The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-20
LACK Of SEWER
MENACE TOLIFE
Town Authorities of Bingham
Severely CenSured for Un-
sanitary Condition.
JAILS ARE INVESTIGATED
NO REFERENCE TO FOOD COM
BINE IN PARTIAL REPORT.

The special grand jury called primarily
for the purpose of investigating the COM
bine causing the almost prohibitive prices
of food in Salt Lake and secondariIy for
the purpose of investigating the public
| institutions, including the jaiIs and pris-
ons, made a partial report to the district
| court yesterday afternoon. The report
was relative to the condition and manage
ment of the iails the county infirmary
| and the sanitary conditions in Bingham
and did not touch upon the main purpose
Tor which the jury was impaneled. The
| Investigations Of the grand Jury hereto
! fore have been somewhat preliminary
and to date there has been but little tes-
| tlmony taken with reference to the food
| trust. Now that at least some of the
! Otner matters have been reported on, il is
| believed that the grand jury will proceed
with its investigation into the cost OF
| living in Salt Lake.
| Bingham Jail in Filthy Condition.
A feature of the report was the severe
| criticism of the city Jail at Bingham It's
reference to this jail follows:
The Bingham town jail is a disgrace to
| any civilized community. II is filthy. IN
| wholesome and filled with vermin. A hui
| man being should never be required to
| enter, much less to be confined therein.
| Inc grand jury also criticised the un-
Clearly condition Of the Murray and Bling
/
and county jails of Salt Lake in good
| condition. The grand jury recommended
| that the county Jail be enlarged.
In a review of the conditions prevailing
| at the county infirmaTy the report OF the
| jury praises the work of the attendants
/ and recommends that their salaries be in
| creased. 1t also recommends that a new
/ building be erected for the men. that a
| separate building be provided for the de-
mented and that the provisions for the
| institution be furnished through competi-
tive bids.
The sanitary conditions at Bingham can
! yon, according to the report. are con-
slant menace to the health of it's people
and are responsible for the alarming
| spread of typhoid fever. 1t criticises the
| action of the town and county authorities
/ and the state board of health in not con-
structing sewer to carry off the refuse
matter
1.-The Bingham officials" says the re-
port SHOW a complete disregard for the
health of the inhabitants OF :ne town ana
of those who must constantly go to Bing-
ham on business
The report of the grand jury follows IN
] full:
''The grand jury empaneled for Salt
I Lake county on Oct, 8 1851. makes this
/ partial report, the result Of is fnvesti-
cation into the condition and management
of the seven jails located in Salt Lake
| county. the county infirmary and sanitary
conditions in Bingham Canyon:
| management EHiClGUL.
"The Utah state prison, the Salt Lake
county jail and the Salt Lake City jail
are in good condition. The management
of each is efficient, humane and ecOnOm-
! ical.
1.-The state prison is modern and very
| well kept. The health of the prisoners, as
! shown by the hospital records, is much
better than it would be with as many per-
sons outside pursuing the:r ordinary voca-
| tons.
1.-The Salt Lake county Jail is nearly
! twenty years old. but modern plumbing
| has recently been installed and the whole
| structure is well kept. 1t is not large
/ enough for present needs. and another ro-
tary should be added. With the doubled
capacity the Jail would not be too large.
! THE Salt Lake city Jail is new and mod
| ern. The inside of the building needs paint
and some repairs to plumbing and other
( apparatus.
1.-THE prisoners at these institutions
make no complaint as to the food they
/ are furnished and upon investigation we
| find the meals are clean, wholesome and
well suited to men closely confined a large
part of the time.
Jail Is Overerowded.
In the Salt Lake county and Salt Lake
city jails each prisoner should be placed
| in a separate cell If this is done less i'm
morality will result from such conffne
ment. There is also less opportunity for
the exchange of information upon the sub
/ ject OF crime and the methods of crimi-
nails. These jails have too many occupants
at this time TO give each man separate
/ cell, but a cell should never be permitted
| to stand vacant while another cell has two
| occupants. The county and the city should
provide a sufficient number of cells at
! each place, so that this plan can be car
ried out. The general health of the pris-
| Oners would be improved and much more
good and less harmful results would come
/ from the enforcement of the penal laws.
| The quilts now in use at these Jalls
! should be discarded and replaced with
! blankets. Quilts cannot be washed and
are more difficult to disinfect. They har-
/ Dor vermin and retain filth Blankets can
be washed at regular intervals and can be
| easily disinfected.
1.-THE Murray city Jail is the old county
Jail at that point and is being used by
the city while the new city jail is being
built. 1t is not kept clean. The fact that
its use is only temporary does not eK-
cuse its present uncleanly condition
Bingham Jail Disgrace.
THE Bingham town Jail is a disgrace to
any civilized community. II is filthy, I'M
wholesome and filled with vermin. A hu-
I man being should never be required 10
enter. much less be confined therein. If
new Jail is to be built. the old one should
not be used during the period of construc
ton 1t should be abandoned and de-
stroyed at once.
''The Bingham Junction jail is cOmpar-
atively new. having been built three
years ago, but it is neglected. Judging
from its appearance. it has not been
1 swept in the last six months. 1t should
Continued on Page 8.
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