The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-05
STATES PRISON
IN FINE SHAPE
Every Obligation Paid and
~S324,844.89 Paid
State
CASH FOR EXPENSES
In Report Of States Prison Directors
County Convict Chain Gang Policy
is Condemned and a Change in the
Law is Urged. the Abolishing of All
Chain-Gangs in North Carolina.

"a III aiiu al &iidISC III III
Law is Urged. the Abolishing of All
Chain-Gangs in North Carolina.
The report of the Board of Direc-
tors of the State Prison, presented to
n Governor yesterday gives the
financial condition for 1907 and 1908
with some important recommended
ton from superintendent j. S. Mann,
Chief among these being that all chain
Sangs in North Carolina be abolished.
The report sets out that all obliga-
tions have been paid, on December
81, 1908. there being n hand SAL
500. 10 in cash and $13,319.23 in sol
Vent credit not due and in farm
products unsold, the total balance be-
ing $154,675.93. The report shows
$6.5S4.07 paid in 1906 for paving
Capitol Square, $4,000 paid into the
treasury in 1907 for the general fund,
$4,000 paid in 1907 and 1908 to sup
port The Hospital for the dangerous
insane. making a total paid out to the
State of $1~9O.7S4.O7, This added to
the balance on hand December 31st,
1908, would make the sum $345,460.
Deducting from this $20,615.11, ~the
net balance from the previous man
agement of the prison there is $324.-
$44.S9. which represents the surplus
oI earnings over expenditures under
~ III NS0Iit hAdIliStihcAh sH
administrations of Governor Aycock
and Governor Glenn.
The General Assembly of 1907 en-
acted three laws affecting the revenues
OF the states Prison.: one directs the
board Of prison directors to de-
post with the State Treasurer
on or be fore January 1st, -909,
a sun sufficient to pay what
are known as Prison Bonds and
which amount to s170,00o; another
appropriated $4,000 per annum for
the support and maintenance of the
Hospital for the Dangerous Insane, a
total for the two years OF $l0,OOO; an
other $4,000 for the use of the gem
eral fund of the State. These
laws have been complied with. In
September, 1908. the State Treasurer
requested the superintendent OF the
Prison to give to him as early inform
alton as possible as to the amount the
Prison would be able to pay on the
Prison Bonds as directed by CHAP
ter 152 of the Public Laws. a letter
was sent.
to the Assistant Attorney General, set
ting out that the Board was directed
to dcposi with the State Treasurer by
January LIST, 1909, a sum sufficient to
pay the Prison Bonds of $4,000
then due. tha by direction of the Leg
islature $4,000 of State Prison earn
ings had been paid the State Treas
urer for the general fund with the
statement chat about $4,000 would
he on hand on January 1. 1903. not
sufficient to pay the bonds in full, and
not leaving an amount sufficient to
pay the Prison expenses after Janu-
ary ]. though the Legislature of 1903
could provide for this. The question
was then asked if the Directors could
exercise any discretion n hold back
part Of the prison bonds for support
and maintenance The Assistant At
torney General replied that under the
law they could not, though this was
evidently a mistake of the Leg
islature. which, in 1909, would un-
doubtedly arrange for running eX-
penses.s on December third there
was q conference of the Prison Direc-
tors with the Governor and Council
Of State and the Board was advised
not to turn in all of its funds and
leave the institution a burden on the
State, as it could not even then q
all the prison bonds, hat this was
certainly not the purpose of the leg
isIature. The Board of Directors,
however, concluded il best to a out
what cash they had on hand, and on
the last of the yea issued a voucher
for $141,356.10, the total cash bal
and HANDED this to the Treasurer
as directed b. Chapter 1872 of the
Public Laws. The report of Superin-
tendent j. $. Mann then continues as
follows:
But they have requested the state
Treasurer, and he has consented, to
hold this voucher and not use it or
any portion of it in the payment of
the Prison Bonds until after the
Legislature of 1909 shall have con-
Fened, in order that it may, if it so
desires, pass an act authorizing him
o return h voucher to the Board
If Directors and not require the ex-
Jenditure of the Prison earnings in
payment of the bonds. If the Leg
.islature shall take this course the
Prison will have ample funds for It's
uture maintenance, but if the Treas
Irer is required to use the voucher as
on the bonds. there will
emain in the hands of the Directors
My $13,319.23 of assets and serious
Embarrassment may result.
Physical Condition.
The physical condition of the in
is entirely satisfactory. The
eneraI health for the past two years
as been good and the death rate low.
he brick plant is in good order and
- have on the yard at least 500 cords
/ dry wood for future use. Ar
angcments have been made to resume
tork N the early spring.
The State Farm.
The farm has not yielded as well
S usual for the last tive years. Heavy |
and river floods were very de-
tructive to the growing crops
Turing both sessions, but particularly
o in 1903. The damage by the
liver in August last by careful esti- |
nate amounted to at least twenty |
i've thousand dollars. We have en-
bIONcd. about three hundred prisoners
IS usual III cultivating the farm. New
comfortable dwellings have been
Quilt at Il cost Of $500, and are now
occupied by the supervisors and their
families.
Contracts.
We have found from experience
there are usually about three
hundred prisoners available for m
work and have e~ndeaVored to
that humber hus employed.
70 nearly q year and a half we
have had Il camp of seVenty-hvc men
in Surry county at work upon the
Elkln * Allegheny Railroad, and seV-
enty-fve in Hyde II Beaufort coun-
ties at work upon the Mattamuskeet
Railroad. The State is interested as a
stockholders in both of these tenter-
prises and pays to the Prison the