Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-06
TOO MANY COOKS
SAYS PRISON HEAD
Commissioner Byers Would
Limit Authority and Calls
Condition "ChaOtic."
GENERAL REORGANIZATION
IS NEEDED, HE DECLARES
Wants Power of Pardon Vested
Solely in the Board of
Inspectors.
LsneclaI to the Newark star.I

fSDeriaI to the Newark start
TRENTON, Feb. s.-The diffusion
Of authority between the Board of
Inspectors. Principal Keeper Madden.
Supervisor Joseph P. Mccormack and
the Prison Labor Commission has
blocked and viii continue to block
3 the progress of that institution, says
Commissioner Joseph P. Byers,
OF the department Of Chart
ties and Corrections, IN his re-
port to Governor Fielder. This same
situation seriously handicaps, II It
Indeed does not menace. the system
oS employment OF prisoners on public
roads. he says. Mr.. Byers does not
place the responsibility for this cha
otie condition of affairs directly upon
any OF the boards or officers. but di-
rsctly charges the fault TO the sys-
z tenn under which they are working.
A general reorganization must be
erected to produce better results,
according to Mr.. Byers, and a system
that places the Board of INSPECTORS
in authority over the institution and
its policy viii effect the desired
change. Principal Keeper Madden
should be made the executive officer
Of the board and held directly re-
spcnsible to the board and given au-
thority TO administer the institution
under the boards direction in all Its
departments.
Repeal One-thir6 Parole Law"
The so-eaIIed one-third parole
board created last year was ill-ad-
vised, the report says, because the
executive officers Of the prison
ahould not have a voice In the re-
lease of prisoners. The repeal Of the
one third parole law Is urged. and
the placing of the parole power In the
Board of Prison inspectors substi-
tuted. Mr.. Byers thinks the Board
OF Inspectors should have complete
power in releasing prisoners and not
put the final action of the inspectors
up to the governor.
Commissioner Byers most particu-
larly calls attention to the necessity
of caring for aliens and non-resi-
dents who are State wards with the
view of looking toward their deporta-
zion. The employment of at least two
deporting agents, who, under the
care of the Charities and Corrections
department, shall give their whole
time to invest igat'ng such cases. Is
= suggested THE fact that one-third
Of our insane population under public
care Is of foreign birth, and that
there are some hundreds in our In
sane hospitals whose residence within
the State has not been established,
would justify an attempt on the part
Of the State to rid itself of the con-
slant ana growing expense for the
care of these. who have no claim, le-
gaily or morally, upon its benevo-
lence," the report says.
Recommendations making it oblig-
atory on the part of each institution
10 file with the department of Chart
ties and Corrections a copy OF every
commitment paper, for a uniform
systenn of institution records, vital
and social, and that bills against the
state for maintenance Of State wards
shall be verified by the State depart
uents to inmates. before payment,
are contained in the report.
1878 Persons Cared For.
During the year 1s,1Ss persons were
cared for by the State. An expense
Of IS, COS 1858 was incurred by the
State for maintenance, current ex-
penses and repairs during the fiscal
year. Including expenses of the
counties along these lines a total Of
50. AL, 8s6~90 was expended. The aver
age annual per capita cost of main
tenance was s25002. Including all ex-
penses. buildings, etc, the average
cost was S291.19.
The report states the law govern.
ing the admission of inmates to the
Epileptie Village should be amended
and all restrictions as to certain
classes of epiieptlcs stricken out. SO
that this institution shall be made to
serve as an institution for all epilep-