Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-04-07

doned limerick quarry. which occupies from
one-half to three-fourths Of an acre, that 10
practically useless.
II appears TO rs that II the proposed alter
alton should b made, removing the prison
cells and installing new cells Of double the
capacity, where we now have lso cells we
would have ninety. This, Of course, would
necessitate building new wing. and, from
personal observation, am thoroughly con-
WINGED there is no room inside the prison wall
for that purpose. Part Of the wall would have
to be torn down, and an extension made out
side Of the WALL The estimated cost, ~ given
by MI. Bicknell, . Rockland builder, is $4,000
However, he did not take into account that .
new wing would be necessary. his second
bid was el01,0Oo.
At our hearings no one has argued that the
State prison ct Thomasten 10 suitable for our
present needs. The argument has been
either In favor Of . new prison at . suitable
location, or repairing the old prison. 1t APP
pears to us that 1t would be . waste Of money
and great mistake to undertake to repair
this old. out-of-date, antiquated prison, es-
pecialiy situated as 1t is.
There are many reasons why the State
should build new prison. The main prison
Ia old and out Of repair, ard must either he
rebuilt within a few years, or abandoned.
The cells are arranged without regard to
architecture, sanitation or ventilation, and
are not ht places to conhne . human being.
We not only deprive . man Of all his liberty
and pursuit Of happiness when he is SEN
fenced TO the Maine State prison, but he Is
sentenced to q dungeon Of uAhewn stone,
four feet wide by seven feet long, where he
must live fifteen hours every day Of his In
prisonment, with no sanitary arrangements
except slop bucket.
In these foul dens, many Of them never hav-
ing been penetrated by the rays Of the sun,
our prisoners are incarcerated. Here they
eat their food, sleep on q narrow cot and
breathe the foul air. We have no decent
hospital; no arrangements to segregate
prisoners affected with tuberculosis, no mess
room, and shops that are veritable dre- traps.
Under these conditions, how can we expect to
reform our unfortunate fellowmenf
Since 1880 our prison has cost the x-payers
Of the State OF Maine s1.Aoa,7 1884. It seems to
me that we can find reasonable solution
for these conditions, except that the prison
was badly located. as l believe we are all
willing to admit that the prison affairs have
| been conducted as economically as possible
under existing circumstances.
am satisfied that II the prison had been
located near market, In some place where
the freight rates would have been much less
than they are at Thomastop. and situated on
q tract of land where the vegetables for the
| prisoners could have been raised, our State
prison would have made very different
showing.
believe 1t Is matter Of economy at this
time to abandon the prison and locate one
where business man can conduct the several
| manufacturing plants at a much greater profit
than Is possible ut Thomaston-
In support Of figures quoted, Senator
Chatto submitted the following detailed
statement.
| Amount OF money paid out Of State treasury