The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-11-24
.PRIs0R LABOR IN
PRIVATE AFFAIRS
Hawaii County Officials Ready to
Abandon ConvlolServants
Jail Fare Bad.
tMnn srcclnl 70 rhe Advertlner.l

CMail Special to The Advcrtincr.)
HILo, November 2O.-The continued
agitation for the abolishing Of ahe
system Of farming out prisoners which
has for many months past been man.
fully carried out by Judge Wise, and
in which no recently had the assist.
anec of the board Of trade and Of the
mosquito campaign committee, is be-
ginning TO bear some fruits. At least
somo of those who have been using the
prisoners admit that the system is
wrong. Some will give up their prisoner
servants for the benefit of the campaign
work. Others win give them up alto
gether.
~ really think that the use Of
prisoners by private parties is wrong, -
said Auditor Mcguire last week. 81
had two. have told Tailor Maby that
don t want any prisoners any more"
Mcguire, by the way, does not seem
to have such a great bargain in the
prisoner line. He had two jailbirds,
whom he furnished with three square
meals day In addition to this he
paid man $3.50 to guard his two
prisoners.
Postmaster George Desha was rather
indignant that he had been mentioned
as one of those having prisoners work
ing for them. He said that others
living on the same street as he does,
were using prisoners, and still their
names had not been mentioned. lie
would, however, not give the names OF
these parties.
Furthermore added Desha, 81
used my prisoners for only about a
week, and that was several weeks ago
did not ask for them. They were
offered to me, and could see nothing
wrong in taking them. Finally ]
offered to pay for their services, but
was told that must not pay for them
The prisoners were glad enough to
work on my place."
81 admit that l don't think thai
system of farming out prisoners is 9
good one" said Treasurer Swain
"While it is nor Illegal, there being NJ
law against it, it is certainly not leg.sl
for their is no Jaw autl orizing ihi
practise. am using sons pr soner'
on my place, but in case the public
wants them for the mosquito campaign
shall not stand in lts way for a mo
ment, for recognize The fact that il
has the first claim.
An Affair of Charity.
con the other hand,' added Swain
l"I don't think the papers and tn,
others who condemn the use of prison
ers by private individuals, should fee
quite as strongly as they do on tn,
subject. 1 took the prisoners working
on my place as a matter of charity
The authorities told me that the prison
ers did not get enough to eat in tn,
jail, not even enough to keep them il
good healthy condition, and that if
would take some of them and Civ,
them three good meals a day, I would
be doing the prisoners a positive bene
fit. There is, as matter Of fact, n,
doubt but that the food which tn,
prisoners get at the Hilo Jail is abso
lutely insufficient. Where the faul
lies for this state of affairs / do no
know"
The Kaukau Question.
The statement by Swain that tn
prisoners are not given sufficient foo,
7 at the Hilo Jail is right in line wit
before Judge Matthewman a week o
two ago, to the effect that a coupl
of defendants who were i'll with beri
beri, owed the origin of their Hines
to the insufficient food given while the
were in Hilo awaiting trial. 1t is yer
generally stated about the county OF
fees that the food given the inmate
of the Hilo Jail is insufficient and poo
in quality.
Where the fault lies for this cond
tiOn of affairs is hard to determine
Some officials blame the county father
stating that the money they set asid
for the feeding of the prisoners is III
terly insufficient, and that Jailer Nab
is doing the very best possible wit
the limited funds at his disposal. 81
pervisOr Austin, on the other hant
stated, when asked about the matte
t that not only were the funds set asid
, for the maintenance of the Hilo ia
lprisoners ample, but they were exec
sive. The intimation has also bee
= made that too large a proportion {
J. the money thus appropriated is use
I for the purchase of victuals for I'll
jailer's table, and that this account
to some extent for the poor quality {
n the prisoners rations. 1t is, hOwevo
y impossible TO tell which of the explani
i tions Is the true one, and on all sid,
is the hope expressed that an investing
tion will be made, If not by the gran
h jury, at least by the board of supe
y visors at its next session.
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