The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-12-31
LOSING MONEY ON
A BRUSH CONTRACT
Institution Cannot be SeIfSus.
tanning Under the Present
Contract--May Attempt
to Annui 1t.

The secret of the raising of the rates
on prisoners at the Canton workhouse,
as given to the public exclusively by
the News-Democrat last night, Is said
to lie in a Cleveland contract, made
by the workhouse directors two yearS
ago.
The present directors, the county
commissioners and all who are inter
tract annulled between that institution
and the Standard Brush company, OF
Cleveland, which has three years yet
to run. The contract has proven dis
astrous to the workhouse. Under 1t
less than ten cents a day is realized
from each man who is put to work,
and under the agreement all able
bodied prisoners are TO be turned over
to the parties running the brush fac
tory.
One who is in position to know
said yesterday that the contract was
one of the most disastrous ever made.
For instance, 1t provides that the work.
house is to furnish power for the brush
factory at $50 a year. rhe bills show
that it costs $50 year for oil for the
engine that furnishes the power, 50
that the county does not realize enough
out of this part of the contract to
pay for the oil.
LOSING MONEY FAST.
The institution has to pay for all
the fuel, which amounts to hundreds
Of dollars annually, hire a fireman
at $50 a month, pay all the repairs anii
expenses Of keeping the machinery, AMI
the only reimbursement, II gets is the
paltry $50 from a company which
makes convictmade goods to go out
into the state in competition with
men who are honestly trying to make
living for their families.
The result of this is that every quar-.
ter shows a deficit in the accounts OF
the workhouse of several hundred dol.
lars, which the taxpayers of the coun-
ty have to pay. The matter has become
so Notorious that there has been a
clamor from the public for soma
change, but when plans are discussed
they invariably run up against this con-
| tract, which absorbs all the labor and
| gives in return but a paltry 8 to II
cents a day in return, which is just
one-third enough to pay for the feed
ing of the prisoners.
STARK PAYS THE BILL.
The principle or theory on which
warehouses; are figured to be profitable
or nearly self-maintain' is alway.
that if sufficient prisoners can be Sc
cured to make their labcr a factor II
manufacturing, small margin can bt
cleared on each; but in the case O
the Stark county institution operating
under this contract, the more pris
oners there are the r"eater the loss
Stark county taxpayers have been pay,
ing a board bill for criminals fror
other counties.
Counties outside of Stark, as statet
in the -DSmocrat of Friday
have been received for from 90 to Il
cents q day. 1t is hopcd that the in
crease to 40 cents will prevent prison
ers coming from other counties an,
that there will be so few received
that the Standard Brush company will
find the work Improbable and throw
up the contract.
MAY ANNUL IT.
A person in the position to know
stated to a reporter that somethin,
was going to drop in a short time
IIe said the contract was so manifest
ly unfair that he did not believe |
would hold in court, al,i that the com
missioners had made Up their minds
to annul 1t and If the brush compan,
wanted to go into court and fight i
it was welcome to do so.
The commissioners VIXEN seen di,
not want to be quoted upon the matter
but agreed that the conditions of tn,
contract were working hardship upol
the county.
Before the establishment Of tn
wcrkhouse, the sheriff of the county
was allowed so cents a day for board
ing prisoners that now usually go {,
tho works. 1t is figured that it woul,
be much cheaper to have them boarde;
at the Jail now than to pay $4,000 o
$4,000 annually to maintain them un
der the present system.
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