Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-19
Every Bill Paid and 9
Handsome c. a S h
Balance in the
ank
How the Parole System Has
WOrked-Benefits from Two
Afternoons a Week in the
Prison Yard-Health of In
mates-The Warden's Recon-
mendations to the Legislature

the iHSlllutiOHr WHICH was iileu Will
the governor and council Friday, con-
tains a financial showing which is ex-
tremely gratifying.
Warden Hams report is as follows:
In my last annual report / said that
the citizens of this State must not ex-
pect too much from the Maine State
Prison this year, because of the par
ole law paroling the best men that we
have in the institution.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
parole board has paroled 50 men from
this institution it has been a very
good year for the Maine State Prison,
a great deal better than we expected,
showing an increased profit in the
harness and carriage departments. In
the broom department we manufact-
ured and sold $3s,712.44 worth of
brooms. 1t will be noticed by append
for the reason of the high price we
had to pay for broom corn for the
first ten months in the year; also the
increased cost of broom handles from
three to five dollars per thousand. 1t
has been a clean business, the men
have all been at work and we have
had no trouble in selling the brooms,
and we have been way behind on our
orders all of the time. Today we have
1900 dozen of brooms back on orders.
In the carriage department and
harness department we have been be-
hind on our orders, and orders for
wagons taken last June have not been
filed The manufactured stock that
we have on hand today is the 1ightest
that it has been for many years. The
sales in the carriage department have
dropped off during the last year little
over $4,000, for the reason that we
have not had the men here to manu-
facture the stock.
We have paid every bill during the
year as they come due and taken the
discounts, and on the 30th day of this
month we paid every bill that the
Maine State Prison was owing or con-
tracted by me during my administra-
ton, and had a cash balance in the
bank of s5.5e616.
Last year the stable and barn
showed a profit, this year they show
a loss. In the stable we had poor luck
with our pigs, losing several hogs and
two cows, which accounts for the loss
in the stable. Last season We had
a splendid year for potatoes, raising
over 1900 bushels. This year was a
poor season and what potatoes did
not rot in the field rotted in the cellar.
Last year and this year show An in
creased cost for lighting and heating,
| for subsistence, and medicine. The
reason for this is that the salaries Of
the two engineers, the commissary and
physician have always been charged to
| officers salaries, which is wrong. Since
/ have been here l have charged the
salaries of the two engineers to light
and heat department, commissary to
subsistence department, and physician
to medical department in order to show
] just what each department has cost
the state.
For all information as to the business
transactions of the year just closed,
permit me to refer you to the append
ed tables which 1 believe are brief
and concise report for this year
work.
The average health of the inmates
| of this institution has never been
better than it is at this time, only
three being unable to work, one an old
man, one cripple. and one just
operated on for appendicitis. 1 have
given the men the use Of the yard
Saturday afternoons and Sunday after
Moons and it has done them more good
than medicines or doctors. The exer-
else and out door air has done Won
ders for them both mentally and ply
sically, and we have received more
work and better work in the five and
one half days than we would II we had
worked the full six days.
The general condition of the plant is
one Of out Of repair and run down
having been built over 80 years ago
The things we need most here are
flush closets in the cells and dining
room for the prisoners. After working
in the shops all day they should have
a chance to go into dining doom an6
sit down to a table and have what
time they want to eat, and all they
want; but now they are locked in
the cells and the food put in for them
The State of Maine is too far ad.
vanced to allow these conditions tt
exist. / still recommend the buying
of six hundred acres of good land il
building Of modern and up to dat,
|
investment for the State to make.
I repeat now what I recommended
in my last annual report, a parole Law
for life men after serving a sentenc
of 25 to 80 years or arriving at the ag
of 70 years; believing that we hav,
men here that have served from rs t,
80 years that would go out and max
good, useful, and law-abiding citizens
The guards here at the Maine Stat
Prison receive salary of $500 per yea
; or s41.67 per month for IL hours pc
day and seven days in the week. TIL
Legislature should at this session in
crease the salaries of the guards o
, the Maine State Prison.
FIR. Flynn, pastor of st. Bernar'
church of Rockland who has been YER
faithful to his flock here, having ser
vices in the chapel the third Sunda
in each month. besides visiting tn
prison several times during the month
should receive compensation for hi
services and I recommend that tn
Legislature pass law making hi