Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-03-10
TO WORK ON THE STREETS.
THE JAIL LOAFERS WILL BE
GIVEN WORK.
A Plan On Foot to Make Jail
Prisoners Work On The
Streets For Defaul-
ted Fines.

Between the dirty city streets an the
large number of prisoners in the ooun-
ty Jail an effort is to be made TO
create an affinity, which will result in
the prisoners lifting the burden of
taxation by working on the streets.
Many prominent persons are in favor
of the mode and as soon as possible
steps will be taken to see if an ordi-
nance or act of legislature cannot be
secured looking TO the solution of a
very serious problem. AT present
there are seventeen prisoners in the
county Jail, only two of whom are
white. Practically every one of the
prisoners owes his presence in Jail to
his inability TO pay a small fine for
which he will have to serve thirty
days.
10 maintain these men in idleness
the city and county is forced to pay
30 cents per day for each one. which,
at the present time amounts TO So. 10
per day. 1t is claimed by those who
have given the matter considerable
thought that these prisoners should be
made to contribute to their support by
being made to work on the streets.
Outside of the great saving to the
city in caring for the streets the mora
effect would be considerable as very
few men would care TO remain in the
Jail when a small fine would set them
tree. Those who have lost all the finer
sensibilities which would make a
term in Jail undesirable now go to Jail
in preference to paying the small fine
assessed them in the magistrates Off
ces.
n 1t is claimed that the city and coun
ty is losing in two directions by send
ing man to Jail who cannot or will
not pay his fine. The fine, which is
supposed TO maintain the police de-
partment, is lost and in addition to
that fact the city has to pay for the
keeping of the prisoner. Those who
are pushing the plan of having the
men put on the streets claim that by
putting the men on the street the
difference between what it costs to
feed them and what they earn would
more than compensate the city for the
for the loss of fines. Under the pres.
ent conditions the force would be
much larger than is really needed, but
in short time it would equaljze it.
self as very few men would care for
repetition of being seen cleaning
streets with ball and chain attached.
1t is said that the city's finances are
not such as to warrant the payment of
sufficiently large force and as a re-
suit the streets are more or less me-
elected. 1t is thought that at the next
meeting of the Business Mems Asso-
citation and the Taxpayers Association
the question will be taken up and dis
cussed in an effort to see what can be
done. Although the street commits
sioner does all that is possible with
the limited means at his command the
streets are generally in very dirty
condition. 1t is a known fact that If
the police of the city lived up to the
strict letter of the law and arrested
every person committing a violation
of an ordinance the Jail and lookup
would be insufficient to care for
them all.
Gangs of colored men are daily con-
gregated at nearly every corner, block
ing the free passage of pedestrians and
using the most fonl and obscene Ian
guage. If there was some outlet for
these men, some place, such as working
on the streets, the police would then
be justified in making more arrests
ana breaking up the rowdyism which
exists. They could easily supply suiAr
cient recruits to maintain the street
cleaning brigade in large numbers or
else make the yiolators of the law con-
tribute their share to the support of
the city government and police depart
ment