The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-07-01
WEDNESDAY, JULY /, 1908.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL Tickle
For President:
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, Of Ohio
For Vice President:
JAMES S. SHERMAN, Of New York
STATE PRISON AFFAIRS.


Recent proceedings in connection
with letting a contract for the care OF
convicts in the state penitentiary have
developed a very peculiar condition
of affairs. 1t appears that the parties
who have had charge of the convicts
for several years past have acquired
. vested interest In the state prison,
which makes it practically impossible
for any other person to successfully
compete for the contract.
In response to q call made by the
state board of prison commissioners,
bids for the care of Montana convicts
we're received from the present con-
tractors and q Butte firm which de-
sired the business. The Butte people
were the lowest bidders, but owing to
some alleged defects In the proceed.
ings their offer was rejected, and a
second call for bids was issued. The
tender of the Butte bidders was again
the lowest, and was accepted with the
proviso that they must purchase from
the present contractors the property
which they OWE and which the board
should decide is necessary for the
proper performance of the contract.
These conditions brought disclo.
sures that we're certainly a surprise to
the public. The successful bidders
we're confronted by q claim from the
present contractors amounting to
about S76, 600, which they alleged to
be the value of their interest in the
state prison prOperty-a claim which
the Butte bidders were not prepared
to recognize without proper investiga.
ton. This hitch in the proceedings
resulted in q public statement from
the board OF prison commissioners
which contained this most remark able
information:
"At said meeting the board vas sur
prised to learn for the first time that
there were no files or records In its
Office showing the property at the pris.
on, or connected Herewith, which be-
longed to the state OF Montana, and
no inventory or other record of the
property owned personally by the con-
tractors. Messrs. Conley n McTague,
and necessary and required to be taken
over by the state or the succeeding
contractors, when the contract with
Conley 4 McTague was by action of
the board brought to . conclusion"
This confession certainly indicates
very peculiar. and unsatisfactory meth.
DDS of conducting the public business.
State property worth thousands OF
dollars Is placed in care of contrac-
tors who are permitted to merge their
private property with it. and the pub.
lie authorities, in the course of q few
years, have no official knowledge as
to what portion Of the penitentiary
equipment belongs to the state, or how
much of it belongs to the contractors.
The claim OF the latter that they own
s76, 600 worth oflthe state prison prop
erty may or may not be correct, but
who knows?
The result of these developments
was that the successful bidders refused
to pay $4,000 forSthe privilege OF en-.
tering into a contract until . proper
valuation OF the property was made
and they were satisfied that they need.
ed it. The award to the Butte bidders,
which represented a saving Of about
10000 a year to the state, was there.
upon r%escinded, the board of prison
commissioners deciding to abolish the
contract system, and appointing one
of the present contractors as warden
at a salary of $4,000 q year, and agree
ing to pay a rental Of 81, 200 a yea,
for the property not owned by the
state.
Whether the responsibility for this
very peculiar condition of at airs rests
upon the board of prison commission
ers or the state legislature is no
known at this writing, but there ap
pears to have been very poor bushes.
methods in providing for the care o
convicts in the Montana penitentiary
DOOlEY TALKS POLITICS.