New York House of Refuge Registers of Industrial Department Audited Bills

Chronological.

These volumes, kept for the auditing purposes of the institution's Finance Committee and Executive Committee, document the expenses incurred by the Industrial Department.

Following the legislative prohibition of prison contract labor, the institution in 1888 effected a major reorganization and expansion of industrial and mechanical trades education. Payments were made to payroll, the Industrial Education Association, and other organizations and private individuals; however, except in the case of payroll, there is no indication of what the payments were for. The Executive Committee conducted a weekly (1888-May 1894) or monthly (June 1894-November 1900) audit of bills. Bills for each week or month were listed in entries providing: bill number (assigned consecutively); name of payee; amount of bill; date of bill; and amount allowed by Executive Committee after audit (same as amount of bill).

Following the audit, the secretary or an examiner for the Executive Committee signed an endorsement under the list of bills stating that they had been audited and a warrant issued to the Superintendent for payment of those bills. This is followed by a later endorsement stating that the bills had been examined and were found to have been paid (1888-September 1892 only).

Microform is available at the New York State Archives through interlibrary loan.

Microfilm: 1 reel; 35mm.

A2073Series A2073, Industrial Department cash book, contains payments of warrants that are cited in this series

B1821Series B1821, Industrial department and maintenance cash book, contains payments of expenses that are cited in this series

B1819Series B1819, Industrial Department daybooks, contains payments of bills that are cited in this series.

The Department of Correction placed these records on loan to the Syracuse University Library from 1960-1977.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.