The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-07-29
DEMOCRATIC INSPECTORS
ABOLISH STRIPES IN PEN
ITENTIARY.
Attorney General, State Auditor
and Treasurer Object to Article
Laudatory of Governor in
Globe-DemOcrat and Tell of
Reforms.

Jefferson City, Mo-, July H.-Ex-
ceptions are taken by the three men,
bers of the Board of Prison lnspec-
tors, all Democrats, to an article in
The Globe-Democrat Of Monday, In
which credit was given to Governor
Hadley for prison reforms, particu-
larly the abolishing of stripes worn
by the convicts.
Under the law, Attorney General
Elliott W, Major, Auditor John P.
Gordon and Treasurer James Cow
gill, constitute the Prison Board.
The Warden is amenable to their
orders, and they are not required to
advise with the Governor regarding
the administration of prison affairs.
In a signed statement, a part of
which is herewith given, the prison
inspectors seek to correct erroneous
statements in The Globe-Democrat.
They say:
Neither the Governor nor the
Warden have anything to do or say
whatever about the uniform which
the convicts wear. Neither knew
that the bohrd was going to abolish
the stripes until the Board of Inspec-
tors of the Penitentiary directed the
order to be made. We have been
pleased, of course, to find that our
action has met with the approval not
only of the people and of the press,
but of the great penal Institutions
of the country.
The penitentiary for many years
was self-sustaining, in fact, until about
1905. Since that time it has'required
assistance from the State in an annual
sum approximating $4,000. The
Board of Inspectors from 1905 to the
time of our induction into office con-
sisted of General Hadley, Auditor
Wilder, and Treasurer Gmelich. Dur
ing that time they discharged the du-
ties now resting upon us. Better food
could have been furnished then, bu,
was not, and stripes conld have been
abolished, but this was not done.
In beginning our labors as inspect
orS we determined to again place the
Penitentiary upon a self-supporting
basis and in the forefront of penal in
stitutions of the country. We realized
that the dispositions of the convicts
would be better and they could be bet
ter handled and would render more eff
ficient labor if properly fed and cloth
ed and in pursuance of that belief
madea contract giving them better
food. The convicts for years had
worn a rough heavily pegged shoe.
We ordered the purchase of a lighter
and more plant shoe.
Having provided these improved
conditions so far as the convicts were
concerned we next decided that the
contractors should pay more per day
for the convict lobor. During the
session of the last Legislature the
Senate passed bill abolishing the
system of contracting the convict la
Dor, but as the same was not passed
by the House Of Representatives il
failed to become a law. This left the
law as before and necessitating the
renewal of contracts expiring Decem
Der 81, 1909. Two weeks ago We
made an order of record without the
= knowledge, consent or advice of the
Governor or anyone else, fixing the
contract price for each convict at II
cents per day, an increase of is cent.
per day, and the renewal of the con
tract at that price will be approved BY
US. The increase of wages we fig
ured would amount to $50 per day
and would place the Penitentiary up
on self-supporting basis. We fint
the result Of our endeavors along
these lines has been gratifying.
The Governor had nothing to d.
with the food we prescribed nor TIL
clothing and uniform, nor the rule
we have adopted nor the price WI
have set for the convict labor. w
make these corrections now so as no
to permit false statements to go I'm
challenged or false impressions to b
cast abroad.
TN reference to the statement tina
the Governor put an end to variou
State institutions drawing large SUM
Of money from the treasury and keep
ing same on hand until needed to pa,
running expenses, daily deposit Q
such amounts withdrawn, was not
A. = F---~--