heralded far and wide in the
papers that those now running the prison had made it produce a clear
gain of over five thousand dollars in nine months. Of course, making
this announcement was for personal popularity. Let us look at the
figures after the Report comes to hand. Number of prisoners, 85 males
and 6 females. Profits reported for nine months and twenty days,
$5173.51, including $396.65 paid on roofing shop. Without deducting this
item, we have $5570.16 gain over the real running expenses, which, for a
whole year, would amount to $6914.67. Let us compare this with the gain
of the Massachusetts State Prison for '72, that Report being at hand.
Its number of inmates were 543. If our 91 prisoners gained what they are
represented, then 543, in that proportion, would gain $41,260.06,
without considering the advantage in larger numbers. Reckoning that in,
it would raise this gain to some $45,000, no doubt, the gain of
Massachusetts in proportion to ours. But what was her gain? It was
$14,635.23, ours being, in proportion, more than three times as much as
hers, we thus leaving her all out of sight.

The writers say, p. 11, in regard to Mr. P., "His management has been
perfectly satisfactory to your committee. The results of his
administration are the most conclusive proofs of its efficiency." Do any
wonder that the committee should be satisfied with such showing, if
looking to nothing but to the dollars and cents?

But does not the announcement itself show an aggravated wrong to the
prisoners, or a false representation? It must be one or the other, if
not both. There is no possible way to accomplish all this by honest
shrewdness in financiering and rightful treatment to the convicts. All
articles of food have their market value. If really suitable for use,
the value is fixed for the time being, from which no material deduction
can be had. Things have their wholesale and retail prices. True, these
vary more or less, from accidental causes, such as the abundance or
scarcity of the article, the state of the money market, or the season of
the year. Buyers, by watching these accidental influences, may purchase
more or less to their advantage. And one can look to these points, and
profit from them, as well as another. Prison providers, especially in
large establishments, will purchase, of course, at wholesale, and those
at Charlestown enjoy quite as good advantages, to say the least, for
sharing in these accidentals as those