The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-03
The Report I'm Full.



Gentlemen-In assuming the position OF
superintendent of the Indiana Reformatory
/ do so with full understanding Of the re-
sponsibilities attached to its important du-
ties. These duties shall receive my prompt
and undivided time and best judgment.
Before entering upon my duties you
should have the condition of the institution
as found during the month just past Act
Eng upon your order of July ?. all the time
possible has been spent at the institution
since that date making Investigations as to
conditions as they have existed since the
institution has been a reformatory. These
facts are given you so far as IL Is possible
TO develop them up TO this time, not based
upon rumor or the word of inmates. ! u
based upon the record left by lie
board of managers AND officers OF the IN
stitution since April 0ss7.
The official records OF all boards where the
expenditure OF public funds is passed upon
should at each meeting or the board show I'm
dollars and cents the amount ordered paid
TO each individual and the total expeditures
for the month. This should be Imperative,
so that vouchers or schedules could not be
altered changed after the board departs,
and at the end OF each fiscal year the au-
ditor OF state should be able to take the
signed record of the board In any state
institution of this State and. by summing
up each month for the year, show exactly
what the expenditures and receipts az the
institution have been. This is done In all
well-regulated public institutions.
The official, or signed. record of the
board since April, 1897, does not show the
financial condition of the institution; that
is, il does not show whether the disburse-
ments for month have been 81 or $1,000;
IS 900 a month These things are attempted
to be shown on the vouchers and state
ments, to which no reference is made In
their official record except in general
way.
AS a rule since 1897 the only entry in the
official record as to the bills allowed for
any particular month Is as follows:
The current bills were upon motion TAX
en- up and such as proper approved and or
dered paid"
Again the official record in the allowing
of bills for the month of April. 1888. which
claims were allowed May 5, 1885, shows:
ION motion the board proceeded TO the
examination of the bills OF the preceding
month, and same were allowed, and super
intendent was instructed to draw warrants
for the same usual conditions"
From the official record of the board,
Page 1884, there are three unsettled claims
against the contractors for labor performed
by inmates so long ago as 1897, when Mr.
A. T. Hert WIS superintendent. The
claims as follows.
Taylor Manufacturing Company. 5sl.J0
Indiana Manufacturing Company. Il. 1ss. 81
The last official record made with refer
ence to the above claims was at regular
meeting of the board at the time the Legis-
lature in session, Feb. 3, 1853, and
shows:
.sThe Superintendent CMr. Byers) was d.
rected to communicate with the Southern
Cooperage Company and to make demand
for payment or said account.
''The account of the Indiana Manufacture
ing Company, for 81. .l9sSs was shown TO be
a claim accruing out or the transfer or
prisoners TO and from Michigan City in
1897 and the reduction OF the hours OF W0rk
from ten TO eight hours made on and about
the same date said transfer. The state
ment made by Mr.. Hert was 10 the effect
that the account had been canceled by the
old board. but that their action in the mat
ter was not made OF record
HERTS PRESENT POSITION.
Mr. Hert who was superintendent of the
institution at the time he claims this debt
was Cancelled, is now superintendent OF the
Indiana Manufacturing Company. which
owes the State s1,l9s.ss. and claims that his
own record is not correct.
Again, another record was made at the
time the Reformatory bill was up for con-
sideration by the Legislature. when an at
tempt was made TO square another account
with this same company. which debt was
contracted some time before date OF record.
which record shows:
February 3, 1903. page 393.-"on motion
the general superintendent was authorized
TO charge of all extra labor up TO the nrst
of April against the Indiana Manufactur-
ing Company in consideration of the lndi-
ana Manufacturing Company releasing the
State from any charge for heating inmates
dining room up TO said date; proNidlns mat
said extra labor for next sixty days shall
not be greater than that furnished during
the past sixty days"
Here is an admission from the official
record that extra labor had been furnished
the Indiana Manufacturing Company. With
reference to this transaction the facts, as
gathered from superintendent byers ana
officers In charge OF the institution. are az
follows:
Ffrst-Ti:a official record does not show
up TO Feb. 3. 1908 that the Indiana Manu-
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