The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-19
President Shiveley Says 1t Challenges
Rigid Investigation by the
Legislature.
RIPPER BILL A BIG MISTAKE
HE SAYS 1T WOULD PUT INsTITU-
TIONs BACK INTO POLITICS.
Senate Committee Criticized for So
Quickly Reporting the Billboard
in Trying Position.

The members of the board of managers
of the Indiana Reformatory ask a full and
complete investigation of the management
and affairs of the institution before the
Legislature takes final action on Senator
Goodwines bill for the reorganization of
the Reformatory. Charles Z. Shiveley, of
Richmond. president of the board, last
night made this announcement, which
comes as the sequel of conference of
the members of the board held in this city
Saturday night:
1.-The board challenges the most rigid in
vestigation into the management and af-
fairs of the Reformatory." said President
Shiveley, land the members feel that such
an investigation should be had before the
Legisla ture passes the bill introduced by
Senator Goodwine. The committees of
both the Senate and the House which will
consider the bill should go down to Jeffer-
sonville and conduct the severest inquiry,
examining all the books and every detail
of the business of the institution. They
should employ expert assistance and should
spare no effort to qualify themselves to
make an intelligent report to their respect
i've bodies. In such an investigation the
members of the board will lend every as
sistance within their power.
LAS president of the board wish to state
that the members feel that the Senate
committee to which the bill was referred
acted with undue haste in reporting on it
without first having called on the board
of managers for statement, or on the
State Board of Charities, organization
that is in close touch with all the institu-
tions of the State and is reliably informed
the Reformatory. We should have been
glad to go before that committee to an
swer all questions that might have been
put To us and to have submitted full and
complete statement of the status of the
institution.
BOARD IN TRYING POSITION.
Mr. Shveley declined to state whether
the board of managers would actively op-
pose the bill in question beyond making a
demand for legislative investigation be-
fore the final action on the bill.
"The board is in rather a trying position
in this matter" he said. "In the absence
of direct charges of any character as to
mismanagement of the institution it is diff
cult for us to make a statement replying
to any of the rumors and innuendoes that
are flying about. However. the introduc-
ton of a bill providing for the complete
reorganization of the Reformatory Is di-
rect reflection on the present management
that cannot well be ignored We emphatic
ally deny that there is or has been any
thing wrong i'm connection with the admin
istration of the affairs of the institution.
The members of the board have given the
best of their ability to the conduct of the
institution intrusted to them and. as the
Governor himself said in his message to
the General Assembly, the Reformatory is
in excellent condition and has been well
managed.
1--WE cannot dignity idle and indefinite
rumors with explicit denials. but we can
and do court the fullest inquiry into our
administration. The present nonpartisan
management and the parole system of the
Reformatory have been commended by the
highest authorities on correctional charities
in the country. Mr.. Brockway, of New
York who stands at the head of the au-
thorities in this line and Major McLaugh-
rey, warden of the Federal Prison at Leav-
enworth, Kan. who ranks next to Mr..
Brockway, have both indorsed and COM
mended the Indiana Reformatory and its
parole system.
PERSONALLY / feel that this is a most
unfortunate affair for the institution. If
Senator Goodwine's bill becomes a law il
puts the management of our State institu-
tions back into politics. to become the
| shuttlecocks for politicians of the dominant
party Ii means a decided step backward
and the loss of much that it has taken
years to gain
MIR. Shiveley was asked as to the relations
between the board and Governor Durbin.
.sThe board has never failed to give due
consideration to any communication from
| the Governor and the board has never in
| tended by any of its actions to show the
| Governor the slightest discourtesy The re-
| lations between the board and the Governor
| are not strained, nor are they such as to
| interfere with the best administration OF
| the affairs of the Reformatory."