Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-06-07
CLINTON PRISON
REPORT ALARMING
Glaring Lack of System and
Disregard of Methods
to Improve Finan-
cial Result.
CONVICTS POORLY FED
Special Commissioner Blake Makes Re.
mendatiOn-Grafe Intimat.
ed In Purchase.

Se w. Blake, special commissioner ap-
pointed to investigate prisons and re-
| formatories, discloses a situation in
Clinton Prison, at Dannemore, n. Y,
| closely agin to that in Auburn Prison
and Sing Sing. Although the treat
ment Of the prisinors is not as cruel
and lnhuman as that set forth in the
reports on the other prisons, there is
still much room for Improvement at
the Dannemora institute, the Com
missioner points out.
The International Department at
Clinton Prison has been incompetent
ly and improperly managed, according
to Mr.. Blake's report. Regarding this,
the report reads:
An examination of the books of the
Industrial Department shows that the
industries have been incompetently
and, improperly managed. There is no
adequate returns for the labor of the
men employed; there is sometimes a.
loss on the products and, at the very
best, the profits earned are altogether
out of proportion to the total value Of
goods manufactured.
There is a glaring lack of system
and total disregard of all methods
tending to produce a fair return on{
the amount of capital invested and thei
labor Of the men. The report of thei
account covers the various industries
and all of them show the same de-
plorable condition. There are be-,
tween 500 and 700 men working in the
shops
The Commissioner alleges that in
| the sale of manufactured articles and
! the purchase Of supplies, bids were
sent out merely as a blind, as con-
| tracts We're awarded without regard
of price or quality. Very often in
purchasing supplies the very highest
bids were accepted. In many cases
goods were purchased without COM
pettive bids.
Warden Kaiser is not to blame for
this, says Mr.. Blake. The blame is
placed on Col. Scott, former superin
| tendent of Prisons and Frederick H.
Mills, former sales agent in the Prison
Department. Both of these men have
been recently deposed from their po-
sitions. Referring to Warden Kaiser
the report says:
mo control whatever was given him
over the Industrial Department; that
was handled entirely by Colonel Scott
and Frederick III. Mills, who was re-
Gently sales agent in the Prison De-
partment. There are bad spots in the
prison but the warden frankly admits
ed them and made no attempt to be-
little them or to cover them up. He
sought on the other hand, to talk
about them and he displayed eager
ness to do what he could to get rid
of them.
Il am of the the opinion that War
den Kaiser strives to conduct the
prision along honest and recent lines.
He is kindly active and humane"
A scathing Arrangement of Scott
and Mills follows
have no doubt that inquiry among
the firms properly striving to pro-
| cure a portion oil the States >rade
| would show rank, injustice and fav-
| ortism for reasons that can readily
| be imagined.
1.-THE superintendent OF industries
has been only a figurehead, having no
power of any description. Frederick
H. Mills was in absolute contol OF the
industries. The warden, did not IN
terfere because he was aware that any
orders given by Mr.. Mills would be
! sustained by Colonel Scott and that
interference would breed trouble for
any man who attempted to interpose
'ay objection to the way the depart
ment was managed.
Mr.. Mills bought all OF the raw ma
terial and in some cases the lowest
bids were rejected and the highest
bids were accepted. About $4,000
| worth of raw material was bought an
nually without competitive bidding
The frightful condition predominant
ing in the hospital is also inclosed IN
the report. The tuberculosis situat-
ion is very acute and demands imme-
date attention, according to Mr.. Blake
who says:
"There are 3S1 tubercular patients
in the prison, but the capital accom-
modates only AS. One hundred ana
thirty-six patients have to be treated
in their cells.
zone hundred thousand dollars