USA > Michigan > Michigan state gazetteer and business directory, 1877 Volumme III (v.1) > Part 10
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the State Public School and the Reform School to transfer children from these insu- tutions. Some boys of tender age are sent to the Reform School ofttimes by connivance of depraved parents, who seem hardly old enough to commit crime, who cught not to be there and should be sent to the school at Coldwater.
Occasionally a boy will find his way into the State Public School who, from criminal tendencies and life, ought not to remain, to the injury of others. Such cases should be transferred to the Reform School.
THE DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND.
The biennial report of the trustees of this school give very full details of its operations. The number of children in attendance for 1876, was 212; in 1875, 204; in 1874, 191 ; in 1873, 164.
The current expenses for 1875 and 1876, including repairs and the cost of the me- chanical industries, were about $50,000 pei annum. The expenditures in the industrial departments have been borne by separate appropriations. The board ask appropria- tions for the ensuing two years as follows :
To pay foremen and purchase ma-
terials in boot and shoe shop,
cabinet shop, basket shop and printing office ... $8,500
For 50 rods of plank walk at $3 per rod. 150
For building one barn. 1,500
For building two water closets to accommodate dormitories. 1,000 .. For building one shop. 5,000
For laying 200 squares of oak
floors at $5 per square.
1,000
For painting and general repairs on
buildings, engines, boilers, etc ... For beds and bedding. 2.000 1,500
For one washing machine, one
mangle, etc.
500
For two pianos.
Soo
For steam cooking apparatus.
300
For one fire proof safe.
250
For set of platform scales 125
For wardrobes. 2So
For building 200 yards of board fence. 350
For one portico to front building ... 2,500
For current expenses. 85,000
Total $110,750
The items for barn and closets were in the appropriation for 1875. But were not drawn and have reverted to the treasury.
Within a very shunt time the state ought to provide a separate institution for the blind, and when this is done there ought to be shop room enough at Flint for all the
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67
AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
.fand anmb. For this reason I cannot alivie the appropriation asked for building „ New shop. The construction of the portico can be deferred, as it has been for so many seus, though it would greatly improve the appearance of the building. The appropri- ation for the conduct of the shops, repairs, beds and bedding, are all expense accounts, though heretofore special appropriations Have been made for these items, and they have not gone into the current expense accounts. These are as legitimate items of expense in the running of this establish- ment as any other, and should be so treated; and unless they are so treated we can never tell what the expenses are. The Board of Trustees have reduced the number of em- ployes and their salaries, and inaugurated other economical reforms, and I am of the opinion that the sum of $92,000 will cover all the above enumerated expense accounts and current expenses for the ensuing two years. The estimates for other items are all neces- matry and should be granted. The expense of lighting the school is enormous, owing to the high price charged for gas, $1,700 for 1876. I recommend an appropriation of $2,500 for the immediate erection of gas works, that this expense may be lessened.
The legislation of 1873 and the active efforts of the officers of the institute have secured the attendance of nearly all the chil- dren of the state who need its care, yet there are still some remaining in families and poor houses. The deaf, dumb and blind who grow up in ignorance become either imbe- cile or a permanent burden upon the commu- nity, and no parent has a right to permit it, «. pecially when the State provides education, physical, mental and moral, free of charge for them. I believe it to be the duty of the Suite to compel by law the education of all children, but especially the deaf, dumb and blind. The system of instruction at our institution is constantly improving, the new method of "articulation" having just been introduced with marked success. The boys are taught a trade and the girls are tstruc. ted in housework and sewing. I commend this work to your kindly and thoughtful consideration.
THE STATE PRISON.
Except in the fact that the prison is Largely over-crowded its condition i- unex- ceptionable. The report of the warden and baard furnishes full details of the operations of the past year.
The convict carnings in money for the two years ending September 30, 1976, were 8203043 04. This in addition to the labor on State property, roads, sewers, lands, etc., is a very creditable showing.
The ret carnings for the two years end- ing; September 30, 1876, were over $20.000.
In view of the depression in business that has so generally affected all manufac- turing industries, and none more seriously than prison work, the result has most agree- ably surprised the prison officials, There is hardly a prison in the country that has paid expenses, and in many of them no labor at all can be procured for the convicts. The establishment of the State shop, in which the manufacture of brooms is conduc- ted, has been of the greatest possible good. Its earnings have not been large, but it has. furnished employment to the halt, lame and blind, to sickly and short term convicts, and relieved the prison yard of its idlers that were formerly so numerous and troublesome. Its effect upon the value of prison labor has been most marked.
The number of convicts September 30, 1876, was 835; in 1875, 788; in 1874, 703. Of the prisoners received in IS76, 30 had served a term in the House of Correction, 18 in the Reform School, and It in other pris- ons. Eighty-five per cent. of the convicts were committed for the first time. Seventy- seven per cent. were intemperate. Eighty- six per cent. were unapprenticed.
Is not the cause of the increase in crime shown by these statistics to be found in this large per cent. of intemperate and idlers ?
The report of the warden and board of inspectors as to the workings of the good time and convict earnings law enacted by the last Legislature, express some doubt as to the amount of benefit to be derived from the latter provision. The experiment has not been tried long enough to realy tell its effect, and I should be loth to give it up as a failure. I am of the opinion, however, that the board should be given a larger discretion in the matter of amount and payment of a convict's carnings. Some provision should be made by which the condition and resi- dence of a convict's family could be made a matter of record at the prison, and his earn- ings be paid directly to them instead of being hoarded or squandered as they so often are. I submit herewith, in accordance with law, a list of the pardons I have granted during the past two years.
STATE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
In accordance with the provisions of act No. 90, Laws of 1875, F appointed Hampton Rich, of fonia, Charles Kipp, of Chntop, and Westbrook Divine, of Montcalm, as a board of Commissioners for the new House of Cor- rection at Ionia. A contract for two of the four cell blocks, officers' quarters, chapel. hospital, kitchen, boller house, and the shop was entered into September, 18;s, with Knapp
68
MICHIGAN STATE GAZETTEER
& Co., of Detroit, who were the lowest bid- ders. The work has progressed favorably, though not as rapidly as it should, or as was agreed upon. It will be ready for occupancy by the ist of May next. The entire cost of the building, including extras, superintend- ence, expenses of the board, etc., will not exceed the amount designated in the act, viz : $270,000. The overcrowded condition of the State Prison, and the House of Cor- rection at Detroit, require that the new prison be fitted and furnished immediately,
The board has prepared estimates of the sum needed for this purpose, amounting to $29,458. The amount required to start a. new prison of this magnitude is necessarily large, as it will not fill up gradually but at once, compelling the outlay to be made within a very short time. The new plan. upon which it has been constructed and upon which it is to be conducted, viz : that all the employes are to live in the institution, will demand also a somewhat larger expenditure for furnishing, though the State will be re- paid for it in the reduction of expenses in the first year of its operation.
The above sum, though asked for as fitting and furnishing, includes water and gas sup- ply. horses, wagons, tools, fencing, steam en- gine, fire hose, etc., that are not to be classed as furniture, but that are necessary for the works of the prison. The original plan of the prison provides for 582 cells, 312 of which are in the present contract and are completed. Shop room for 150 prisoners is also in the present contract.
To complete all the cells and shops, en- closure wall, barn and stable, warden's resi- dence, including heating the whole prison, and furnishing warden's residence, the board estimate will require an appropriation of $126,353.
The increase of crime, the number of prisoners in excess of cells in our other prisons, the statistics of which are given elsewhere, would seem to demand that the whole number of cells and shops be built at once. The enclosing wall must, of course, be erected immediately. I recommend, therefore, an appropriation of the amount estimated by the board, with a proviso that the construction of the cell block, may be discontinued by the Governor, if at any time there should be such a decrease of convicts as would warrant him in so doing.
The report of the board give, full details of contracts and expenditures to December 1, 1876 Provision must be made for the pay of employees, fuel, lights, four, clothing, and other running expenses, until such time as some remunerative labor can be estab lished. In the present condition of our manufacturing industries this time is of
uncertain date. The inmates can most of them be employed on the building ani grounds for some time, but this work wi!" not pay expenses. I estimate the daily e :.. penses with 300 prisoners at Sioo per day. Authority should be given the management to procure advances from the treasury, wit's the approval of the Governor, for the deficit in current expenses, until the next session of the Legislature.
There were in confinement in the State Prison December 1, '76, 869 convicts-221 more than there are cells. At same date there were .533 inmates in the Detroit House of Correction, being 51 more than there were cells. At this date the number is still greater.
The establishment of the State House of Correction at lonia will require legislation regarding its management; direction mrs: be given as to the class of prisoners that shall be sent and confined there, and provi- sion should be made for providing for the transfer of convicts from other prisons.
A certain class of prisoners, convicted of what is known as prison offenses, are now sent to the House of Correction at Detroit. The nuniber of this class now in confine- ment there is 74.
This law should be repealed, and they should be hereafter sent to one or the other of the State prisons. The Detroit House of Correction is none too large for the use of Wayne county, and for what are known as county prisoners of other counties, and will gladly be relieved of them.
With the opening of the State House cf Correction at Ionia, the Prison, Detroit House of Correction and Reform School, the State certainly has most excellent facilities for the classification and separation of prison. ers, and it should no longer be delayed. The suggestion has been made of placing our three penal institutions under the control of one board, with an executive head whose whole time should be given to the duties of the position, and who, of course. would re. quire a salary. Such a board would cost no more than the three now do, and in some re- gard- the plan might be an improvement, and in others perhaps not.
I coanoend the suggestion for your con - sideration.
THE POOR.
The public expense of caring for the poor of the State in 1875 was $322,200. Of this amount $207,000 was for maintaining Of- poorhouses. The amount of investment In pourhomes was $722.000. For this expense. ture and as a return for the investment, the valle of paupers' labor in 1875 was estimated at $8,000.
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69
AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
This financial exhibit, the increase of Watups and able-bodied paupers, the condi- von of our poorhouses, as described by the Mate Board of Charities, and many other 103975, induced the county superintendents of the poor at their last annual meeting, to adopt by a unanimous vote a resolution in favor of district work houses. That this system would decrease pauperism and save money cannot be doubted. Would it not be wise to provide by enactment that any num- ber of counties may be empowered to unite for the purpose of erecting and conducting a district poorhouse or workhouse ? It would enable some of the new counties that have not yet built their poorhouses to make the experiment.
NEW CAPITOL.
The work upon the new Capitol is not as far advanced as the Board of Commissioners wished and expected. The delay is from various causes, but chiefly from the change in the cornice, steps, etc., ordered by the Legislature. The brick and stone work on the building itself is completed, leaving only the porticoes, steps, and west boiler-house to be finished. There is no prospect of the building being completed at the time con- templated, and the work will need to be bastened to have it ready at the assembling of the next Legislature. The quality of the material and work is excellent, and does credit to the contractors, superintendent and Board. During the past two years contracts have been entered into for the tin roof, stone cornice, steam heating, ventilating and the electric work. The total payments to Sep- i. mber 30, 1876, have been $S19,852.78. The Legislature of IS71 appropriated $10,000 for the preliminary expenses of plans, etc., for the capitol.
The act of IS72 appropriated $1,200,000 for the erection of the building, including ervices of the architect and plans, without amending or repealing the act of 1871 ; but the Auditor General construed the appropri- ation of IS72 to include the amount appropri- ated in 1871. This construction of the law will require an appropriation of the sum of $>,219.85, this being the amount expended by the board under the law of IS71. The band asks for the electric work and other necessary purposes that the sum of $25,000 of as inuch thereof as may be necessary, may Y: appropriated out of the building fund and made available during this year. The history the construction of public buildings of this character fails to show any where so small an amount of extras or deficiencies as Ar capitol up to this time, and I commend the ap propriation as one necessary and fit to be made. Full details of the operitions of the Board of Building Commissioners will be
found in their report, to which your attention is called.
The board have made, at my request, an estimate of the amount required to furnish the capito! with seating, desks, gas fixtures, mantels, grates, library, shelving, etc., to- gether with fence, sidewalks, lamps, grading, and other necessary outside improvements. The amount required, the estimates being based on work and fixtures appropriate to the building itself, is $75,000. This esti -. mate is for permanent fixtures that are part of the building and grounds, and is exclusive of furniture. For furniture for the different offices, matting, carpeting, desks, cases, tables, etc., no very close estimate can be made, but I am of the opinion that it will require from ,$60,000 to $So,ooo for this pur- pose. I recommend, therefore, that an ap- priation of $75,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be made for the purposes first mentioned, to be expended by the Building Commission, and the same amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for furniture to be expended under the direc- tion of, the Governor and Board of Auditors
The lot upon which the present Capitol building stands, with the building wow occu- pied for state offices is worth from $80.000 to $125,000, and will go far towards re.imburs- ing the treasury for these appropriations.
The State also owns four and one half blocks of land in the city, containing 54 city lots, and I recommend that the Commis- sioner of the Land Office be directed to plat the Capitol block and dispose of all the State lots at such prices and upon such terms as may be fixed by the Governor, treasurer, and himself.
The near approach of the completion of the new Capitol creates an imperative neces- sity for the appointment of a superintendent of public property. Such an officer could have saved the State his salary every year of the 10 years past in the care of its property, and with the increased demands in this direc- tion, a good officer, under a good law, will be of great value. This duty is now per- formed by the Board of Auditors, and as they are absent most of the time, it devolve- upon the deputy State officers. Supplies of paper for the printer, stationery for the dit- ferent bureaus, fuel, etc., etc., are now issue l without system or plan. The proposed off- cer should have (and in the new Capitul there will be abundance of office and storage room for him) all the supplies of every nature under his control, to be issued only upon requisitions and receipted for by the recipient. He should have control of all purchases made by the Board of Auditor. and see that supplies bought are daly te. ceived.
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MICHIGAN STATE GAZETTEER
The new Capitol and grounds will require a number of employes, janitors, fire- meu and others, who should be under his superintendence and control. In a business, money-saving view, this office will be one of great importance and demand the entire time of a good business man. I recommend, therefore, the creation of such an office, to be filled by appointment of the Governor, and under his control, conjointly with the Board of Auditors.
RAILROADS.
We have in the State 35 railroad compa- nies, operating 5,311 miles of road, 3346 miles of which are in the State, costing $154,532,665 72, and represented by $30,- 945 28 of debt and $27,046 84 of stock per mile of road. The large proportion of debt show's that railroads. like municipalities and iindividual, maintain their fashionable char- acter. The gross railroad earnings in this State for 1875 were $17,592,292, which amount was not sufficient to pay expenses, interests, and rents. Four roads paid no interest on their indebtedness in 1875; nine paid a portion only, and report $2, 189,810 unpaid for the year. Two have been sold under foreclosure, and four are in the hands of receivers. 'Ore company only paid a dividend during 1875, in cash of two per cent., and one a stock dividend of 10 per cent. This condition of so great and impor- tant an interest, employing so large a capital, is very unsatisfactory, but it cannot be attrib. uted to unfriendly legislation so far as Mich- igan is concerned. The roads have only themselves to blame, and the remedy is in their hands alone.
Our roads and equipment are in good con. dition. Of 10,716,227 passengers transported in 1875, not one was killed, and only six were injured from causes beyond their own control.
Twenty-three per cent of the accidents were caused by trespassers on the track. It would seem that some steps should be taken to prevent this large loss of life and limb. There are a number of bridges over the roads of the State, which are not of sufficient height to allow the safe passage under them of men at work on the trains. Five persons have been killed and three injured by these bridges in the past three years. The com- missioner should be authorized to compel the roads to raise all bridges to the height of IS feet, and to prevent the erection in the future of any lower than this, and I respectfully recommend the passage of such a law.
In this connection, I desire to call your especial attention to what to my min ! i- a matter of very great importance to the State,
viz : the manner in which the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway makes its reports for purposes of taxation, and the very small amount of taxes it pays, compared to other roads similarly situated. This rail- way and the Michigan Central are organized 'under special charters; both of them are taxed by their charters three-fourths of one per cent. on the capital stock and bonded debt. In 1855, the Michigan Southern was consolidated with the Northern Indiana Railroad Company, and the act authorizing the consolidation provided for its taxation, as follows :
"' Sec. 3. The said corporation so to be organized by virtue of this act shall continue subject to the same rate of tax as though such consolidation should not take place ; and the amount. of its capital and loans here- after, upon which such taxation shall be paid, shall be such portion of its capital and loans as is actually employed in the State of Michigan, to be ascertained on or before the Ist of January in each year by the Auditor General of this State, from the annual report of said corporation, or from such other re- ports on oath as he may deem necessary for such purpose, to be ordered by him from the office of such corporation."
From that date until the present time their reports have been made up on the basis of $27,300 per mile of stock and debt, and the tax has been $205 per mile, or a gross amount of $35,544.30 per annum; the number of miles of road in this State being 173. The Central and Southern Roads are great trunk lines, and as through roads are of about equal value. The Southern reports the value of its road to be 598, 295.59 per mile ; the Central reports $111,298.04 per mile. The Central pays a tax of 597.42 per mile to the State ; the Southern pays a tax of $205 per mile, a difference of nearly 300 per cent., while the difference in value from their own reports is only 12 per cent.
For purpose of illustration : In the year IS76 these two roads, under practically the same charters, both paying on the basis of the value of their property in the limits of the State, paid into the treasury $134,083.20 and $35,544.30 respectively.
Deducting the 12 per cent. difference in cost and value and the difference in milenge between the two roads, the Southern should have paid Sgo, 951.29, showing a loss to our revenue in this year alone of $55.406.99. In I5;2 This compiny reports to
the Commissioner of Ruhonds
that the proportion of its value
in Michigan was. $16.500.318
In 1873 17.330.552
In 1874 17,040.030
In I$75. 19,455.413
AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Yet for all these years they Have reported their road to the Auditor General for taxation at a valuation of $4,739,240.16 each year.
While the value and taxation of this road has remained stationary, other roads under the same provisions of law have reported an increased value and increased taxation each Wicceding year. In the case of the Michi- gan Central the valuation and tax have near- ly doubled in 15 years.
Which of these reports are we to believe ? The reports of other roads-our own busi- ness judgment-the taxes paid in other States, are all evidences that the report made for taxation is incorrect. The total amount of taxes paid by the company in 1875 was $483,700. Of this amount $52,250 was paid in Michigan, or about one-ninth, though the proportionate value of the company's prop- erty in Michigan is about one-quarter of the whole. Our newer and poorer railway com- panies pay their taxes under the several rulroad law. If the Lake Shore and Michi- gan Southern paid under the provision of this net, their tax would be $397.64 per mile of road, or nearly double what they are now jaying. . The fact seems to be that this com- pony has selected the 173 miles of road in this State as its poorest and least valuable property, and paid taxes on it accordingly. I can see no reason in law or equity for this. A railroad must be valued as a whole; as a continuity ; the mile built over a prairie at a slight cost is as necessary to its operation as the mule constructed on a bridge at great ex- Twinse. I am of the opinion that the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company should have paid the State in the last 10 years at least $300,000 more than they have; basing their taxation on a fair, equitable, honest basis under the law ; and steps should be taken by the State to collect 1. Able lawyers whom I have consulted as- sute me that it can be done. The State and company had some litigation years ago on · this subject, and the valuation was then Esel by the court; the whole history of which can be found in the report of the Auditor General for 1874, pp. 66-72, to which I beg to call your attention.
I submit the matter for your considera- non, believing that immediate action should be taken to secure payment of our just dues.
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