Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-13
SOCIAL WORKERS PROTEST
DIVERSION OF FARM MONEY
Step Backward, They Assert, to Use
Fund Appropriated for
Street Work.
WAS PROVIDED FOR CITY FARM
Jail Characterized in Resolutions as
'Antiquatcd, Inefficient and With
out Rcdecming Feature"-What
Proposed Farm Would Mean.

hiCHHOIu is III DANGER OF losing one
OF the most effective reforms planned
for several years. according to "a com
mittec of social workers who met at
the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton yesterday to protest against the
action or the City Council in divert
ing funds appropriated for the pur-
chase OF municipal farm. After ten
or hiteen years OF steady work on the
part OF the social organizations In the
city. the City Council was finally per-
suaded TO appropriate $4,000 toward
the purchase of a municipal farm AS
result Of the inability of the Ad
mlnistratiHe Board and the Council
10 decide who had right 10 spend
the money, the matter was referred
TO subcommittee which decided that
tho farm was not necessary. 1t is now
proposed that the money raised for
that purpose should be spent instead
for the Improvement of Dock Street
Social workers Of the city met yes
terday. called together By Rev. w. y.
Cooper. to protest against this diver
sion of the funds. y committee was
appointed. consisting Of John r.. Minor
John lirschberG. of the Administra-
tive Board, and MIR. Cooper To carry
q resolution TO this effect to the Coun-
Gil. y paper giving full reasons for
tho protest was drawn up By Mr.
Cooper. read before the meeting and
adopted.
SAN SELL PINE CAMP
FARM FOR sGO,oOo
Mr.. Hirschherg made an interesting
statement.
Some" he said. have objected 10
tho purchase Of this farm on the
ground that the city already owns one
darm-Pine Camp--for which II pait,
$4,000 have in my pocket now an
oner from a group Of men Offering
100000 for this property The city
could, therefore, sell it. buy new
farm in more suitable location. and
have nearly $4,000 left for the cree
ton Of buildings"
The petition adopted by the General
Council OF Social Workers follows:
We, the General Council Of Social
Workers Of Richmond. from purely
humanitarian and phila nthropic mo-
t!ves. and representing the charitable.
social and correctional agencies Of the
city, do hereby petition your honora bic
body not reverse your former pro-
Eressivc policy in appropriating the
sum OF $4,000 for the purchase OF
municipal farm. for the more humane
and scientific care and treatment OF
the dependent, defective and del!n-
Iucnt classes Of our population for
a policy OF reaction.
We are informed through the press
OF the city that a recommendation has
been made by the Finance Committee
10 divert this sacred fund from its
Improvement
DOCK street. we, your petitioners do
not object TO this presumably needed
improvement OF The waterfront. hut
we do most earnestly object TO the use
OF this $4,000 being used for any other
purpose than that for which IL was
originally appropriated
BELIEVE PURCHASE OF FARM
ESSENTIAL To CITY'S WELFARE
We believe that the purchase Of this
he tai oil
work Of tn" city in its treatment OF
the dependent, defective and delinquent
classes We base this belief on the fol-
lowing considerations:
First. The Jail OF the CITY or picb
mord. lk" all other jails Of its kind
Is antiquatei inefficient and has abso-
lutelT not one rcdcenning feature nor
reforming influence upon the men and
women confined there. There. In the
close, Initiated atmosphere mon and
women are confined without any proncr
classification: the tuberculous ard dis
eased prisoners being often confined in
the same cell with those in good health.
me inehr'atc. who also is a diseased
man ana not necessarily n criminal is
committed and recommitted again and
again. These rcpeatcrs number abou,
% per cent of our Jail population
ranging from two TO twcnty-four com
mitments In two years. In this jail tho
first offender is often confined in ,ha
most Intimate relationship with the
hardened criminal and the institution
becomes a seminary Of crime and vice
These prisoners all spend their time IN
idlcncsS and are lodged. fed. clothed
and given medical attention at the cost
OF the state.
The proposed municipal farm wou,d
correct this evil and relieve the city OF
guilt against these poor misenidod
misdemeanants. The city should act
upon the principle that it is tho duty
~
and these men and women should he
sent to the farm and given work, hard
work IN the open air. with good. clean,
comfortable. sanitary quarters.
REMARKABLE: RESULTS
ACHIEVED IN WASHINGTON
The city OF WASHINGTON has estab-
Hshed model farm of this character
al occo1uan. Virginia. whore the pris-
oherS themselves erected the necessary
buildings. constructed six mites of good
roadway. cleared 500 acres Of land and
reclaimed them by using O.OOO tons of
1ertllizor from the government stables
at washington, cut more than 100000
rect OF lumber, built pens to accommo-
cate ."o hogs, made hot bed to raise
le'ooo plants built brick plant with
capacity or 10000 bricks n day This
piant now supplies the city with brick,
partition and sewer tile They have
also erected stone crushcr comnIotod
last year. that will furnish the city
with zoo yards of crushed stone daily.
These two plants havea mn earning ca
pacity OF 100000 annually. The SUPER
lntendent OF this institution declares
that 20 per cent Of tho normal men and
noys VINO are committed to this institu-
tion can be saved
Second-Another pressing need ran
be provided for on this farm In a SEN
arate independent unit. and that is n
detention home and school for incor-
rigible boys There passes through
our Juvenile Court every week bovs
who are not yet vicious, nor criminal
They are delinquent because Of feeble
mndedness. or their home conditions
contribute to their delinquency. Thnv
are not bad enough to be sent to a re-
he put on probation and returned ~
their homes hncause thnca ha.aAs