The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-01-12
WORK PRISONERS
ON COUNTY ROADS.
is THE RECOMMENDATION
OF THE COMMITTEE
Appointed to Examine
Commissioners Report.
Suggestion Is Made that in That Way
the County Could get Some Returns
for the Expenses lncurred--other
Suggestions.


the County Could get Some Returns
for the Expenses lncurred-other
Suggestions.
The committee appointed by Judge
II. S. Amber to examine and report
upon the commissioners detailed re-
port of the financial transactions of
Stark county during the past year COM
pleted its work Friday evening and
filed the report with the county clerk.
The committee was composed of e.
M. Jerome, of Minerva Attorney
Charles Krichbaum of Canton. and
Prosecuting Attorney r. H. Day. The
report is a lengthy one and the COM
mittee was in session two days in maxi
ing the examination. A recommends
ton for greater economy was made and
II was suggested that the wor!ihouse
prisoners be used for road improve
ment. The report of the committee in
full is as follows:
To Honorable r. S. 'Ambler,
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas
of Stark County, Ohio.
The committee appointed by the
Court to examine the annual report
of the County Commissioners hereto
fore made to this court, beg leave to
submit the following findings:
The bookkeeping. accounts. youch-
ers, and figures of the Commissioners
report we find to be correct and ac-
cording to law. and we therefore have
no criticism to offer or suggestion to
make, and commend the report in this
regard
We, however, call attention to the
fact that the statutes of Ohio. to-wit,-
section 3701, subsection 45-46. direct
the burial of INDECENT soldiers, sail
ors, and certain relatives at an ex-
pense not to exceed fifty dollars ($50)
in each case. We note that this sum
of money is always paid to the under
taker who has furnished the casket.
We believe the true intent of the stat
ute to be that the undertaker's bill
should be as much less than the sum
of fifty dollars as the persons in
charge of the burial can make them.
We note considerable expenditure
of public funds for stationery and sup
plies for the court house. We recon-
mend a greater economy on the part
of officials and other persons in the
purchase and use of the same.
In our examination of this report
we have noted an item of expense al
lowed Treasurer Snyder for making
collections of taxes outside the treas
strict legality of this procedure, yet
we fully believe that the accommoda-
tion and saving of expense to the tax
payers of this county by having the
opportunity to pay taxes near their
own homes exceeds many times in
amount the item of expense allowed
the treasurer as above noted, and we
for allowing the same.
We trust that the legislature will
at no late day enact such law as will
facilitate the outside collection of
taxes by the treasurer and thereby the
better subserve public good.
We further note in our examination
of the report submitted to us that the
Stark county workhouse is far from
being self-sustaining institution; we
therefore recommend a more rigid
enforcement of work therein, and we
respectfully urge that 1t be made
more rigorous penal nstitution,-that
by way of giving the county the ben
eft OF the enforced expense entailed
upon 1t that the work Of a portion of
the prisoners of said institution be
contributed to the betterment of the
roads of Stark county on such thor
oughfares as in the judgment of the
commissioners will benefit the great
est number of people, and make such
roads permanent and lasting. and that
during each year certain amount
OF roadway be made substantial and
permanent on some leading thorough
fare of the county. And we respect
fully urge that at no time ought any
prisoners be allowed to be idle, that
some system Of labor be inaugurated
so as to keep all of the prisoners at
work all the time; and that this plan
contemplate continued and perma-
nent system of road building to extend
indefinitely into the future.
In making this recommendation we
cast no reflection upon the workhouse
management. and note that the def
cit is less this year than 1t has been
for a number of years: nevertheless
the fact remains that the institution
has been and is now very heavy bur-
den upon the tax payers of Stark
county, and we believe that some COM
pensation ought to inure to the gen
eral good of the county. other than
the reformation and Dunishment oS