ertainly appears as though they were straining
every nerve to secure the greatest personal and party popularity on the
dollar and cent question. Nor would we, by any means, censure them for
that, provided they proceed with a due regard to truthfulness, the
rights of the prisoner and the best interest of the State. But the
people can justly require them to give these a proper place in their
plannings and efforts. The pecuniary question is of high import and not
to be lost sight of for a moment, but should not be allowed to swallow
up every other interest with a miser's greed and with even a measure of
disregard for what is really true.

In estimating the entire amount of expense to the community, this year,
in running the prison, of right we should reckon a somewhat large item
not above alluded to, the sum expended in caring for those made invalids
the past year by the prison management, and thus sent out to the public
charge. Of these there are probably six at least,--those two sent to the
Insane Asylum, and four others. Thus, deducting all the real
expenditures, but a small list of gains are left.

To be able the better to judge comparatively and see the drift of things
in our prison management, let us select the more important items from
the Reports of the years '70, '71 and '72, forming them into a table,
taking the average number of the prisoners for each year, obtained by
adding the numbers at its beginning and end, and dividing by two. Under
the food and clothing items, let us insert what they pay in
Massachusetts State Prison per day for food, and per year for clothing,
to a prisoner or per capita:

1870. 1871. 1872.

Average number, 123 1-2 104 1-2 85 1-2
Expense for Overseers and Guards, $5,960 03 $6,314 91 $6,613 32
" Physician, 100 00 250 38 282 00
" Provisions, 8,581 32 5,416 41 3,283 00
" " per capita, 69 48 51 83 38 39
" " per day, per capita, 19 14 1-5 10 1-2
" " per day in Mass. Prison, 18 18 6-10 18 7-10
" Fuel and Lights, 1,195 43 954 41 682 13
" Clothing, 1,963 94 1,447 86 1,472 24
" " per capita, 15 90 13 85 17 21
" " in Ma