The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-24
Prison Directors Put Stop TO
Enlarging Institutions.
Vote to Give All Brick to Still
ings Road.
HAVEORDER CHANGED
Board of Control Hopes That
1t Will Be Reversed.
May Not Be Able to Erect
Buildings at State Hospital.

announcer ugly looking lIdHSdCllOA
growing out of the Vint Stillings road
scandal at Leavenworth has just come
to light.
BY a vote of two to one. the board
of penitentlary directors has decided to
turn over the entire output of the
prison brick plant to the construction
of the Stil.ings roads, instead of first
supplying the 100000 brick needed
for the erection of new buildings for
the state institutions.
This means that for two or three
years the entire output Of the brick
plant will be used in building road
for the benefit of Senator Vinton Still
linss of Leavenworth. and the state
will have to buy 100000 brick for
use in erecting buildings. 1t will also
be necessary to change all the plans.
specifications and estimates for build
ings to meet the new conditions. for 1t
has always been the custom to use
prison brick in building the state
buildings.
The action of the penitentiary board
was taken at a meeting held July at
Lansing. John Seaton of Atchison,
and w I. Biddle of Leavenworth,
voted in favor of q resolution which
pledged the prison brick plant for
exclusive use of Vint Stilling's road.
T. c. Ballinger voted against this reso-
luton.
When the state board of control at
tempted to get brick for the construc-
ton OF its buildings authorized by the
legislature, it was informed by War
den Haskell of the penitentiary that
the prison could furnish no more
brick. because all the brick manufac-
tured would he needed for the Stillings
road The board of control has been
corresponding with the prison direc-
tors in an effort to secure reversal of
this Infamous order. but thus far has
been unable to accomplish anything.
L may be that the outcome CT the af-
fair will be a suit to test the validity of
the law by which the state authorized
the construction of the Stillings road.
Good lawyers have expressed the belief
that the state had no right to make an
appropriation for the building of such
a road as it is distinctly an internal
Improvement, which the constitution
says the state must not undertake.
Attorney General F. s. Jackson said
today: Il was in Leavenworth few
days ago. and this matter was taken UP
informally with me. The board or d.
rectors seemed to be of the impression
that the law passed by the last legis-
lature was mandatory. and that it re-
quired them to go ahead and use brick
for the construction of the road before
any other purpose. ] gave it as my
opinion, offhand. that the law was not
mandatory. any more than the first law
was mandatory"
'.would you bring proceeding in the
courts to test the validity of the law
authorizing the road?" was asked
IF the matter was brought before me
in the proper way, L think that SUIT
in the name Of the state might be stalt-
ed for this purpose.
None of the members of the board of
control are in the city today, but Score
tary Fred w Knapp said: we nave
had some correspondence with the board
of prison directors and are hoping to Sc
cure from them a reversal of this order
We have not wanted the matter to be-
come public until the directors had an
opportunity to rectimy this action How
ever if the order stands, it will be a ser
fous thing for the state institutions. II
NAV prevent entirely the construction OF
some Of the new buildings authorized by
the legislature. The board of prison d.
rectors will not meet again until some
time early in August, but we hope that
at that time this matter will again be
taken up by them
Some of the state buildings. the cree
ton of which will be interfered with,
and possibly prevented by the action OF
the board of prison directors, are these:
Two cottages for women, accommo-
date $50, al Topeka hospital for insane,
cost $4,000
Two wings for brick hospital build
ing at Topeka hospital, accommodate
$50 additional men patients. cost
$4,000.
Cottage at boys industrial school,
cost $4,000.
Administration building, Parsons
hospital, 5000.
Cottage for crippled children, Atch- |
ison Orphans home, $4,000.
Besides this, there are important
buildings to be erected at the state |
educational institutions. and many |
minor Jobs. such as resetting boilers |
etc. which will require brick.
1t has been estimated that the Still |
ings brick road will cost the state |
$4,000 but this was supposed TO be |
merely in the value of brick manufac- |
tured by convicts, the surplus being |
used for the pavement. Now it seems |
that the prison directors propose to |
use all the brick manufactured at the !
plant for the road. and let the state |
pay the $4,000 in cash, to make up |
the shortage.
The road proposed will connect the |
state penitentIary with the city of |
Leavenworth. and will be about a |
mile and a half long. 1t is a project |
fathered in the legislature by State |
Senator Vinton StilIings of Leaven-
worth. Stillings owns vast tracts of |
land along the route of the proposed |
pavement. which viii be greatly en-
The legislature of 1905 authorized the
while the legislature of 1907 author
lied the prison authorities to sell
enough additional prison brick to pay
for all the sand, groutlng, etc, needed
ana also to pay for a steam road |
roller.
JOE BLONDIN Is CONFIDENT.