Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22


IL may be urged by some. In exten.
uation of the Illegal allowances by the
Levy Court to the mayor OF New Castle
and the sheriff OF the county on ac-
count of the commitment and board OF
trsmps at the county Jail, that the
n1dstom has been sanctioned Thy long
precedent, and that the bills Of the
present sheriff for these illegal charges
are no larger than, il as large as, those
of his official predecessors. Such
reasoning, however, is fallaoious.
Nor will 1t justify continuance Of
the evil.
1t Is true that the public was only
recently enlightened as to the extent
of the golden mine that was being
operated by the mayor OF New Castle
and the sheriff of the county through
tho cheap tramp labor employed by
them. But IL must be borne in mind
that only recently was the present sys-
tenn of auditing the county finances in
stituted, and that until this system
was instituted the public were not so
familiar with the detail Of county ex-
penditure. Then, again, this partica-
lar evil Of making money out of tramps
\ real or mythioal-was a revelation OF
only few years ago, when the astound
Ing proportions of the bills presented
by the mayor of New Castle challenged
public attention.
Hers was the origin of the system OF
Illegal charges that has flourished until
the county of New CASTLE is IN the
preposterous position of illegally pay
ing out money at the rate of SIS, 600 in
single year for board and lodging off
cramps at the county Jail. The bulk OF
3Snese fees are for commitment charges
~ AIDE by the mayor of New Castle and
w,he sheriff. Do the ople.comprehend
rthe extremely ridiculous--in addition
| to serious, on account OF the enormous
money waste--phase of the situation I
1.-THE county is mulctsd several thousand
dollars each year 10 the shape OF fees
FOR commitment of tramps to jail for
the sole purpose of giving them a
nights lodging and breakfast.
Everybody knows that the average
tramp who wants place to sleep
and q breakfast in the morning
does not need to be committed. He
will voluntarily 60 to the Jail and
feel glad that he Is to be SO highly
favored. In most places he is more
than satisfied to get the lodging OF 1t.
self, while the addition of q comiorta
BIO meal Or two is what he terms
''luolSy grsft.n
Even IL the expenditure Of sI5. 0Ot
per year on account Of committing
.tramps to Jail and furnishing then
with lodging and meals was authorized
by law the people would surely de
inand the repeal Of such an extraya
giant and impolitic measure. But 4
is not authorized by law. On the con
trary, tha course that has been laid on
aud followed by the mayor OF Nov
Castle and the sheriff of the county TO
tho last eight or ten years, with re
spect 10 the commitment OF tramps t,
the county Jail, is positively prohibited
by special enactment. The Law
aimed to render impossible the yer,
evil that has grown to such alarming
proportions.
1t is time to cry halt. The fac
that the Infamous extortion has onl,
recently been discovered ia no ressol
at all for its further tolerance. Til
fact that it Twas done by prsviou
officials does not justify continued OK
tortiop by present officials. On tn
contrary, the trend of reform should b
in the direction of compelling al
officials who have thus illegally profite
at tho expense of the Taxpayers to re
fund every dollar SO taken.