The Cairo bulletin., 1913-05-24
An EASY Money" Job.

tive, which Will account Tor the iac
that it is always sought after b.
many eager candidates wbeneye
vacant.
The taller is al owed 40 cent
per day for the food of each pris
oner. The law does not specif,
what kind of food the prisoner shall
be given, but 1t does provide thai
he .hall receive two meals daily
when not working on the streets ana
three meals day when he does Ia
Dor. Ii the lailer can manage Il
feed the prisoners for 10 cents q
| day it is 10 his advantage. because
the law permits him to retain the
difference.
No salary is paid the jailer. II
| is fee Job and the fees are fire.
quent and large When a man is
arrested the jailer is paid so cents
for turning the key of the cell door
to let him in and another so cents
for the same work when the pris-
oner is taken out for trial He is
allowed So for every day prisoner
labors on the streets. He cannot
force any prisoner to work on the
streets. but if the prisoner does work
his time in jail is reduced by hall
For instance: A prisoner who can
not or viii not pay his fine, serves
1t out at the rate OF 81 day. Ii
he works on the street. he is al
lowed So day on his fines 1t is
up to the jailer to persuade as many
prisoners as he can TO work as he
receives the fee from the city in ae-
tual cash. This, together with
other fees and the money saved on
food-shaving, makes the job worth
having.
The job OF feeding Cairo's pris-
oners was created in the days when
the lawmakers were mainly inter
ested in providing profitable and
easy work for their henehmen. |,
is job that the new administration
should abolish at the earliest pos
sible moment. regardless OF the
howl the present candidates might
set up. The matter may have es
capped the attention OF the commits
sioHers, but If there is any valid
reason why the system should be
continued we would like to know it
The jailer does not render any
more actual service to the city than
the average s70-per-month police
man and every penny that he is paid
over this sum ought to be retained
for the taxpayers. II does not re
.Quire very high order of intelli-
genee TO feed prisoners on less than
40 cents day, nor does it require
an unusual amount of brain power
to turn key in a eel door. Any
man OF the average brain capacity
can lead prisoners to a street job
and guard them while they work.
Abolish the job at once; give the
prisoners 40 cents worth OF food
every day and retain the key-turn-
ing and street working fees for the
taxpayers. II this is not done by
the commissioners it will eventually
be attempted by the voters. undev
the section OF the law which per
mits them to initiate legislation.
Instead of appointing a new jailer,
the commissioners should entirely
rearrange the plan. The jailer's
work could be done by a turnkey
lon salary OF $40 month, who
would be responsible to the chief OF
police. The fees for turning the
keys and working prisoners should
be retained by the city and ii there
is any difference between what the
city allows and what the prisoner
| receives for food, this also shoald
be retained for the taxpayers.
We urge the commissioners te
consider this suggestion as we be
lieve ii represents the sentiment OF
every citizen who is now an as
pirant for the job.
In 1912 the city appropriated So
SOC as an allowance for feeding and
taking care OF prisoners. This al.
lowanee was exceeded. the total ex.
penditure being s2,627 the appro-
priation being exceeded in strict
violation of the plate paw The
same amount, S2,50D is carried in
the appropriation ordinance for
1913. Now it is worth while that
the city run the YAH for itself the
fees for turning the key on o pris-
oner going into the Jail fund which
| allowing for the jailer's salary, win
make itself sustaining and perhaps
show a big profit instead of a bur
den and loss to the city Of S2,627.
especially so since we are pledged TO
an economical, business adminstra-
tion under the Commission Form Of
Municipal Government.
4