People Beaten

New York, 1895

The Politicians Defeat the Supervisors.

A BONANZA FOR DOHT.

Kings County Will Not Take Our Prisoners.

SOME STARTLING FIGURES.

In December last, the Supervisors of this county were trying to make arrangements with the officers of Kings County to have Queens County's prisoners boarded in the Kings County Penitentiary. It has cost almost $30,000 to feed the prisoners in the County Jail, and jail supplies, clothing, medical attendance, etc., cost $10,000 more, making the prisoners cost $40,000.

The Supervisors saw from the bills that the prisoners were in the main tramps. They saw that a frightful outrage was being perpetrated on the tax-payers, and they set to work honestly to put an end to it. At once Republican machine politicians set to work to outgeneral the Supervisors. These politicians said "damn the Supervisors."

The Supervisors thought it would be a good business stroke, as it would save the county thousands of dollars every year, to board the prisoners in the Kings County Penitentiary, and a committee was appointed to confer with Kings County officers.

On December 21st THE FARMER printed the following:

"The Brooklyn Times has been induced to join the Jamaica Standard in the effort to prevent the transfer of prisoners from the Jail in this county to the Penitentiary in Kings County. The Republican politicians Who have undertaken to defeat this change, and by defeating it to make the prisoners cost the people $10,000 to $12,000 more than they would cost in the Penitentiary — these politicians are working in Brooklyn. They have some support there. Republican politicians in the city will help them. That powerful corporation, the Brooklyn City railroad company, will help them. The company is under obligation to Henry Doht for valuable railroad franchises in the town of Newtown. The people — the honest, hard working, tax paying people — should read what the Grand Jury says on this subject. In spite of that, the chances are that these active politicians will defeat the removal of the prisoners. We are not afraid that the board of Supervisors will not do their duty."

Well, it has turned out as THE FARMER said it would. These Republican politicians have succeeded in defeating the efforts of the Supervisors to save the county thousands of dollars by boarding the prisoners in the Penitentiary.

The Kings County officials were waited upon for a final answer by a committee of Queens County Supervisors on Wednesday, and the Kings County officers refused point blank to take our prisoners. So the politicians have triumphed over the people.

The rate per week at the Penitentiary is as follows: 30 to 60 day prisoners, $1.75; 3 to six months' prisoner, $1.50; 6 months to 1 year prisoners, $1.25. Including clothing and medical attendance.

The county pays $3 per week for feeding each prisoner kept in the county jail. The county pays extra for medical attendance, clothing, cell furniture, kitchen utensils, in fact, for everyting but the food, so that the actual cost of each prisoner is very close to $5 per week. That is more money than two-thirds of the tax-payers can afford to spend for their own comfort. Compare this with the rates charged at the Penitentiary, and the loss to the county, on the 1894 bill, is about $12,000. It will amount to $18,000 in 1895.

It costs the Sheriff 85 cents a week to feed a prisoner. His profit is $2.15 per week on each prisoner. The office is worth $70,000 for the term.

Now will come the real battle, and the people will watch it closely to the end.

The plain duty of the Supervisors is to fix the rate for boarding prisoners in the County Jail not to exceed $2 per week. The welfare of the tax-payers demands it. The frightful increase in prisoners has run the cost of their board and jail supplies from $11,000 up to nearly $40,000 in 1894. It will rise to $60,000 this year, mainly for tramps.

Let every tax-payer read the presentment of the Grand Jury on the subject, and then keep a close watch on the final result.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 8, 1895, p. 1.