Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-07-06
BIG DEFICIENCY
IN PRISON FUNDS
Three Fourths of
Appropriation Al
ready Used
M|SMANAGEMENT CHARGED
Acting Governor Reynolds
Advises Penitentiary Com
mission of Bad Situation.


During the recent fake administra.
ton of this Territory it was officially
| claimed BY Ex-Governor Fl. j. Hager-
| man and by the man who he import
| ed from Kansas and appointed super
intendent of the Territorial peniten-
tiary, that great saving had been
made in the cost of the maintenance
| OF the prison, that the strictest econo-
| my had been practiced, that all use
| less expenses had been cut down, that
a handsome surplus was on hand
| December ], 1906 the beginning Of
the present fiscal year and that many
permanent improvements at consider
able cost had been made since Trel-
ford took charge. These claims were
the 57th fiscal year and in the official
message of Ex-Governor Hagerman to
the 9th Legislative Assembly. They
were stretched to the utmost in the
albuquerque Morning Coyote Journal
and in few other yellow sheets in
the pay of the fake reform administra-
tion, and were used as club where
with to hit the former penitentiary
administration under III. O. Bursum,
and also make the people OF New
Mexico believe that the former admin
istrations under Republican officials
were corrupt, eXtravagant and ineffi-
cient. A careful investigation or the
books in the Office of the treasurer Of
the Territory prove conclusively the
mendacious falsehood, the cheeky in
correctness, the intentional untruth,
and the mallciously prevaricating and
misstating character Of these claims.
Indeed, tine affairs OF the Territorial
penitentiary under the Hae rnall NJ
legged retDl.n administration and un-
der the charge OF Trelford have been
so mismanaged, and 50 badly conduct.
ed as to show today the greatest
cost for seven months of the fiscal
year of any year in the history of
the prison, and that already a great
and serious deficit exists Had Trel-
ford remained there is no question
that the cost of the prison for this
fiscal year would have been $4,000
more than the appropriation of $685.
600, or $4,000 in all and with nothing
to show for such huge increase ex-
cepting the ordinary maintenance,
namely: pay of employees, supplies and
current expenses. No permanent i'm
provements OF any value can be
found and the New Mexican is inform
ed that the costly brick machine
is nearly played out and that other
machinery has gone down hill, and
that many of the draft animals and
vehicles are becoming decrepit and
may soon have to be condemned. The
matter IS up to the penitentiary COM
mission which assembled today in spe-
cial session as it Is believed for the
purpose of applying a coat Of white
wash to Trelford and few coats of
mud to Acting Governor Reynolds
and Attorney General Prichard.
The following official communica-
ton addressed by Acting Governor
Reynolds to the board of prison COM
missioners was sent to the chairman
of the board this afternoon and
speaks for itself. The New Mexican
publishes it in full that the people
may know. The figures are obtained
from official sources and have been
carefully compiled by competent au-
thorities. The letter reads:
Financial Condition Of the Penitentiary
July I, 1907
Gentlemen--ln connection with the
report of Mr. Trelford as to the finan
cial condition of the penitentiary on
December ], 1906, your attention is
called to the fact that it is in many
respects inaccurate and misleading.
For instance, some of the totals can.
not be verified by summing up the
items which go to make these totals,
although they may be the result of
typographical errors. So much cannot
be said, however, for his imputation
on page 5 that no record of accounts
receivable was made by his predeces-
sor, since Mr.. Trelford himself re-
ceipted for something more than
$4,100 of such accounts and after
wards collected them.
An even more egregious blunder, or
deliberate Misrepresentation, is the
statement of credit on page II, where
other items there is deducted
$71, 900 on account of receipts from
convicts' earnings. Mr.. Trelford's own
figures on pages 8 and 10 show that
$4,000 Of this amount was direct
appropriation by the legislature, while
$4,196 was paid in by Mr.. Bursum,
who it seems also paid in $500 more
on April 2, 1906, before he relin-
quished the superintendency. This
1896 was not held In trust as 1t
should have been pending the deci-
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