The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-12
GheGstelLiqetrter.
The Proposed House Of C0rrec-
tIOu and Reform school.

NOpbNNN INouNu VI ~OAHSo-
tiOn ana Reform school.
Me~rs. Ewing speidel, Waddle and
Frew, mcmbers Of the Board Of Commits
,ioners Of Ohio County, and Mr.. G. H.
Dsiters, Clerk Of the Board, paid a
viait on Friday last to the cele-
bra.ed MorgSnti School in Washington
county, PennsylvAuia, and on Saturday
visited the Allegheny Workhouse near
Pittsburgh, AS our readers are aware,
there has been more or less talk for 4
good while past in regard to the necessity
for some sort Of m institution in this
county which should be in the nature Of
q House Of Correction and Reform
School, to which Juvenile oiFenders aud
incorrigible boys could be sent. With q
view Of finding some proper model for
such an institution, and also witnessing
ii, practical workings, two or three Of the
members Of the Board went East some
weeks ago, and with the same purpose
still in view the members We have named
visited the two neighbOriug institutions
referred to at the clOse Of last week.
As for the Morgansa School, near Can.
on,burg, we do not presume that any.
body would seriously think for n moment
Of advocating such IN institution as that
for Ohio county, nor even for all four
counties Of the Panhandle. tis large
and expensive institutioni 60 expensive
that it's permauency as now conducted IL
by no means assured. This, too, moi.
withstandiDg it draws its support from
eighteen counties in western Penpsy-
vaniu. It has Eve buildings as large as
the Third Ward school house Of this city,
and sixth building twice as large, and
farm Of five hundred acres. According
to the report Of the institution for the
year ending 19th October, its e1pendi.
turss were slll,6lo AZ, making a cost per
capita Of s2ll %, which is 75 per cent
more than the per capita cost at our
Weston Insane Asylum where no pro-
ductive work is done by the inmates 10
reduce the expense of maiutainance.
The MorganzS farm cost Sss,62l 20, and
the buildings and improvements S452,,
32447. The annual expense for salaries
to officers is Sl5s3O % and for supplies
s3o,795 II. 1t is got up on big scale
and represents large and wealthy con.
stituencY.
The other institution visited, the Allie
gheny County Work House, is different
affair altogether, inasmuch as it is more
Of penal institution. II contains in.
mates Of all ages, whereas the Morgan7a
receives no one over 81 years of age.
Work i, the characteristic OF the Work
House, but at tho Morganza work i, al
tsrnated with play and education.
The Work House has a farm at
tached which cost s272,l1S Gl, and the
total cost up 10 date OF farm, buildings,
improvents, Sc, Is s7s2,753 Al. The
earnings Of the inmates last year were
Si66O3 60 and the ordinary expenditures
S5l,S93 SO, leaving deficiency Of 81, 200.
%. The principal occupation is making
oil barrels and lead kegs. The income
from these two sources was S40,479 IS
last year, and from laundry s2,54s az.
During tho year 81 OIL persons were con.
fined in the institution, Of whom 1910
were received during the year. The sen.
tsnces were mostly for short time mas.
much as 1855 were discharged during the
year. AT the closO of the year only 4l6
persona were in confinement.
We do not see that either Of these in.
s!itutiOna ia exactly adapted to the needs
OF Ohio county. As to the scale upon
which they are got up, they are Of course
away beyond the scope OF our require
ments. Just what our requirements are
in the way OF any sort Of an institution Of
a penal and tformatory character is
something we do not feel qualified to pass
Judgment upon. We have never OBJ.
served, however, that they were very
pressing, and We arc sure that citizens
generally will want good deal OF lnfor.
nation on the subject before consenting
to approve any steps looking to the iuau.
gnration o! such an institution. Any one
who can throw light on the extent OF our
needs in this direction will be welcometo
reasonable space in our columns for