The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-12-05
OUR INSTITUTIONS
IN GOOD SHAPE,
SAYS GOVERNOR
Chief Executive Speaks of An
nual V STATION
WATERBURY is CROWDED
Conditions at House Of Correction In
Rutland Found TO Be Especially
Satisfactory.

The Rutland Herald this morning
printed the following interview with
Gov. A. NJ. Fletcher relative to the
annual inspection of state institu
tons:
Never in the history of the state
have the public institutions been in
a better condition than now" accord
ing to the statement OF Gov Allen NJ
Fletcher, made in this city yesterday
following the first official visit Of the
present Board Of Visitors to State In
stitutions. including the house of cor
rection. The board is composed OF
the governor, Lieut.. Gov Frank e.
Howe Of Bennington Mrs. P. +. Ha-
zen of St Jchnsbury and Speaker OF
the House Representative Charles A
Plum'ey OF Mortified.
The house Of correction on State
street was the last one to be looked
ever. Many radical changes have
been made there since the taking ov
er of the management by Merton H
Loukes, for a number Of years con
nected with the states prison at
Windsor and the county Jail at Wood
stock.
While here the governor arranged
to conditionally pardon two young
women sentenced from Burlington
for unseemly street conduct. He left
yesterday afternoon at 215 o'cloci
for Montpelier, where he will attend
the telephone hearing now in pro
gress there,
The visiting board went to the
house of correction yesterday morn,
ing at 8 o'clock and for more thar
two hours examined every section OF
the institution. Upon concluding the
inspection Coy. Fletcher said:--
you may say for the board-for J
believe | voice their sentiment-thai
We believe the penal beard has made
a wise selection in the man to head
this institution, and that he is a MAJ
big enough to handle the situaticu
The very atmosphere Of the place ha.
undergone a change
THE old and unsanitary plumbing
has been replaced with modern plumb
ing and the kitchen thoroughly clean
ed, while the dining room presents al
inviting appearance. There are man,
other Improvements which tend tC
make the prison more sanitary
In this connection GOV. Fletcher re
marked that the board missed man
Of their old friends" and on beiu,
questioned he admitted that he re
ferred to the much ubiquitous roach
es, so often found in places OF IN
cleanliness.
Speaking further of the condition.
at the institution, The governor said
"a considerable sum Of money ha.
been expended in this work Of clean
ing up but we feel convinced it Ia
been put 10 the best OF uses unde
the direction of Mr.. Loukes and IN
penal board. Other things are need
ed. for instance q better ventilatin
system and electric lights in the cell
to replace the oil lamps. We wi
recommend these changes but from
my conversation with Chairman ].
Weeks Of the penal board ! believ
they are already planning such cham
es.
The chapel is another place tina
viii have to undergo a change soor
1t ought to be made more Cheerful
As it is the stained glass window
present q doleful appearance"
The young women to whom Go,
Fletcher granted conditional pardo,
are Margaret Fitzgerald and Ad
Ever'ite. They were arrested in Bm
lington with Eve other but because C
their age, leniency was extended
Neither is over 20 years old.
Gov. Fletcher discussed the othe
state Institutions visited since Nor
day morning when tho board me-
Brattieboro. The governor said:
AT the Austine institution W
found things in excellent condluo.
ana we're very fayorably impressed
There are 81 children there. prsctir
ally given W as hopeless but on MGR
DAY VIC found them learning 70 rsa
and write. They win be instructet
until they leave the Institution sci
supporting. There are about 90
state patients al the Brattieboro as,
ium. This place deserves more fror
the state than 60 is receiving
AT Windsor we found condition
az tie states prison satisfactory. Tn
death house is nearing completion
The new contract for labor is work
ing out satisfactorily ard the prison.