supplies could he
saved.
And in this connection it may he 70.
mrfkcd that though the state is at az
times in the market for many ~ the ar
tccs manufactured at Huntsville. as the
rleemosynary institutions are large couSum
ers Of staple articles Of commerce, the
Ienltcntiary Is seldom II ever patrouzed
thorgh goods manufactured in pcriten-
tiGrics in other States arc frequently
bought, though, perhaps unwittnely.
~
Another matter which the committee has
had its attention attracted to and which
| It will look into later on. is that Of the
! jurisdiction of the different penitentiary of
! hcialS The superintendent Of peniten-
tiaries is supposed to be the chief eNecu-
| tive officer But as matters stand 1t Is
| not clear that under the law he ranks the
/ financial agent so that disagreement be.
! tween himself and that official might lead
! to disastrous consequences. Again, al
| though the superintendent Is the response
| BILE head of the penal instltqtiens there are
! several officials supposed to be under him
| who are appointed by the governor, nota-
-. faaN AraUsa
| There arc two OF these and IL is their
| business 10 visit outside forces, that Is
/ forces OF ConviCts worked under lease or
| on share farms. The scrgeHnts in charge
| Of these forces though appointed by tho
| superintendent are under the jurisdiction
! Of the inspectors, who are supposed 90
visit them once month, but who some
! times do not do SO In two or three mouths.
| These inspectors, ms a matter uf form,
make n report to the superintendent once
month. but seldom II ever come IN con
tact. with him personally They do NOT
reside at headquarters and are practically
| independent Of headquarters influences,
though the power at headquarters Is critl-
cised and held accountable for whatever
may go wrong within their sphere Of an.
! thority
Furthermore, II is not OF record that
| experience In the convict business has
ever been made a prerequisite to the APP
pointment OF an inspector or that the Of
nee has ever been considered anything moro
than piece Of political patronage though
/ is handled according TO the cAprices Of
the holders thereof.
| ~
Speaking Of inspectors naturally leads M
! to the lease proposition. Prior TO 1883 the
State farmed all of its eonvcts out 10
contractors In the month of May Of that
year II resumed control OF its penal lnsti-
buttons. though tho renting OF conyicts
TO sugar and cotton planters and to rail
roads was continued. one reason Of this
was that II was profitable to do so, and
. another was that there was not enough
room at Rusk and Huntsville to hold ali
I OF the convicts. Every superintendent OF
1 penitentlaries from I. j. Goree 20 j. y
/ Rice has declared the lease system bad
and advocated the purchase of lands 10y
( the State upon which short time conyicts
| could be worked on State account. Every
| man who has been connected with the
penitentiary in an official capacity for any
/ length Of time has done the same thing,
and every inquiry into the management OF
/ tho penitentiaries has developed that such
! troubles as have arisen therein, such criti
cisms as IL has been open TO- were inYa
riably direct results Of the lease system
| About the only argument that has beeu
! advanced for its continuance was tho on
that II was remuneratlve ana that WIZ
out II the penitentiaries would not be self
| sustaining, and that an abandonment there
| OF would involve too great an outlay OF
money for the purchase Of farms to be
|
factorily demonstrated, however, that there
| is nothing in this and that money invested
! an state farms would he well invested
| The experiment has already been made
on small scale by the penitentiary off
| cials. and the result Is there to support
the proposition. The conyicts are better
| treated and the revenue from their labor
is greater on state than on contract farms
~
Some idea OF conditions on convict trains
and contract farms was obtained by the
committee while examining prisoners con
nned In the prison at this point, many Of
whom have az one time or another worked
on both. And from the officers Of th'
nilsson themselves II was learned that there
"a nothing 10 recommend either, save tht
revenue they yield. Win regard TO th'
leasing OF convlets to railroads 1t Is proper
70 state that. except In one instance, it has
ceased the exception being In the case OF
force still employed on the Galveston
| Harrisburg and San Antonio railroad. Sucl
| convicts as had been on railroads lestinet
Without exception that the guards were
| brutal the ssrgeants cruel, the food made
ouate and unwholesome and the work be
! yond tho limit Of human endurance. II
was further developed that the sergeani'
drew paw from the railroads as well az
the State and that superintendent In the