Evening journal., 1915-04-30
FRIDAY APR. 80. 1915
OUR LEVY COURT AND THE wORkHOusE.

OUR LEVY COURT AND THE NORkHOlSE
COMETHING must be done by the Levy Court to re-
~ lieve the financial embarrassment of the Board
Of Trustees Of the New Castle County Workhouse at
Greenbank At the end of March the Levy Court owed
II $1,000. At the end OF this month that Indebtedness
will be increased to about $4,000
Nearly all Of that money is due for the board Of
prisoners and the wages of guards in the institution
II like imposition upon the officials Of the
workhouse for the courts to commit any prison
ers TO their care until the Levy Court performs its
manifest duty OF providing the funds needed to sup
port them.
It is a notorious fact that this Levy Court of which
Everett b. Hongsworth is the president, has not paid
cent TO the trustees of the workhouse since Decem-
Der last. Nor have the trustees been able to obtain
from that Hollngsworth Levy Court any assurance of
definite nature relative to the procurement of the
funds due needed Instead the trustees have been
invited to go into bank and borrow money on their
credit instead of the credit of the county.
That of course. they have been reluctant TO do They
give their work as trustees for nothing and, in COM
with tho public at large. they feel that il is the
business the Levy Court to supply the needed
to the expenses OF the institution Kent and
counties well paid up. Il is the rich and
popuous county of New Castle that should be best able
to pay. that is S far behind
There about S25 prisoners in the vorkhouse.
or that number from 1870 22O are employed in max
ing mems and boys trousers The money derived from
trustees II amounts from 81 500 to $4,000 month";
It has been the practice the trustees heretofore
devote the received from that contract work to
meeting interest and sinking fund charges and maxi
ing permanent improvements upon the workhouse
property. They have paid off S13SOOQ OF the bonded
debt Only $4,000 of bonds remain outstanding In
addition they have paid the interest all outstand-
ing bonds since the time the workhouse loan was
negotiated Before the bill authorizing the loan could
be put through the Legislature the trustees had to
agree to assume the interest charges They have in
terest coming due July l. 1t will amount to about
s2.750.
1t only possible employ from 100 to 22O prison
in the workshop, because of the floating popu-
lation. Our workhouse occupies the anomalous posi-
tion of being a city prison, county Jail and a State
penentiary. In consequence, many short-term pris-
committed to its They cannot be em-
poyed prohtably in the shop. but have to be put to
work in the quarry, on the farm the roads. The
floating nature Of the population shown by the fact
that last month there 1O5 admissions and about
100 discharges
The expenses of running the institution, apart from
the bonds, interest and permanent improvements,
to between $4,000 and Ss,5OO a month. Under
the law the Levy Court is compelled TO pay TO the
trustees forty cents day for each prisoner committed
from this county. That also is true with respect to
the Levy Courts Kent and Sussex counties for all
prisoners committed from those sections. When those
running expenses Of the workhouse
IL will be seen. therefore, how important il is for
the welfare of the institution and the peace mind
the trustees that our Levy Court its obligations
promptly and fully II already has created a situation
that has compelled the trustees oyerdraw their
about $500 In addition. the trustees had un-
paid bills amounting to SSO 600 April l. and will
close this month still deeply in debt The sit
uation has become bad that they have been COM
pelled selfdeisnse refuse to pay money to Judge
Churchman. Of the Municipal Court to meet demands
in non-support cases.
is that all The Legislature realized the inn
portance of having larger farm connected with the
vorkhouse. There is not much of & farm at present
and the members Of the Legislature we're CONVINCED
that would be profitable for the to acquire
land They therefore passed bill authorizing the
purchase Of farm land 500 the trustees
might raise everything for the Of the workhouse
that is possible 10 raise a and sell the sur
plus at going market prices The failure OF the Hol
lingsworth Levy Court to meet its obligations has com
PEELED the trustees 10 refrain from embarkng upon
such enterprise prevented them giving TO man,
OF the prisoners the physical and moral benefit Of out
door employment. II is further notorious fact that
the Levy Court 20 the trustees of the workhous,
fl3SS for road work done by prisoners. Part of tina
amount is more than year overdue.
When the trustees have complained to the Levy Cour
commissioners of their failure TO meet their obea
tons with respect care Of the prisoners the,
have been told bluntly that they must wait for the
money. We would remind those trustees who hav
worked freely conscentously and intelligenty in th
interest of the public and the prisoners that tha
Is reply to from the Hongsworti
levy Court TO creditor OF this county In fact it has