Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-12

| The institutions under the manage
ment of the board Of control demand
your most careful consideration.
You will find In the report Of the
board, recently made public, com
prehensive review and discussion OF
| the affairs and necessities of the var
ious institutions and earnestly re-
quest that you make a careful study
Of this report.
Some Of the suggestions made by
the board, as well as some not re-
ferred to in the report, 1 desire to
call to your attention. Especially
would impress upon you the neces.
sity for careful study of the chap
ter devoted to insane and epileptics.
The report shows that we now have
in our hospitals for insane and our
institution for feeble minded children
five hundred and fifty-one epileptics
believe the time has come when
our state should begin to make prep
arations for the care OF it's epileptics
and l therefore recommend that steps
looking to that end be taken by you.
| wish also to suggest in this connec-
ton that any arrangement for the
location OF such a colony should, in
! my opinion, provide that 1t be located
near the center of the state and
| where it would be easily accessible
by railroad.
Increase in Prison Population.
A study Of the report Of the board
of control and Of the board Of parole
will disclose the fact that our prison
| population has increased quite ma
| terially since tho establishment OF
the latter board. The average num-
Der of prisoners at Fort Madison for
the last biennial period was 4s7, as
against 443 for the preceding period,
! and at Anamosa it was 437, as
against 1854, or an average increase
in the two institutions Of 127.
The number Of prisoners received
at the two institutions during the last
biennial period was only SOB, as
against S43 for the preceding period.
1t seems quite clear then, that the
increased average daily number Of
prisoners in the two institutions Is
not due to increase In crime, but to
the frightening of the time OF seI ice
occasioned by the operation of the
new law creating the board of parole
and providing for an indeterminate
sentence No doubt this frightening
Of term of service applies in great
er degree to those having previously
served in prison than to first-term
men, but as to this there are no fig.
ures obtainable. am in full sympa-
thy with the board of parole and in.
determinate law, but would SO
amend 1t as to lodge more discretion
with the board and afford better op-
portunity for observing the conduct
Of paroled men so that greater elem
ency might safely be extended.
At present the board is only allow
ed compensation for, not to exceed,
one hundred days in each year.
believe the time has arrived when
put upon salary and their entire
time should be required in the per-
Torrance of their official duties II
this be done, in addition to having
much more time to devote to the
work now done by the board, be-
lieve that the members could also
look after the paroled men, both as to
securing employment and observing
their conduct, thus obviating the nee
essity for a parole agent
The question of providing a means
whereby part of the earnings Of
each prisoner may be used for the
support of those dependent upon him
Is of vital Importance, as many wo-
men and children are left as objects
Of charity and often to suffer severely
by reason Of having no one to assist
In their support Where there is no
one dependent upon the prisoner the
fund might be allowed to accumulate
and be turned over to him at the
time OF his release to assist him in
getting started. I, however, seriously
question the wisdom of turning
money over to prisoner to be used
upon himself while in prison.
The board of parole has recently
made public its first printed report Of
its dcings and transactions and I re-
specially direct your attention to 1t
as 1t will furnish much valuable In
formation
Good Roads Legislation.
The question Of better roads has
received more than usual attention
during the last year. Many meetings
have been held in various parts Of
the state and great interest has been
taken in the matter Of road building
Many Of the highways Of the state
have become models Of dirt roads,
and with constant attention believe
can be kept so most Of the year.
Especial consideration has been given
to what is known as the River-to-
River road, connecting Council Bluffs
with Davenport and following gener.
ally the line Of the Rock Island rail.
road, and to the Transcontinental