East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-01-14

for maintenance than was appropriat-
ed at the last session.
Insane Hospitals.
The overcrowded conditions which
have prevailed at the Oregon State
Insane Asylum at Salem during the
past few years have been relieved to
a certain extent by the occupancy of
! the new receiving hospital and will be
further relieved by the transfer with
/ in the next few days of large num-
/ Der of patients to the new hospital at
Pendleton. This transfer would have
been made upon the first of the year
/ had il not been for an unfortunate
delay in supplying certain harware
needed for the final completion of the
/ Institution.
The Oregon State Penitentiary.
/ This institution had its birth about
| forty years ago. Added years and
population brought it added filth and
added rubbish For two whole years
we have shoveled and scraped and
scraped and shoveled in an endeavor
to make the institution and grounds
clean and sanitary. We have made
much progress, but still have far to
go. However, this coming year will
see such work pretty well taken care
/ of and the institution and properties
take on an appearance which will
compare favorably with the best of
similar institutions in other states.
! The superintendent report repre-
sents in detail much information in
regard to the affairs of the institu-
ton and merits your careful consider
alton. The Institutions problem is
what to do with its surplus labor. This
question must be met. During the
! past year we have been able, in spite
/ Of unjust criticism, Misrepresentation
and many obstacles, to keep the men
all busily engaged and at occupations
which were of profit to the public.
I Upon taking office l found scores
| of idle men in the institution and
( their ranks were suddenly swellei by
the cancellation of the stove foundry
contract. Notwithstanding the delap-
/ idated structures and the filth and
| rubbish sadly in need of removal,
many of these idle men were locked
in their cells or permitted to loaf ar
ound the prison yard.
To RELIEVE the situation, those
whom it was thought could be trust
ed were sent out to work on the
roads and at various state institu-
tons. The balance were kept busy
in and about the prison premises
cleaning and repairing the building
and in clearing and reclaiming waste
and unproductive lands.
The people of this state at our re-
cent election by large vote endorsed
the policy of working convicts on
county roads and at state institutions
1t can therefore be taken as settled
policy and one which will take care
of about one-third of our prison pop
ulation. A similar number can be
utilized in the ordinary upkeep of the
prison and prison properties This
leaves one-third of the population not
provided for. These men cannot and
must not be left in idleness. The in
stitution can work out its own saliva
ton if the management is given the
right and authority to conduct it on
business principles and use institu-
tional earnings to cover operating ex-
penses, install additional industries
and take care of needed improve
ments.
Turn to the brick yard account of
1911 and you will find notwithstand-
ing over one-third of the brick man
ufactured was delivered to state in
stitutions at $500 per thousand, the
sum of $16,700 was turned into the
state treasury. Ten thousand dollars
of this amount was profit and the to-
tai would have been $4,000 had full
value been collected for brick fur
nished the institutions.
! Some day, and in the no distant fu-
ture, this state must have a reforma-
tory where the better class of pris-
oners may be placed and thus avoid
their being thrown in contact with the
confirmed criminals at the penitenti-
airy. Should the recommendation
made as to the state training school
be followed that institution could be
used as a reformatory to accommo-
date the said better class and over
flow from the prison. The lands sur
rounding the institution could bC
farmed through the aid of this LABOR
and the products distributed to such
institutions as might be in need o.
them.
Good Roads.
We still need good roads legislation
The people indicated through theil
votes at the last election that the!
.. were opposed to any but conservativ,
action along these lines. We hav,
made some headway during the pas
two years, and the way is open fo
further progress through the passag'