Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-25
MAYOR BUTTS IN EARNEST.
he Secures Facts and Figures Pertain
ing to WOrkhOuSeS,
And will Fight the Movement to
Confne Prisoners in the County
Jail - Visited GAINESVILLE Last
Saturday-What it Costs to
Keep Prisoners-The Mayors
Views.

Mayor ]. R. Butts is firmly convinced
that one of the pressing needs OF this
city at present is a new, more commo-
dious, and better equipped workhouse.
The opposition, which has taken the
form of a movement to confine prison.
ers in the county jail has not affected
his views. The Jail ideaw sa first sug-
gested by a member of the Council
Committee on City Prison, and it is
understood that the Board of County
Commissioners will make proposition
to the city at its next meeting, relative
to confinement of municipal offenders
in Jail.
Mayor Butts is of opinion that the
cost of maintaining prisoners in the
county Jail, would not be less than
forty cents day, and he also thinks
that If his plans are carried out, not
only will this amount be saved 10 the
city. but the workhouse will be made
self-sustaining, if not an actual source
of revenue. The matter is still in the
hands of the city prison committee,
which has not made a recommendation.
but which has secured estimates for
new building at a cost varying from
$4,000 to $1,000.
The Mayor has secured reports and
other data, from cities which maintain
workhouses, and learns that the aver
age cost per prisoner per day, is from
eight to seventeen cents. In ;Anes-
VILE. which city he visited last Sunday,
the cost is about fifteen cents a day.
The prisoners are sent up for long terms
and are employed in the manufacture
of brooms which find a ready local mar
ket. Last year the GAINESVILLE prison
contributed something like 500 TO the
city treasury.
The sort of prison which the Mayor
favors. would be modelled after a peni-
Tertiary on a modest scale. Prisoners
would be sentenced for terms varying
from a few days TO twelve months. ana
they would ne compelled 10 work,
either in breaking stone. or in the man
ufacture of brooms and brushes. one
good thing which he believes
such an institution would accomplish,
would be TO prevent tramps flom max
ing this city a rendezvous. 1t had
such an effect in GAINESVILLE. The prln-
cipal trouble is that the present work
house is an attractive place for GER
tain class of individuals. When cold
weather arrives. they become either
drunk or disorderly, are arrested, and
sentenced TO the workhOuse. The work
is never severe. and the food is GER
tainly much better than many Of them
are accustomed to- and best OF all, it
comes regularly three times a day.
There was one well-known local char
acter. who used to get commitment
from the Mayor walk up with 1t TO the
keeper of the prison. and present II as
a passport to the institution. He was
frequently sent down town on errands.
and always returned. He knew good
thing.
Mavor Butts is authority for the
statement that it is impossible to get
any figures regarding the daily cost OF
keeping the prisoners. The last annual
statement shows that the workhouse
cost the city $4.296.6S. The actual cost
for food for the prisoners was s1,75L
Assuming the average number OF prls-
oners TO be fifteen-it is certainly not
more-the daily cost of maintaining
each prisoner approXimates 81 cents.
They are practically of little value to
the city. as they do not break much
stone. and the expense of carting 1t
about the city is very heavy The
stone could be bought much cheaper.
The best proof of the small results ac-
complished is the fact that there is no
macadamized road to the crematory,
and alley C. the thOroughfare leading
TO the workhouse, is almost impossible
for teams during wet weather.
THE city needs a prison. says the
Mayor in summing up his arguments
in favor of a new building. which will
not be an attractive home for the
tramps. but which will, on the con-
trary. be a place to be avoided by petty
offenders. The crimes which send
them TO the workhouse are not very
serious, but the city does not want this
class of visitors. and citizens generally
feel much more safety when they know
tramps are not about.