Reports were read from the Acting Committee and from the General Agent, Fred. J. Pooley, which were approved and directed to be printed in the forthcoming Journal.
The Treasurer, John Way, produced a detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1910. (See page 15.)
The following Amendment to the Constitution was proposed, and directed to be laid before the next meeting of the Society, viz.:
“The number of Members of the Acting Committee may be increased to not exceeding sixty, provided the additional members shall be residents of Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia.
“These Members may be elected from time to time at any meeting of the Acting Committee, according to the provisions of the By-Laws for filling vacancies, but the terms for which they are elected shall be for the unexpired portion of the current fiscal year only. These additional Members will be eligible for reëlection at the next Annual Meeting, and their respective terms of service shall then be assigned so as to be coördinate with the terms of service of the other Members of the Committee.”
John J. Lytle, on behalf of the Nominating Committee, appointed at the last Annual Meeting, presented in writing the nominations for the officers of the Society and for the members of the Acting Committee whose terms expire at this time. The President appointed as Tellers, Joseph C. Noblit, A. Jackson Wright and William E. Tatum. The election having been duly conducted, the Tellers announced that a unanimous vote of the Society was cast for the ballot as presented by the Nominating Committee. (See page 3.)
The Nominating Committee proposed that Hon. William N. Ashman be elected Honorary Counselor. On motion the recommendation of the Committee was adopted with expression of appreciation of the long and faithful services of Judge Ashman for the Society.
The President appointed the following committee to nominate to the next Annual Meeting the names of officers, and members of the Acting Committee to fill the place of those whose terms then expire, viz.: George S. Wetherell, Joseph C. Noblit, Mrs. Horace Fassitt, Mrs. Mary S. Grigg and Paul D. I. Maier.
The President (Joshua L. Baily) expressed his appreciation of the honor done him by his reëlection for a fifth term. He said it was sixty years ago this month that he was elected a member of the Prison Society. Soon thereafter he was placed on the Acting Committee and for ten or twelve years he was a regular visitor at the Eastern Penitentiary. He also visited a number of our county jails and most of the penitentiaries of the Atlantic States and some of those in the West. But not being satisfied with the results, he gave up prison visiting and took up what he then believed to be more hopeful service.
“Now, after the lapse of many years,” he said, “I find myself again among you with a new vision as to the obligations and possibilities of the work in which we are engaged.” In the few recent years, he said, that he had had opportunity for observation, he had not found the evidence that the prisons of this state (perhaps with a few exceptions) are in any better condition as to equipment and administration and facilities for the improvement of the inmates than they were fifty years ago.