Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-07
MONEY, WANTEDF0R
DISTRICT WORKHOUSE
Commissioner Judson Explains
Deficiency-Appropriation
of $61,500 Expected.

The deficiency appropriation or $61, 5OO
for the District workhouse, which was
recently asked for by the Commissioners.
was authorized today by the House COM
mittee on appropriations. Representative
Fitzgerald Of New York. the committee
chairman, favorably reported to the
House joint resolution to supply the de-
fciency, and the House Is expected to act
in the near future.
AS was recently stated in The Star, the
Commissioners fully explained to the
committee the necessity for the deficiency
appropriation. The action by Congress In
opposition to the construction Of q re-
formatory on the site already purchased
near Mount Vernon. the resulting change
in policy, the fact that the wood supply
on the Districts tract was not sufficient
for fuel and the action Of the Commits
sioners in making too low their pro rata
estimate for the keep Of prisoners were
all factors in bringing on the deficiency.
Mai. Judson, the Engineer Commits
sioner. explained that the Commissioners
had gone wrong In their estimates. be-
cause everything about the workhouse
was new.
ut was a new plan." he told the COM
mittee the other day, land there is no
institution like 1t anywhere. 1t was hard
to have sufficient imagination to conceive
of just what would be developed to be
necessary there.
We are doing something that no other
institution like 1t has done, and we could
not tell Just what would develop in build
ing this institution up so quickly and so
cheaply. It would have been much easier
for us to have had $4,000 expended for
million dollars to build the institution.
But we were feeling our way. putting
nothing unnecessary in the institution and
having everything of the most economical
construction.
1--WE even put In our own sawmill and
sawed all the material for our building.
We have put in everything-the water sup
ply, the ice plant, the quarry plant, the
brick plant, the lighting plant and the
many buildings Of the institution-in the
most economical way. and we have SIM
ply been feeling our way along. If you
could see the institution I think you
would agree with me when l say that we
have felt our way successfully. Eighteen
months ago there was nothing there. To-
day it is a completed institution. and
none Of the large expenditures that were
originally contemplated has been made"
Expense of Guard.
Representative Cannon Of Illinois was
inclined to criticise the fact that the ex-
penditure on account Of the officers and
guards salaries amounted to nearly 40
per cent of the total expense He wanted
10 know II that wasn't pretty heavy.
"I should say not" Maj. Judson re-
piled. .'because we cannot assign more
than twenty men to guard. In fact. he
should not have twenty men where they
are scattered around. At present we have
onlv nine night guards"
M. Rudolph remarked that the guarding
was more expensive because Of the fact
that the prisoners were worked out in the
omen for ten hours a day. and it was very
dirficult among the underground and TIM
her for a man to guard as many as twenty
prisoners.
MARKED Mr. Cannon, don't YOU think you
Could cut down the overhead charges"
Mr.. Rudolph didn't think so, but Maj.
hudson agreed with Mr.. Cannon.
.In time he said, ut viii develop in
such q. way that we Will have the men
Concentrated around the brick plant and
quarry and places where the men labor
most and can stockade these places. In
other words, we will have the prisoners
more concentrated and will require fewer
guards"
will go through both branches without
opposition --e~-.- 1885,