Evening journal., 1909-02-02
WANT CONVICTS
TO BUILD ROADS
WOrkhOuSe Trustees Suggest
Idea to Levy Court and
Ask for Conference
PLAN WOULD SAVE
COUNTY MUCH MONEY

The members Of the Levy Court on
next Tuesday viii visit the county
workhouse at Greenbank. This action
was decided upon to-day after an in
vitation had been extended BY J. Frank
Ball on behalf Of the trustees of the
workhouse. The object Of the visit is
a conference between the commission.
ers and the trustees. and 10 examine
into the details of the conduct Of the
institution. During the past year the
trustees have built several pieces of
stone road near Greenbank at a cost
below the price made by competine
contractors on other roads. The trus
tees want to build more roads within
four miles of the quarry Before do.
Ing so, however. the trustees want the
permission of the court
The following communication from
Mr.. Ball was read:
Wilmington. Del, Jan. 2S. 1909.
To the Honorable Levy Court Of New
Castle Counay.
Gentlemen: I am instructed by tho
Board OF Trustees OF the New Castle
County Workhouse TO extend to youi
honorable body Cordial invitation tc
visit the workhouse and 10 examine
into the details of the conduct of thi.
institution.
our population has been rapidly in
creasing and has now reached a daily
average Of 34s.
/ II is difficult for us to find satisfac
tory employment for all Of these men
/ especially for those committed fol
sixty days or less. This class of mel
can work az nothing but the roughes
4 kind of manuel labor. and unless Vol
can help us to provide this kind o
work, We cannot get the result whicl
/ We are striving to obtain. II is neces
sary for US to get the best we car
out of the labor of the prisoners il
I order to keep the expenses to the coun
/ ty as low as possible. You will recol
( lect the fact that We pay out Of tn
appropriation allowed us by you al
I the interest on the bonded debt Of tn
institution. and have paid off i'm tn
z past two or three years $4,000 OF tn
principal. We wish TO continue thi
/ economical and business-liko manage
mcnt. ana therefore ask YOU 20 co
operate with us as far as may be 4
your power.
In furtherance Of this we would as
you to reserve for us the building o
all the proposed new macadam count.
roads which lie within a radius o
about four miles from the workhouse
We can use in this work labor whicl
cannot be otherwise properly employed
and the stone in our quarry is as gool
as any in the country for road build
ing
Further. a most important point i
that at the prices agreed with tn
previous Levy Court the costs to tn
county will be only about one-half o
what IL would be if given out by con
tract. that is, twice as man~ miles cal
be built for the same price, and mel
who have become a charge on tn
county can be made to contrlbut
largely to the expense they put tn
county TO. Certain classes Of convict
in almost all the states are largei
employed in road building. and tn
work is healthful for them while tn
return to the community is most valu
able and the competition with skille
free labor is obviated. Will you tax
this matter under immediate consider
alton and advise us when it will sui
your pleasure to meet with us and tai
the matter over?
Very truly yours,
]. Frank Ball, Secretary