The daily gazette., 1883-03-24
BIG BILLS FOR FOOD.
WHAT ITtcosTs THE CITY TO
FEED THE. PRISONERS.
FIFTEEN GENTS A MEA
Ohisf OF Police HnwI<ins' Bill for S95. So
for One Month-How was the Claim
Colnputed--A Remarkable Increase.

Twice day the special officer at the City
Hall, with q market basket on his arm and
Is cents in his hand, goes down TO the Clay
ton House, and gets the food dealt out to
the prisoners, The fare consists of articles
from the larder of the hotel which are not
consumed, Usually there is liberal sup
ply of cold chicken, turkey, beef, bread and
butter, ETC., and the prisoners really fare
much better than the people who pay the
taxes and help to feed them. The Chief of
Police furnishes the meals and they, as a
general Ching, cast min 50 cents a day-25
cents for baslEetfdl IN the morning and 25
cents for q basketiui in the evening" and he
in turn receives I5 cents per meal from the
city. -.
There has always been some wonder ex-
pressed by the members of City Council,
when these bills were sent in, that they
should be, TO use the phrase Of some of the
lawful dads" $50 terrible Steep" but
when Chief Of Police Hawkins came into
power the bills.took such a sudden leap as
to be almost staggering For six months
they were almost double what they had
been during Mayor Almonds term, and
then, it is stated, when complaint. was
made, they suddenly dropped off from
half to one-third.
r Here is the provision from the city ordi-
nance, concerning the police, which relates
to the board of prisoners confined In the
hall:
Should any prisoner be unable TO pay
for the board furnished him or her, the High
Constable shall be paid by the City Council,
fifteen cents per meal for the board furnished
by him to such prisoner. Provided, that the
bill therefore be first approved by the Mayor"
Here are the bills Of Chief of Police Haw-
kins from July, 1852, the time he came into
Office. until February, 1888. The bill for
June is divided between the old and the new
administration, and is not given, and the
March bill is not in yet as the month is not
out:
kins, @. r., to feeding prisoners, during
the month of July, $50 meals. ...........$95.S .S5
Mayor and Council, to James L. Haw-
kins, q. r., TO feeding prisoners during
the month Of August, 62l meals .$93. Is
Mayor and Council TO James l.. Hawkins,
q, p to feeding prisoners during the
month Of September, $50 meals. ........ .$54O0
Mayor and Council to James l.. Hawkins,
@. p, to feeding prisoners during the
month of October, $50 meals .......... ..ST20O
Mayor and Council to James L. Hawkins,
q. p. TO feeding prisoners during the
month Of November 5l4 meals ......... $50. 10
Mayor and Council to james l.. Hawkins,
q. p. To feeding prisoners during the
month Of December, 49l meals.-........$I4,o5 o5
Mayor and Council to James l.. Hawkins
p. To feeding prisoners during the
month of January, 2se meals. ............S4 2.9O
Mayor and Council to James L. Hawkins,
O. r. To feeding prisoners during the
month Of February. 33t meals. .25
A glance at these figures and a little
1 thought will show that during the month OF
July Chief of Police Hawkins must have
averaged over 10 prisoners day to each OF
which he must have fed two meals each day.
/ For August he must have averaged for 80
of the 81 days 10 prisoners to whom he fed
| two meals a day each, and for one of the
days 10 prisoners for full day and for a
half day.
Now let comparison be made between
1 these bills and those of Chief of Police Max
well, and the wide variance between them
will serve to set people thinking without
1 any comment being made. Here are the
amounts paid Mayor Almonds chief;