Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1871.djvu/31

Rh During the last fiscal year 2,256 women were treated by the officers of the Columbia hospital for Women and Lying-in Asylum of whom 38 were pay-patients. One thousand six hundred and twenty-five were restored to health 30 relieved 2 sent to the Government Hospital for the Insane, 18 died, and 304 remained under treatment. The estimates for the ensuing fiscal year are as follows: For subsistence, medicine salaries, fuel lights and bedding, $18,300 for rent of building and necessary repairs $5,000; making an aggregate of $23,000 being $4,000 in excess of those submitted for the current year. The directors report that the utmost economy in the expenditure of the hospital has been observed during the past year and that the advance over the appropriation made for the current year is necessitated by the rapidly increasing demands upon the institution.

On the 20th ultimo there were in the custody of the warden of the District jail 83 prisoners, 10 of whom were females. During the year preceding this date 1,335 persons were committed 184 of whom were females; 896, of whom 136 were females; were convicted of various misdemeanors; 40 were sent to the Reform School; 39 were sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary at Albany New York; 1,112 were released; and 1 was executed. The expenses of the jail during the year including the cost of transporting prisoners to Albany penitentiary salaries repairs &c, were $39,583 72 being $4,007 95 less than those of the preceding year.

I deem it incumbent upon me at this time, to allude to the pressing necessity for a new jail-building for this District. The present structure is utterly unfit for the purposes for which it is used. The arrangement of the cells the absence of sewerage and proper accommodations and the poor material of which it is built render it a most unfit place for the confinement of prisoners whether their safe-keeping or health be considered; and solitary confinement, claasification, beyond that of sex, &c., are impracticable. The insecurity of the building necessitates the employment of a much larger force of guards then would be required were a proper jail-structure to be erected involving a considerable item of expense which would be thereby avoided.

The subject has been adverted to, at considerable length in the three last annual reports of this Department in one of which that of Mr. Secretary Browning of November 30 1868 a full history of the matter is given. I earnestly concur in the suggestion made by Mr. Secretary Cox in his report of October 31 1870 that the difficulties which exist in carrying into effect existing legislation be removed by Congress in order "that the selection of a site for a new jail-building should not be limited to one of the public reservations."

There were 46 boys confined in the Reform School on the 5th of October, 1870, and 58 were received during the year ending on the 5th ultimo,