The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-10-13
NEW A LAWS
SAVE MONEY
TO THE STATE IN CONNECTION
WITH THE TRANSPORTATION
OF PRISONERS.

The board of directors of the West
Virginia penitentiary were in session
Tuesday to consider chiefly the re-
ports Of the warden and other officers
for the BIENNIAL period which closed
September 80, 1906.
Among herinteresting items show
ing the two years business probably
there is nothing more remarkable and
interesting than that part Of the war
den's report which refers to the cost
Of the transportation OF convicts to the
penitentiary under the new law, which
was one Of the reforms in the State
expenditures as result o. the famous
tax Legislation of the season of 1904.
The new tax laws have not only re-
suited in an equalization Of taxes, max
ing those interests which did not pay
their share pay a rightful share, thus
relieving those who paid an undue
amount, but one Of the primary prln-
cIples of the laws was the saving and
the conserving Of the money of the
people, eliminating the useless and
improper CRAFTS where they occur. One
Of the most fragrant Of these was the
law permitting sheriffs to bring con-
victs to the penitentlary, and every
bill looking to the changing Of this
law was fought and defeated for many
years, until the special session OF 1904
enacted this salutary system, along
With other equally wise and beneficial
laws. What are the results?
A newspaper reporter was permit
ted to look at Warden Hadiox's re-
port upon the practical workings of
the law, and as it explains itself so
we'll that part of his report is repro
duced here entire:
1.-THE law providing for persons sent
to the penitentiary being transported
BY officers of this institution instead
q BY the sherIffs of the different coun-
ties, became effective November 4,
1904, and has consequently been in
force through nearly all of this bien-
NAL period, only fifteen persons hav-
ing been brought to the penltentiary
from the close of the last biennial
period. October /, 1904, until the new
law went into effect, November /, 1904.
In that time, as will be seen by refer
ence to the tables printed elsewhere
in this report, COG persons were trans
ferred to the penitentiary at total
cost 10 the State Of $7,S45.22. In the
previous biennial period G72 persons
were brought to the penitentiary by
the sheriffs at a total cost to the State
of $29, 75O.2S.
1.-THE per capita cost under the old
system for the biennial period was
Sl4.27. The per capita cost under the
new system is $1O.5T. A comparison
of the cost by counties is also instruc-
tive. !.
On. the previous biennial period 81
conylcts we're brought from Ohio coun-
" at a cost to the State of $1OG.5O.
In the period governed by the new
law guards have brought 40 convlcts
from Ohio county at total cost OF
S14.3O, less than sc cents each, against
$3.43 each by the old system.
For the two years ending Septem-
her 80, 1904, Fayette county sent lo4
convicts to the penitentiary at a total
cost for transportation Of $4,9S4.1C.
For the period under the new law
Fayette sent 81 convicts at a cost Of
$S67.99.
THE per capita cost Nndor the old
system was $47.92. The per capita
cost under the new system is $1O.S3.
"Kanawha county's sheriff brought
during the last biennial period, u cor
vcts to the penitentiary, at a cost oil
$2,147.1S. Under the new system G9
convicts have been brought from Ka
nawha county at a total cost OF
$5GS.95.
"The per capita cost under the o.
system was $29.72; under tue new
law 1t is 1924,
"The last period of The old system
Mercer county's GO corvicts cost tc
bring S3,59559. The first period OF
the new system AZ conyicts were
brought from Mercer county al a cost
of $75G.n.
THE per capita cost III the first case
was $5S.94; in the second case Is
$1S.O2.
mcdowell county sent exactly The
same numucr Of convicGs 9S each, The
last period of the old and the first
period OF the new system, but the IS
under the sheriff's system cost tc
transport SGO32.74. Under the ne"
system the IS cost to transport 81,
1906.