New-York tribune., 1912-01-12
MAY BUILD NEW PRISON
Assembly Likely to Refuse TO
Abandon Wingdale Site.
STATE SPENT MUCH FOR IT
Saving by Reconstruction OF
Sing Sing, Dix's Plan, Might
Be Little.
rsy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Albany. Jan. 11-There is now strong
probability that the construction OF the
new state prison at Wingdale, in Dutchess
County. viii be continued in spite of Gov
ernor Dix.
The Chief Executive in his annual mes
sage recommended the abandoning Of the
project and the enlargement of Sing sing
instead. The new prison cannot be aban-
doned except by legislation and the obtain
ing of the consent of all those TO whom
contracts have been let. after properly re-
inbursing them. Negotiations TO gain the
consent Of the contractors are now under
way. but as far as can be learned are
making little progress. And It is believed
here that even 81 the necessary consents
are had the Republican Assembly VIII not
pass such law as the Governor desires.
For years previous 10 the election of Gov
ernor Dix It had been a party policy Of the
Republicans to build a new prison. on ac-
count Of the overcrowded condition Of Sing
Sing, and it is not likely that that policy
will be abandoned by the Republican ma
jority in the Assembly.
The P. j. Carlin Company has the gen
sral contract for the construction of the
prison. and the new Prison Commissioners,
appointed to succeed the Republican com
nissioners removed by Governor Dix, gave
the Company the right TO discontinue the
work until February /. after gaining the
consent Of the bondsmen for the contractor.
The company will be obliged 10 continue
the work on that date unless an extension
Of time is given. If the Governor does get
the legislation he wants. there is little
possibility of his getting II before FeOru-
sry /.
Already q large amount Of money has
been spent on Wingdale. The site cost
,so,06. the architects plans about 100000
and the work already done by the con-
tractor nearly $4,000 Another large amount
would have TO be added to get the consent
Of the contractors TO abandon the prison.
and should the prison be abandoned the
bigger part Of this money would be lost TO
the state When the talk Of abandoning
the prison was first made public 1t was
understood that the p. ]. Carlin company
was anxious TO give w its contract and
had offered to do so on payment by the
state of 10000
II was six years ago that the law 10 Sc
cure new prison and creating new
prison commission was enacted. The first
site selected by the commission was Bear
Mountain. This site was abandoned last
year when q group Of millionaires gave TO
the state large tract Of land near by to be
turned into a state park. One OF the con-
ditions Of the gift was that the Bear Noun
tain prison be abandoned. Although more
than 100000 had been spent on this site.
law was enacted abandoning It. Wingdale
was then selected, and now Governor Dix
Is trying to abandon that, too.
II is estimated that the new prison at
Wingdale would cost s2,2O0OO0, while in
order TO save money Governor Dix pro-
poses additions to the antiquated Sing Sing
prison that would cost about 100000.
Many legislators here cannot see where the
saving comes in, particularly in view of
the loss entailed by the abandoning OF
Wingdale They also hold that new
prison would be much more desirable than
a worked over old one.