Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-28

next stop would bo TO procure All efficient corps
Of employees, aud speak within bounds when
estimate the cost at not less than $b,0JU per
annum. practical machlnist, one who
thoroughly understands the care and attcn-
tion suon machinery requires could not be had
Tor leas than s3,OO0; nor could q capable en-
ginser be hired for less than $1,000 to 81 l,20J.
Then add 10 this each year. for repairs, 8 per
cent Of the original cost (and per cont OF
$25O,OO0 is saO,00O and you will have general
| idea of the cost.
Thus it will be seen that the expense is
| enormous under any circumstances, but when
| we take into consideration the handful that
| constitute the whole population OF the State 1t
must be potent to all that the project would be
suicidal
| that the penitentiarles OF other States pay TO
| them a revenue. That may be admitted, but
| II certainly could not be expected that r peDi-
| tentiary would pay any arEreclable rege nue.
| to this State, because there are very few pris-
oners in this state whose sentences extend
| beyond the period of one year. Surely NOT
| long enough 10 learn even a common trade.
The average number in New Castle county
| of lOng-torm prisOners-those whose terms ex-
tend beyond year--is not more than 2o: In
| Kent county, 5; in sussex county, 3. Thus you
| will readily perceive that such an institution
could not be even self-supporting.
The State OF Delaware Is not large enough
| in population TO support a penitentary. IL
would be TO our treasury, each year. n burden
| almost too heavy to bear; or else would gradu-
| ally fall into forced neglect and become an
| unsighty monument to our folly.
| But there should be decided reformation i'll
| our prison system. This enforced idleness
should be done away with. This huddling
together of male ana female. the youth OF first
| offence and the hardened man OF crime, is
condition of things which should not exist any
| longer. There should ne employment and
| proper accommodation provided. Prisons
| should not be looked upon entirely as places
| of punishment There Is higher meaning to
| them than that-they should be regarded, as
well, as places OF reformation and, with this
| end in view. would suggest that for the ex-
| penditure of $2bO00 our present prisons might
| be 80 arranged and constructed as to bacome
houses Of labor, as we'll as incarceration; aud
| places of REFORM rather than hot beds Of vice.
| In these reconstructed pri ons there should be
| placed suitable tools. forms, and benches. and
tho materials for the prisons to work upon
could be procured In the raw or unfinished
| condition, from our mills and manufactures,
| while the expense Of maintain such an addt-
| ton would not. greatly exceed that OF our
| present unsatisfactory one.
| offer these suggestions to the committee
and pray an earnest consideration of them.
STATE TREAsURER's REPORT.
The biennial report of Wilbur H. Bur-
| mite, late State treasurer, was submitted to
the House this morning and the printing
| of $40 copies of it was ordered. Following
| is synopsis:
There have been no changes since my
last report either in the assets of the State
or in the bonded Indebtedness. All inter,
ests on investments due the State have
been promptly paid, and interests due
/ from the State have been met at maturity.
Our present bonded Indebtedness, apart
| from the school fund bond and the certif-
| cate of Indebtedness to Delaware College,
| amounts to S4i5,000. Of this amount
| $195, 900 is drawing per cent interest and
the remainder, (S25U,000), 3 per cent. We
! have no bonds falling due before the year
| 1908 but all of our Indebtedness will
shortly be redeemable at the option of the
| state.
During my incumbency of this office the
expenditures have largely increased both
from regular and special appropriations.
| The latter aggregated over SS7, 900. To the
regular appropriations have been added
registration expenses, aggregating $4,000.
| and expenses connected with the Delaware
State Hospital at Farnhurst aggregating,
including special appropriation for i'm
provement fund. Sl55,000. The result of
the payment of these large sums of money
has been to deplete the general fund to an
extent that makes it absolutely necessary
for our revenue to be increased. have
been enabled to meet the demands made
upon the general fund during the past two
years by borrowing temporarily from the
school fund, but this is an expedient that
we should not be compelled to resort to.
1t can be avoided only by increasing our
bonded Indebtedness or providing for a
larger increase. The latter method, it
seems to me, should only be considered
especially in view of the TACT that we
should gradually be accommodating fund
to meet bonds of the State falling due
within few years.
Upon the basis of our present sources of
revenue | estimate that the expenditures
during the coming year will to con-
siderable extent exceed the receipts. And
this estimate is based upon the presump-
| tion that no large appropriations, other
than those expected. will be made by the
present General Assembly. The main
reason for this condition of affairs is the
| expenditures connected with the State
hospital. The appropriation for the insti-
tuition began at time when we had quite
a surplus in the treasury and no provision
Was made for the continued outlay. While
every one recognizes the value of the insti-
tuition and its wise and economical manage
ment is universally conceded it is unfor-
tunate that the mistake was made of not
providing means for its support. The only
increase of revenue during my term of
office has come from the tax on banks,
| amounting to about $1,000 annually. The
joint resolution relating to the Baltimore
a Philadelphia Railroad Co. was readopted
by the last General Assembly and the
agreement to receive $4,000 annually in
lieu of all State taxes will soon expire
Since my last report have received the
accumulated interest on the Sussex county
bond and the annual interest is now paid
regularly.
paid during the year 1893 for the burial
of 81 INDECENT soldiers, sailors and marines,
and during the past year for the burial of
-, making total of 63. The State has
sI,s25. 80 '''s S'''' u
The entire cost for free text books has
been $40 270.9l, divided as follows: 1891,
! $17, ,22S2O; 1892, l26OS. 73; 1893, SS, ,S26. ST.
1894, S7,607.l4. The contracts with the
| different publishers, IL in all, expire in
| July next and under the present law it
will be the duty of the State Board of Edu-
cation to enter into new contracts, If
radical changes are not made in the books
| now used it is safe to predict that the cost
annually will be about $1,000.
have occasionally used school fund
monvs for general fund purposes, ,sbut it has
all been returned in time for distribution to
| the school directors of the several counties.
In order to accomplish this | have had to
| twice call upon the Farmers Bank at Dover
| for loans for a short time, aggregating
$4,000, and this institution has kindly
accommodated the State without charge.
The House killed by vote of 10 to s the
! House bill in relation to State training
| school for teachers.
Several teachers, who were given an op-
portunity to speak, advocated the measure.
Representative Walker said it would be
imposing hardship OH the teachers if
they were required to come here in the
middle of vacation. He also opposed the
bill because of the expense the teachers
would be put to by attending the school,
Representative Jolls disapproved of the
act because it would compel persons who
have been teachers for long time to go to
the school.
DOVER, Feb. 23.--The seth ballot for
United States Senator, taken by the Legis-
iature IN Joint session to-day, was,as usual,
productive of no change in the situation,