The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-07

iequiring the proper security to
and loss occasioned by these WHO go
to the bad. Upon a reasonable LASTS
OF calculation these SIX boys viii cost
the state OF South Dakota at least
$4,000 by the time they are all ie-
leased.
Some important information is
given regarding the shit factory in
the penitentiary, concerning which
the report says: 1.-The plan of
operation is a simple and safe one.
The state put in the plant at an
expense OF about 81, 900. y five year
contract was made with a firm
under which they are 10 furnish the
labor of l20 men. and the firm to
take the finished product at the
factory and pay the state so much
per dozen for the product. The state
controls its w labor and has no
money invested in the operation of
the plant. About $500 shirts are
now being made every working day
during the year, the most Of which
product is shipped to the Pacific
coast. Plans have been made where
by, all shirts used in the otEer
institutions of the state will be
manufactured at this plant, which
will mean u considerable saving to
the state in this line Continuing
the report says: lit is a note
worthy fact that the increase in the
penitentiary population is not keep
ing pace with the increase in the
population OF the state. There is
about one in $500 OF u population
wearing prison clothes, which is an
exceedingly low ratio. This fact has
handicapped us in the operation OF
our shirt factory, SO mEch so, that
the factory has not Seen brought up
to it's full capacity. About 20 men
are constantly required as helpers
about the penitentiary as cooks,
walters, gardners, teamsters, farm
ers, stockmen aud the like, and from
ten to twenty are off duty by eason
of sickness. This leaves only lOl
men of the 1S9 in the prison on Aug.
Is, 1906, with which to operate the
shirt factory. The factory is a great
benefactor in the influence upon
the health and discipline of the
convicts. 1t is a regular, asy
constant employment that occupies
both mind and muscle Of the prison
ers and makes for their welfare
mentally and phsylcally. a system
of rewards has been established for
the men in the factory. Each nan
is given a days task. The COM
pletion of this task earns for him
the unused balance of the day which
he may occupy for himself by con-
tinuinv at the machine, and for all
the work that is turned out during
such time he is credited on the
books Of the prison at the same rate
the state receives, less a fair per-
centage for operating the plant. 1t
is gratifying to know that already a
large per cent of the men in The
shop are earning something for
themselves. The accumulated
amount earned is paid to each man
when he is DISCHARGED from prison.
and usually they will have d goodly
sum Of money when they leave uhe
prison walls"
References are made concerning
the deaf mute and the hospital at
Redfield and the methods employed
i'm teaching these who are sent
there. The work in both institu-
tions are OF a high character.
With reference to the hospital for
insane the report says: "With no
other class OF u~ufortunates can the
state afford to be as liberal in it's
care as with the class that are
housed there. Doctors, lawyers,
judges, Legislators, mechanics. farm
ers alike and their wives, mothers
oiN huuSiilCio Wy d lOAiCi lIOIJ Tue
dread malady to which all flesh is
heir. lind their way into this in
stitution to accept the charity that
our people are glad to bestow. The
state has dealt literally with this
Institution and will continue to do
SO Under this generous policy the
management has been enabled to dc
much for these unfortunate people.
The population in the various
institutions at the close of the fiscal
year, June 80, 1906, was as follows:
Hospital for insane. 4O7 men. 234
women, total 641.
Northern hospital, SO boys. Al
girls, total JOG.
penitentiary, 217 men, . women.
total 2l9.
Reform school. 80 hovs. III oirls