The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-18
Financial Showing Only of Sec
Ondary Importance, Declares
Edward FrensdOrf, Off
cial, In Detroit
RECLAIMING OF MEN is
PRISONS MAIN PURPOSE
Ferris Gets Appreciative Word
for Aiding the Osborn
Object

Edward Frensdorf, member OF the
board Of control of Jackson prison
board, and one Of the leaders of the
Progressive Democracy, in passing
through the city, Saturday, received
congratulations from his many friends
on the splendid financial showing Of
the Jackson prison for the last fiscal
year. Frensdorf said that II the sue
cess OF the institution was only meas
ured by the $4,000 profit II made for
the state, he would call the years
work a failure.
III is not our purpose" said Mr..
tTensdori, TO put SO much stress up
on financial success; In fact, making
money is secondary. Our real aim Is
the remaking OF men, which we be-
heYe we are doing in our busy prison
industries and in teaching useful
trades in our well-regulated school.
Ihis In connection with our big farm
Ing project, creates the highest de-
gree OF efficiency, and has resulted In
vast lmprcyement In the health OF
the inmates with the percentage OF
department well nigh perfect. | think
nave spent on an average of two
days week making myself familiar
with the inmates OF the prison, as
well as the business end OF II. and
am free TO state that I'm no prison OF
the United States or the world. are
men in any prison better fed. clothed
or taken care OF spiritually and men
tally than are the unfortunate men
who are in our charge"
When asked TO what he attributed
the transition from an annual deficit
OF 100000 TO a surplus of 1000 Mr..
f'rensdorf said 1t was simply the ap-
plication OF such business methods az
were necessary to make any fnstitu-
tion or industrial enterprise a success
: the eradication of all political pulls
| grating, both great and small. and
| the employment of men on their mer-
It's rather than because OF their no
litical influence. The board. as now
constituted, was the creation OF ex-
| Gov. Chase S. Osborn, who was the
man that blaZed the trail in EXTERN
mating the grafters, who had been
banefully conspicuous in the admin
lstration OF Jackson prison. He asked
me to serve on the board and to use
the same methods | would in my own
busiuess-that no man should be re-
tanned in an official position because
OF his political pull, and we were free
to hire and fire as in our best judg-
ment conditions made Il necessary.
We were not asked 20 place contracts
for supplies with any particular firm
or corporation, but TO buy and sell
where ii was to the best advantage.
regardless OF what previous admins
tratlons had done"
This situation continued during
! the Osborn administration, the gov
ernor giving us every aid and assist
ance and backing us TO the limit in
our crusade against corrupt practices
and encouraging us in instituting re-
forms that were beneficial 10 the In
mates as we'll as to the state. When
Gov. Ferris succeeded Gov. Osborn.
we found In him a man equally inter.
ested in the welfare OF the unfortu-
nate inmates, and ] can say for him
that as far as | know, he has not
asked this institution TO take care OF
any or his friends or political allies,
and he has on every occasion given
us such aid and assistance as was
necessary to make our program a
success.
II want TO say that in addition to
the financial statement showing a
profit OF $4,000 10 the state, that the
toilers in Jackson prison have on de.
posit in the banks i'm the city OF Jack.
son In round numbers S42 900 which
| has been earned by them as compen-
sation for extra work In addition 10
this, large sums have been sent by
the prisoners 10 their dependents az
home We have every reason TO be-
| lieve that with additional farm land.
we viii have no difficulty In continu-
ing TO make a showing that VIII be
gratifying 10 people OF the state. at
the same time satisfactory to the in
mates.
Among other innovations We have
in mind. is the installing OF a we'll
equipped manual training school In
fact we have started on the installa.
tion Of II, and hope 20 have it in
operation for our winter term or
school Our future efforts are going
70 be extended toward interesting peo-
pie in the future careers Of these un-
fortunate men who upon their re-
lease must be given occupation and a
chance 10 make an honest living We
must have the cooperation OF the
good people OF the state in order to
acquire any measure OF success In
permanently making over those un.
fortunate, because misguided men"
THE WEATHER