The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1903-08-06

this debt was cancelled, is now super.
intendent of the Indiana Manufacture
ing Company, which owes the State
$1.19S-SS. and claims that his own rec
ord Is not correct
Another Record.
Again, another record was made at
the time the reformatory bill was up
for consideration by the legislature.
when an attempt was made to square
another account with this same COM
pany. which debt was contracted some
time before date Of record. which rec
ord shows:
(Feb. 3. 1903 page 393.)
On motion the general superintendent was
authorized TO charge of all extra labor up
to the 1st of April against the Indiana
Manufacturing Company, In consideration of
the Indiana Manufacturing Company releas-
Ing the State from any charge for heating
inmates dining room up to said date: pro-
viding that said extra labor furnished for
next sixty days shall not be greater than
that furnished during the past sixty days.
cial record that extra labor had been
furnished the Indiana Manufacturing
Company. With reference to this
transaction the facts as gathered from
Superintendent Byers and officers in
charge of the Institution, are as fol-
lows:
First-The official record does not
show up to February 8. 1903. that the
Indiana Manufacturing Company was
ever given authority to place steam
in the inmates dining room
Second-Mr. Byers. the superintend-
ent, could not, or at least, did not.
when asked for it. furnish the bill of
the Indiana Manufacturing Company
showing the amount the State owed
said company for steam.
Neither could he. or did he. when
asked, show the claim or number OF
extra men that had been furnished
said company by the State. so that
you might know the amount of money
that was embraced in the so-called can
collation. of debts and credits.
Neither of these statements were
before the board in writing when they
made the above record.
Third-The statement from the off,
GERS who worked this extra labor was
to the effect that before Mr.. Byers was
superintendent that the extra labor on
contracts for which the State received
no pay was from fiften to twenty-five
prisoners per day. and In addition the
team owned by the State performed
labor almost every day for the Indiana
Manufacturing Company.
Again. the official record shows, with
reference to an agreement made by
and between A. T. Hert, general su-
perintendent, and Joshua nj. Horner.
president of the Indiana Manufacture
ing Company. on July l. 1897. that
the original contract of said Horner
provides that inmates shall labor ten
hours per day and after the institu-
ton was made q reformatory in April.
1897, this contract was changed.
Hert Made An Agreement.
Mr.. Hert, who was then superintend-
ent for and employed by the State to
look after it's interests, entered into
an agreement with said Horner, presi-
dent of the Indiana Manufacturing
Company. a part of which agreement is
as follows:
The parties Of the first and second
part, Mr.. Hert and Mr.. Horner, on July
1, 1897, agreed to a reduction of the
number of hours that the inmates
should be required to labor under said
day. In this agreement, reducing the
number of hours from ten to eight. the
old price paid for labor was reduced
20 per cent and the old task the prison
er was performing was reduced only
Is per cent.
One month and two days after the
signing of this agreement by said
parties, the entry of the Official record
of the board shows:
Aug 3, 1907. page 25.)
On motion as ordered that the superin-
tendent be authorized to sign agreement
with n. p. and Joshua Horner (the Indiana
Manufacturing Company with reference to
the change Of hours Of men hired by them.
shall be employed, and that the superintend-
ent in signing such contract see that the
rights of the State and inmates are fully
protected.
You will notice that this agreement
to protect the rights of the State and
inmates was signed by the parties one
month and two days before authority
was given them by the board of man
ayers. and that the inmates were pro-
tected by compelling them to do s per
cent more labor In eight hours than
they had done under the old con-
tract, and the interests of the State
were protected by donating to the con-
tractor this extra labor, which amounts
to not less than $4,000 per year. or
$4,000 in six years.
Those in charge of the contracts say
that -asr would much prefer to go
bacll. t. Tia ten-hour contract In re-
advectish md re-letting contracts the
inmates can then more easily perform
their task. hence there will be fewer
punishments In the institution. and
the State will receive at least 20 per
cent more pay for the work of the
prisoners. which win amount to $4,000
per year. or $4,000 during the re-
mainder Of the time which the con-
tracts now In force are to run, and
| e~ a.