Evening journal., 1915-03-11
EMBARRASSING SITUATION FOR MANAGERS.


EMBARRASSING SITUATION FOR MANAGERS.
THE Delaware 1bdustrial School for Girls is one OF
Il tho best admonitory and roformatory institutions
in State An analysis OF its work in behalf of way
ward girls during the last twenty years shows an
from sixty to seventy per cent OF efficiency
unusually high record for school Of that sort BY
good work in behalf of the grlhood and the woman
hood Of Delaware and by tho great benefits has be-
slowed upon society at large it has won the respect
and good wishes Of everyone who is acquainted, even
casually, with its operations.
For years the present building It occupies in upper
Market street has been inadequate Il was built to
care for thirty girls. Today ts population is sixty
fve In ther words, there Is than 100 per cent
OF congestion. II is a condition that is crying for
relief
Prior to the legislative session Of 1918, the school,
through legacy into the possession OF seventy
ve acres good land at Claymont the feeling being
that to effect a maximum OF good, the institution
should be moved to the country Following that acQui
son those interested in the school went TO the Leg
isature and asked for an appropriation OF $4,000 to
defray the expense of putting two buildings They
were informed ths the full amount could not be ap-
propriated at that session. An understanding
reached whereby appropriation Of 900 was made
the managers the school being led to believe they
would experience difficulty in obtaining the other
$4,000 at this present session.
Relying upon that understanding tho managers went
ahead and let contracts for the two buildings. One
building Is almost ready TO be turned over for
The work on the other Is we'll advanced. The add-
tional s35ooo is needed to pay for the construction
! work.
without any misgiving as to the result, the man.
ayers sent bill TO Dover this year providing for the
! appropriation. They felt sure that the informal un-
dersandng 1913 would nd formal legislative recog
milton In 1915 The bill referred to, the House
Committee Appropriations. Instead Of reporting it
favorably as was confidently expected that committee
reported It "on its merits" In other words, without
recommendation of any sort The understanding Of
1913 had failed to obtain recognition For several days
| the bill held up, pending favorable oppor-
unity to call It for consideration Yesterday was
withdrawn entirely by Representative Downward, who
had introduced It. The understanding is that owing
to the present financial condition Of the State, ap-
preparation for building purposes will be made at this
session.
II will be SEEN therefore, that reliance upon the legs-
latye understanding OF two ago has put the
ayers OF the in embarrassing position and
from which, the opinion of many persons the present
Legislature should relieve them The of the
school are such that Il will have money Of its
to pay the balance that soon will become due on the
now buildings and none even TO pay interest charges
on mortgage other Indebtedness.
The institution derives its support from an annual
appropriation OF $4,000 from the State and allow.
ance from the New Castle County Levy Court o.
forty cents a day for each girl committed TO the
institution from this county. Girls from Kent anI
Sussex counties are committed to the institution from
time to time From neither of those counties does
the school derive cent Of revenue notwithstanding
II is compelled to take. house. feed. clohe and
for all girls who may be committed from down The
State In other words. the present barely suf
fees meet the current expenses OF the school in III
old quarters It will be taxed to the utmost to nee
them after Il has been moved TO Caymont
Il viii be seen, therefore. how highly important II 4
that tho Legislature shall take affirmative action il
some form to the end that for the next two year.
at least the managers shall not be compelled sagge
under big debt that II is impossible for them to pa
and TO be confronted with interest charges to nee
which no funds will be available
The institution is doing such good and unscfs
work that It should not be hampered in its activities
While it unquestionably is that this Legislature
not bound legally by the informal understanding en-
tered into by its predecessor at the time ther
is moral obligation I'm the under discussion an
the present Legislature should not hesitate TO
certainly the extent of increasing the schools regu
lar appropriation TO extent that will enable il
meet interest charges its newly-croated indebted
ness and also the enlarged expense in its home