The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-22
SENATOR OGBoRN,s STATEMENT.
Reasons Given by Him for Ousting the
RefOrmatOry Board.

heIOrmatOry BOnrus
Senator Ogborn last night gave out a
statement in regard to the testimony Sc
cured by the legislative committee on visit
ing State institutions that, in the opinion
of the committee and the supporters OF the
Goodwine bilb was sufficient evidence to
justify the removal of the present board OF
managers of the Reformatory. Senator Og-
born said
Il wish merely to point out few in
stances of what 1 prefer to term mis-
management on the part of the Reforma-
tory board. i had expected yesterday, DUR
ing the debate on the bill in the Senate, to
present this matter, but the occasion did
not present itself.
In the first place; the board mas punt
new dollhouse for the Reformatory which
was originally to cost $4,000, completed and
ready for occupancy. 1t has already cost
the State over $4,000, and there is at pres
ent suit pending against the state IN
which the contractor seeks to recover some
$4,000 to $4,000 additional. Before the last
payment of between $4,000 and $4,000 was
made by the board to the contractor 1t
was known that the latter would sue for the
additional amount. The Governor, the at
torney general and the auditor of state
protested against the boards making the
last payment unless the contractor gave a
receipt in full, but the board went ahead
and made the payment over this protest.
In this the board gave the contractor the
his extra claim. Now, if that dollhouse
had been constructed for private corpo-
ration 1t would have cost just what the
original contract and estimates called for.
If the board had been in the employ OF a
private corporation and had managed the
business of constructing that dollhouse in
the manner it did. making that lest pay
menC as II did, the board would have been
discharged peremptorily for incompetency
and poor business management. That is
just why the peresent board should be
ousted, If for no other reason. We will
not discuss the peculiar aspects of the at
fair in connection with the question why a
100000 building should cost considerably
over 100000.
AWARD OF CONTRACTS.
I'm the second place, the system OF
awarding contracts followed by the board
is open to criticism. The board has per-
mitted John S. Mcdonald, of New Albany.
to make all the contracts, and it merely
ratifes his action. The law provides that
the board shall advertise for bids for all
supplies. Instead of doing this Mr.. Nc
Donald sends out notices to such individ-
uals or firms as he thinks should bid. The
clothing for the discharged prisoners, which
amounts to q considerable item, is pur-
chased from the store of Newton Myers,
the Jeffersonville postmaster. without any
bids. 1t has been charged that Mr.. Hert
tie superintendent, Was interested
in this store. This is denied by both Mr..
Myers and Mr.. Hert, but why has there
been no competition in the awarding of this
contract?
I'm the third place, that which I con-
slider the worst feature of the management
or the institution is in the contracts under
which the prisoners are employed. These
contracts as originally made provided that
the State should receive so cents per day
for the labor of each prisoner but left il
to the superintendent and the company tc
decide what should constitute days task
This was on the basis of a ten-hour day
Later it was decided that eight hours
should constitute a day. and that the State
should receive but 40 cents for a days work
by each convict. The wages were thus re-
duced 20 per cent, but the task was re-
duced only 10 per cent. Who got the benefit
been arranged that for the first thirty
days a convict works he is supposed &c
be learning the trade and the State receives
nothing for his services. Under this plan
by little judicious shifting from one de-
partment to another, the contractor car
get ninety days work from each prisoner
for nothing. There are many other features
OF the contract system that are bad. The
present board, while it did not originate the
system, has Endorsed and continued it
That. / believe. is further evidence of mis-
Observation-Disclosures that would not
be tolerated for a day by private corpora
ton. The States business should be con.
Quoted just as judiciously as that of any
private firm.