Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-03
EXPENSES EXCEED BUDGET
FOR STATE PRISON, CHARGE
PREFERRED BY DEMOCRATS
Management Disburses Beyond Appro-
priation Says Club in Assailing Speeches
of Governor Dixon.

per thousand. thereby making a big
loss to the state.
The state accountant had before fur
nished the governor the same payroll
figures the governor is now using in
his speeches. and the records show he
again included the state highway COM
mission payroll on on the NimrOd job.
amounting to more than $1,000. All
of this money was returned to the pen
it~entiary fund, yet the governor is
constantly using it as an expense of
conducting the prison incurred by
Conley.
The Democratic club calls attention
to the statement of the governor that
Potter paid out $1S2.932.15 to keep the
prison for II months with an average
number of prisoners of 3S5, which
would make the per capita cost per day
S1.29.
The per capita cost during the last
year Of Conley's administration, when
the prices of supplies were the highest
in the history of the prison. was but
S1.16 as shown by the official report
of the s~penitentiary. This is 13 cents
less per capita than the governor claims
for Potter. When the prison is given
credit for work done by convicts on
highway commission trucks. the cost.
under Conley, is reduced to S1.03 per
capita.
Where the governor ever got the
figure of S1.97 per capita, which he ia
using in his speeches. is a mystery
alike to the state accountant and the
Democratic club, which has been check.
ing costs at the state capital under the
present administration.
The Democratic club also calls at
tention to the statement of Governor
Dixon made at Bozeman TO the effect
that while it cost S1.97 per day to
maintain prisoners Mt the penitentiary
sheriffs but Is cents per day for main
tanning prisoners in county jails.
AssaiI Bozeman Talk
This is a fragrant piece of misrep-
r%esentation and unfairness." says the
Democratic club. The sheriffs are
allowed % cents per day per prisoner
for feeding them two meals each day.
and this had nothing to do with and
does not include the salaries of the
sheriff, his deputies, the day and night
~jailors, the water. light and general
upkeep of the jails and sheriffs' Of
fees. The figure quoted by the COVER
nor as being the per capita cost at the
state prison includes everything. cloth
ing, guard and clerk hire. the warden's
salary, the salaries of attendants and
superintendent of brick yards and
farm, the cost Of light. heat, ice and
food for prisoners and employees.
There never could be a more unfair
comparison than to mention in the
same breath the cost of maintaining
prisoners at Deer Lodge at S1.97 per
day and the cost of maintaining pris-
oners in the county jails at Is cents
per day. As a matter of fact. it costs
less than 30 cents per day at the peni-
Tertiary to feed convicts three meals a
day, while the sheriffs get Is cents
per dav for serving but W meals.
Given the same equipment and fur
nishes all other necessary costs of
maintaining the prison, any mar will
take the contract for feeding the pris-
oners at Deer Lodge two meals per
day for 10 cents per capita and be
will become one of the very rich men
of the state within a short time"