Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-02-15

contend and bringing scientific results
home to the people in practical ways
This is a most important move because
of the great variety of soils and eli.
mates in these islands and the meth.
DDS, comparatively strange to most
people, that must be employed to in.
sure success.
ATTORNEY GENERALS
DEPARTMENT.
General. The function of this De.
partment is largely that of assistance
to other departments. It's work is
mostly advisory and the drafting OF
documents, and yet it has conducted
much court work during the biennial
period, Notwithstanding the transfer
of most of the criminal work to the
county attorneys. 1t has appeared in
80 cases in the Supreme Court, 275 in
the Circuit Courts, $50 in the District
Courts, and 16 in the United States
District Court. OF these cases III
were for inheritance taxes, resulting
in the collection of $i65, 6S9.35. Dur
ing this period special effort has
been made to clean up, and much of
the brunt of this work has naturally
fallen on the Attorney Generals De-
partment. 1t has included the recov-
cry of lands, the settling of land titles,
and the collection of back rents, taxes,
water and sewer rates and other gov.
eminent claims. AS a result of nu-
merous suits, such claims have been
collected to the extent Of 72,62G62
This has been accomplished and prob
ably can be kept up by the present of
flee force, although it was reduced at
the beginning of the period by one
deputy. The Importance of this De-
partment indirectly. as a revenue pro
Queer and directly as a balance-wheel
to the other Departments is not always
fully appreciated.
Appeals in Criminal Cases. 1t is
highly important, both for uniformity
of decisions III criminal law in the sew
eral circuits and for the protection Of
the public, that appeals be allowed to
be taken to the Supreme Court on
points of law by the prosecution as
well as by defendants at certain pre-
liminary stages in criminal cases, and,
accordingly, | recommend that law
be enacted for this purpose similar to
that enacted by Congress several
years ago for criminal cases in the
Federal Courts.
Indeterminate Imprisonment. A de-
cided step in advance in methods of
punishment was made by the last Leg.
iSlature when it provided for indeter.
inmate sentences This law, however,
entails a large amount of work upon
the officer or board which has to pass
upon questions of paroles and dis
charges-more work, indeed, than can
be expected of an unpaid Board of
Prison Inspectors, upon which such
work now devolves. Accordingly. l
suggest that the law be amended SO
rs to cast this burden on the Warden
If the prison, acting with the concur
"ence of the Attorney General. In
matters of this kind any officer OF
board must necessarily act largely
upon the report of the Warden, and
the Governor ordinarily refers such
matters to the Attorney General be-
ore acting on recommendation for
parole or discharge.
Incidentally, the law should be
amended so as to remove an ambigui-
" as to the cases in which indetermi.
~ excepting cases in which sentences
shall be suspended instead of cases in
which they may be suspended.
The provision that trial judges and
Prosecuting officers shall furnish Ger.
ain information to the boards of pris
IN inspectors may as well be repealed,
Is it is impracticable and has been
imperative.
Territorial Prison. All jails were
transferred to the counties two years
tgo, leaving to the Territory only the
Territorial penitentiary known as
oahu Prison. The appropriation fol
he maintenance of this prison has
leen exhausted, owing to an underes
innate of the amount that would be |
equired for this purpose when the |
honolulu Jail was separated from this |
rison. A careful analysis shows that |
he cost per day per prisoner has in
reased only a few cents in spite of |
dyancing prices and the fact that the |
lumber of prisoners was reduced by |
he separation of the Jail. The cost |
I maintaining the prison and the Jail |
must necessarily be great
than that of maintaining them to |
ether, and the increase in cost per
risoner is naturally greater for the
all than for the prison because of the
mailer number of prisoners. The
ost per prisoner per day at the prison
; less than so cents, or about hall
What 1t Is in some of the prisons on
he mainland containing about the
anne number of prisoners. The aver
ge number of prisoners has been 219
er day during the last two years. The
eceipts for support of Federal prison
RS were $14.328.00. Special attention
as been given to sanitation and the
risoners have been kept employed as
ar as possible largely out of doors, or
Dads, parks, sewer works and in for
stry work. as well as In the manufac.
ure of hats, clothes and shoes and the
erformance of other services at the
rison.
The main building was constructed
\ 1857 and not only Is not fire-proof
ut the arrangement Is such that each
ell must be locked separately, thus
iaking the danger from fire very
reat. Accommodations also are so
adequate that often two or three
risoners have to be put in one cell. |
here is urgent need of an adequate
for new buildings t
hese might well be constructed in t
lrge part by the prisoners themselves
is also a serious question whether
dyantage should not be taken of the
pportunity when new buildings are +
to change the location. c
THE COURTS. q