The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-09

;. Mann. Former superintendent OF
h State Prison. Approved by Tho
Board Of Directors in 1909 Are in
Line With the Suggestions Of DIR.
LaughinghOu~c.
To the EDITOR have been read
ing with considerable interest the dis
custom through the columns OF The
! News and Observer of the question ~
10 the best method Of employing the
conNictS OF the State. It seems to mo
that pr. Chas. OH. observation-disclosures
IN his communication OF the Goth.
comes near being on the right track.
That | should readily agree with pr.
L"auShlnghcuSe is Very easy. for tho
suggestions he makes happen 10 be al
most identical with those made by J..
). Mann. former superintendent Of tho
states Prison, and adopted by the
BoaTd OF Directors, of which l was
then q member and transmitted to
the Governor III the report Of the
Board on January /, 1893. The rec
concentrations then made were Us fol-
lows:
That all chain gangs IN North Caro-
lima b" totally abolished.
That all persons convicted of felony.
less than capital. be committed direct
to the States Prison.
THAT all persons convicted or INSIDE
neanors and sentenced to terms Of i'm
= s. b' ttlIiHiltt'I ttitI ~ 'bS
state farm or 10 the nearest misdehieanor
camp.
That all persons committed 70 jail TO
await trial. except those charged with
capital felony, be given the privilege. with
the consent Of the State authorit es. to
join the nearest established
camp as Il member and subject to the
rules and discipline thereof until the I me
Of trial, and. if convicted. the sentence
given to he shortened by the length OF
service before conviction. and, if acQut-
ted. to be paid by the State authorit ca
the same wages per day for the service
rendered before trial that is being re-
cc4yed for In7sncmeanor prisoners. less the
cost Of transportation.
That all persons serving sentences for
crime, whether felony or III sdemeanor.
shall hc under the management. direction
and control of the Board ii State Prison
Directors as fully and completely and ex-
e@lus:sely as the State Prison now IS.
THAT the said Board of Directors shall
have full authority to transfer III Sie
| nleanor prisoners from one point in the
f State to the State farm or TO any other
/, point. in Their discretion, either for work
or for hospital attention, but shall not
not be authorized to mingle together per
sons convicted Of felony and those con
, v1cted of miSdemcanOrS, G tier at the farm.
in camps or apon any kind OF work.
That al miSdemeanor prisoners be re-
t qulred to Wear an adopted uniform. but
= not the regular convict stripes.
! That a competent civil engineer be
: employed by the State and laid an an
, nual salary, whose duty 1t shall be to
iay 49, III q ptoINi III - II bidil
e ner any public road or highway III the
$ State which is proposed to be constructed
or improved with convict labor:
4 THAT any county in the State that
desires to use convict labor in the con
: struction OF Improvements Of its h gh-
, ways shall apply first to the state Engi.
i neer to lay out and make plans for said
/ work or to approve plans already made.
THAT the said county shall then ap-
t ply to the Board OF State Prison hirec-
: tors for the number Of ~convicts desired
:. for the work. this number in no ease
to be less than fifty.
: That the Board Of Directors, ~ soon
e as possible after the receipt OF the APP
nlication and the approval Of the State
O Engineer, shall furnish the labor request
: ed and proceed to construct or improve
: The highway, under the direction Of the
state Engineer.
I "That ali applications from counties fol
S convict labor shall be honorcd in turn &c.
i cept that no county may use at any time
more than 100 it an applicat. on from an
4 other county is pcrdIng and no labor |.
I. available for it.
i That counties using convict labor
o shall Jay to the State therefor the sum
If S1.6o per day for each lahorer, shall
pay ali transportation charges one way
a Shall furnish quarters. 70 be approved
by the Board OF Prison ~rectors, fol
= prisoners and employees: shall also fur
= nish pure drinking water and necessary
fire wood for camp use, and shall furHtsl
o.erseers to direct the work. All oihel
n be borne By the Board Of Prison Dircc
tors.
convict problem was discussed
very exhaustively by the board of di
h rectors of the prison before these rec
concentrations were made by Super
q intendent Mann, and l believe tina
these suggestions contain the best SO
luton Of the question that has eve
1T been offered.
is There was another matter whic'
the board Of directors Of the prison q
the time these suggestions were mad
had in view, and that was that unde
"a the plans proposed all ~convicts Woul
Is be under uniform treatment through
&c out the state, and thus the possibilit
of scandals, from mistreatInent *oul
m be more certainly avoided. Wit
many county chain gangs. each IN
- der q different system OF discipline.
w was then thought. and | now believe