Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-05-20

savo out OF our present political sewage
prison system.
Mr.. James assured us thar as the
number Of prisoners Increased, the
relative cost OF each prisoner yearly
would decrease. That this is reasonable
ana true becomes apparent by com
psrison with larger Institutions. The
daily cost OF each Of the "a prisoners in
West Chester jail was 20T cents; the
daily cost OF each of the, 1852 prisoners
IN the Allegheny County Workhouse
was us cents the daily cost of each
OF the 600 prisoners in Eastern Peni-
tentiary at Philadelphia. was cents;
the daily cost of the i25 prisoners in
the Vermont Xorkhouse was 10 cents.
We have taken the jail at West
Chester as basis of calculation. be-
cause 1t is small; the prisoners few in
number and therefore relatively more
expensive than large establishments.
J One item of comparison is worthy OF
note. We pay for fuod for each prisoner
daily, the sum of 20 cents. Chester
county bad our system 10 1889 and paid
daily for food % cents. They changed
to the workhouse system 10 1893. The
cost of food dropped ut once TO centa
daily. Last year under Mr.. James
superintendent tho cost was reduce TO
Cd cents daily. OF this amount the
prisoners earned one hall, reducing the
cost to l-5 cents daily as against our
cost of 90 cents daily.
1t therefore must be manifest that
with our large number of lS3 prisoners,
RS compared with 81 in West Chester
Jail, we can reasonably save enough
more to pay the interest on the bonded
debt and absolutely save all cost 10 the
county, in excess.
The outcome then is that with $500. :
000 the land ran be bought; the plant
erected; all interest aud expenses raid
out OF that sum until the workhopse
10 SO perfected as to take the place Of
our present county Jail. Then for IL
years let the county pay the workhouse
trustees, what il vs. now paving for
present prison system, and at the end
of that time the workbouse plant will
be Gear of debt. save out Of the Present
waste, and made present to the county
under the new penal system. There.
after in addition, our prison system will
cost less than one-half Of what it does
at present; hut more gratifying than
all will be the fact that we will have
established an humane prison system
! in keeping with and abreast OF our nd
yarced civilization.
In the Vest Chester Jail, the tools
and implements Of the prisoners are Of
,, the simplest kind and Inexpensive They
! make everything used in the Jail except
, provisions, and they also manufacture
! simple articles for sale, that do moi
/. come in competition with outside labor
! TO any considerable extent. Tine super
!, intendent says that the average convic
! will learn any of tbs different employ
ments in from one to three days, accord
ing to aptness.. That they are taught b.
the ordinary TardeRs.
One mode of utilizing 'ronsict labo
might be road making. II the work
house should be located ON quarry
: ground, on one of our railroads. ant
: equipped with steam crushers as par
: of the plant, worked by prison labor
). crushed stons could he furnished fu
the roads OF the county and transporter
a. moderate rates, cheaper than an
other good road making material.
= In 1892 the several hundreds nf thi
:, county, spent upon their roads, eS
elusive OF some of the larger towus til