Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-03
Long Standing Annual Deficit
Transformed in Eight Months
Into Substantial Credit Ball
anCe,
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
COMMISSION MADE PUBLIC
Institutions Bills, Once Carried
by Banks Now Paid on First
of Each Month"; Some Inter-
eSting Statistics,
The Morning Journal Bureau.
@.

1 SANTA re, N. M, teD. =.
The report Of the board of peniten-
tiary commissioners to the governor
for the fifty-sixth and flfty-seventh
fiscal years, and including the report
Of superintendent Arthur Teford, has
just appeared in printed form. and is
ready for distribution. 1t Is a report
which will be read with unusual in
| terest because of the recent disclos-
ures Of msmanagement of the peni-
| tentiary under the recent manage
ment, and II is a document which Will
well repay careful study
The report shows a condition of az
fairs in the prison in all departments,
which cannot but prove satisfactory
to the people, since in every depart
ment marked improvement is To be
found while the institution is ON an
absolutely sound financial basis for
the first time in years. This is all the
more remarkable when the difficult
ties with which the management has
had to contend are recalled.
When the present superintendent of
the penitentlary took charge of the
institution last April he was con-
fronted by somewhat discouraging
condition Of affairs. Although the
fiscal year was but four months gone.
the new superintendent found that
more than one-half of the appropria-
tion for general maintenance for that
(the fifty-seventh) fiscal year. had al
ready been expended. presumably to
meet the unpaid accounts of the pre-
vious Cor fifty-sixth) fiscal year. and
that there remained In addition thou
sands of dollars OF unpaid warrants
which were still to be paid out of the
general maintenance appropriation
for the fifty-seventh fiscal year These
unpaid bills had not been mentioned
in the annual report of the previous
year; no mention was made OF them
anywhere, and the annual report OF
the former superintendent actually
showed small balance to the
credit of the institution - twelve
thousand dollars of unpaid bills were
to be met out of the funds for the
| succeeding fiscal year this practice
having been steadily followed for
some years past The discovery OF
| this condition was a surprise not only
to the new SUPERINTENDENT but to
| every one not intimately acquainted
with the financial affairs of the pris-
on and was the direct cause OF the
| investigation OF the prison books
which followed and which showed the
long period of gross mismanagemen
now familiar to the public.
The examination of the prison ac-
counts has since shown that on De-
cember l, 1904, at the close of the
fifty-fourth fiscal year, there existed
a net deficit OF $17.7S4.45. This def
lct was paid out of the funds of the
fifty-flfth fiscal year and at the end
Of that year. or on December T. 1905.
| there still existed a deficit of S12,-
449.64. This deficit had been carried
through the flfty-sixth fiscal year by
drawing on the funds Of the fifty
seventh fiscal year, although no word
appeared In any report to show that
such deficit existed. The absence
OF any mention OF this deficit there
fore, left the present management
wholly unprepared to find at the end
year more than half Of the general
maintenance fund already expended,
and thousands of dollars OF unpaid
vouchers to care for
II was, therefore, no light task
which confronted the new manage
ment. 1t was called upon to run tho
institution for the remaining two
thirds Of the year on less than half
the annual general maintenance ap-
preparation to make certain very nee
essarv Improvements which the de-
cayed physical condition of the instl-
tuition rendered Imperative and at
the same time TO pay the left over
warrants Of the former management.
Superintendent Trelford has sue
ceeded not only In doing these things.
but he has operated the institution
successfully. has increased Its earn
ing capacity, has raised its standard
In all departments and has left at the
end Of the fifty-seventh fiscal year a
net credit balance OF t9.774.1t. In adj
dition TO which the institution had on
hand at the end Of the year supplies
which involced s4,077.06.
The formal report OF the superln-
tendent Is given In full below:
To the Honorable Board OF Peniten-
tiary Commissioners Of the Terri
tory OF New Mexico.
Gentlemen: As superintendent Of
the New Mexico penitentiary. l here
with submit the biennial report for
the flfty-sixth and flfty-seventh fis-
cal years. ending November 80. 1896.
together with the report OF the prison
physician.
Financial. Reviewing the financial
condition OF this institution at the
lclose Of the fIfty-seyenth fiscal year,