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Show Estimates Being Made to Bring the Cost Within the Appro, prlatioa. PEOBABLE RIP0BT T0M0EB0W. Condition of the City Prison and the Health of Its Inmates, In-mates, When Mayor Scott's incumbency of his municipal office begau, the subject of the proposed new city aud county building, to be erected at tho corner of First South aud First East streets, was ouc of the first things to attract his attention. at-tention. Judging from the plans aud specifications, the mayor entertaiued grave doubts as to tho possibility of completing the buildings at a cot not to exceed tho appropriation, and until ho could satisfy himself ou the matter he deemed it advisable to order all work stopped. Tho excavatiou for the foundation founda-tion had, at this time, been about finished, and since about tho third week iu February there has been nothing further . done in the way of work on tho structure. A csll at the mayor's oftlco this morning resulted in ascertaining that tbero are several architects and builders In tho city busy In preparing an estimate of cost which will como within the lOOO,-000 lOOO,-000 appropriated for the completion of tho structure, 'and it is expected that these estimates will lie submitted to the council committee iu time for the mat- ter to be brought before tho council tomorrow to-morrow eveniug. . It is not lho,couneil aloue, however, that has the say iu the case. As the proposed building is to be for the joint occupancy of the city aud county officials, offi-cials, tho selectmen of Salt Lake county Mill also have to decide In tho matter, and this latter body has placed the subject sub-ject in tho hands of a committee, which, It Is eipeeted, will he able to report at an early day after receiving the estimates. To complete the building build-ing will require at least a year after actual operations begin, aud in the meantime temporary repairs and alterations alter-ations in the present very inadequate quarters will be all that can be done. The elty prison is In a disgraceful condition. Tho sanitary arrangements are of the most primitive description, and would shame all pretenses to civilization. civili-zation. There are no closets, buckets being used instead. These stand for hours filled with filth within the building, build-ing, and are emptied by - a gang of prisoners. The building itself is a: mere shell. . aud . escapes have frequently orourred- UU proposed to put in eotne' sheet iron roofing to prevent' pre-vent' this," and also to strengthen the window guards; but at best the city must put up 'with inconveniences, bad sanitary arrangements attd Insecurity for pro-haps twelve or, fourteen months longer. The health of tbo prisoners now iu the prison Is wonderfully good, MrilJnli r Mnmsl nn.iAS und r)i ratlina provided for them are excellent; but that such a place should be free from vermin is not possible. The marshal, who Is responsible for tho condition of tee city Jail, has done and Is doing all that he can for the comfort and security ef his charges, but with the facilities lit bis command it is beyond his power to mitigate the existing evil. 1 |
