The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-12-21
PRISONER EXPENSE
LAW ENOUGH
Senate Committee Brings Out Testl-
mony Regarding State Sup
ply Costs.


ment that some of the heads of state
institutions formerly made requisition
upon the state board of public affairs
for 1uxuries, such as canned cherries,
queen olives, canned strawberries and
raspberries, as part of the supplies
intended for feeding inmates, was
made by e. d. Howard, secretary of
the board, to the senate investigation
committee today. Mr.. Howard also
said that acquisitions were made by
at least one state normal for football
uniforms.
The board of affairs took a number
of these acquisitions to the governors
office, according to Mr.. Howard, for
his inspection, and as result the
chief executive wrote letter to the
board of affairs, authorizing it to dis
approve all such items, and also wrote
letters to some of the institution heads
notifying them that the state would
not pay for such things. The commit
tee asked the board to prepare state
ment from its records showing wheth-
er or not the former board of affairs al
lowed such items.
1t was brought out that the board
approved claim for about $4OO for
rent for temporary quarters for the
Durant Normal, although the head of
the institution would not approve it,
and that the state auditor afterward
held the claim up after he had issued
a warrant because of a supposed agree
ment of citizens to furnish free rent
to the state. Secret ary Howard testi-
fed that the claim was approved by
the former president of the institution
who was in charge whe nthe bill was
incurred and sworn to by the presi-
dent of the Durant City school board,
and that the board considered this
sufficient authority for approving it.
Coffee Prices Higher.
Secretary Howard answered the
question asked yesterday regarding
the purchase of coffee, testifying that
on August 10, 1911, requisition was
made upon the board for 1850 pounds
of coffee of a certain brand at 19c per
pound, but that it was not purchased
until Dec. 5 of that year. In the mean
time, he said, the price of coffee adj
vanced &c per pound.
Senator Thomas asked regarding the
boards method of handling the state
printins. Secretary Howard replied
that the board was merely an adjunct
to the state printing department, only
being authorized to approve contracts
awarded to the state printer
In reply to an inquiry from Senator
Thomas as to the letting of the con
tract for printing the code, Eugene
Morris. member of the board, read
from minutes of the board showing
that the contract was let to a st. Paul
printing company which was the
lowest bidder He stated that Mr.
Howard voted no on this contract
giving the opinion that extras, by rea-
son Of the distance of the printing es-
tabishment from Oklahoma, would
bring the cost up to that of Oklahoma
concerns, and also for the reason that
the job should not be let to nonunion
printers.
r. w. Dick, warden Of the state peni.
tentiary, was examined relative to the
requisitions made by him for khaki
cloth at 45c per yard. Dick corrobor-
ated the testimony of members of the
board of affairs relative to securing
for the state two rebates, amounting
to total of 91ac per yard, on the cloth
as a result of an investigation by him
self and the board before paying for
the goods. He admitted that he might
have made a mistake in this purchase
He said he knew practically nothing
about this class of goods, relying on
the statements of the storekeeper at
the prison and merely inserted the
price in the requisition as a sugges
tion to the board of affairs.
Cost of Maintenance.
Warden Dick stated that the best
evidence that the penitentiary buys
goods cheap is comparative state
ment from reports of wardens of other
penitentiaries which shows that the
Oklahoma prison has the lowest main
tenance cost per capita of any.
The oklahoma cost is 40c, he said
while other states run from 43c to 72c
Warden Dick was asked relative tc
insurance of the penitentiary build
ings. replying that policies were writ
ten up by several companies and sub
mitted to himself and the board oi
affairs for approval, but that the rate
was so nigh they decided it would be