Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-05-01
SATURDAY MAY |. 1915
CONVICT LABOR AND ROAD MAINTENANCE.


- OuNTY ENGINEER JAMES WILSON not only be-
- lieyes in good roads construction but also in
good roads patrol and maintenance. He has shown
that repeatedly in his official reports and utterances
Because OF lack of money and intelligent co-opora-
ton by the Levy Court has been unable to set up
an effective patrol and maintenance system. The re-
suit is that in many places the good roads work that
has been done is going TO wreck through neglect
That reminds that the Board of Trustees of The
New Castle County Workhouse at Grecnhank has re-
poatedy offered to enter into a permanent arrange
mont with the Levy Court to patrol and maintain the
roads within radius of several miles of tho work.
house, using the convics in the institution for road
workmen and the guards for foremen OF the several
gangs.
The trustees offer to supply the con,icts to the
county for soyentyhve cents a day That is less than
one-half the amount the Levy Court has been paying
for road laborers when has gone out and hired them
IN the open market The trustees also have offered TO
furnish the foremen-grards, without charge TO the
Levy Court In other words. they would supply ten
men and foreman for $3.50 day Under the present
system OF hiring men. Il Is costing the taxpayers APP
proximately $50 day for such gang. including tho
foreman and the vater-carrer II also has been repre-
scented to The Levy Court by the trustees of the Work
house that the gangs they would put on the roads
would do more work and work OF better quality than
do most o. the gangs that are employed under the
present system of making road repairs
Thus far it has not suited the Levy Court to enter
Various members have given varying excuses for re-
usng to do something that would inure to tho benefit
Of mo taxpayers and the convenience the travelling
public.
Il is not the desire OF the workhouse trustees at
this time 20 the convict gangs for good road con
struotion work Nor Is II their desire to establish
stockade prison camps in the sections the county
remote from the Workhouse They wish simply to
work those gangs for patrol and maintenance SER
wise on the roads that are close enough 10 the Work
house to permit of the convcts being housed and fed
in that institution the now. auto truck be-
ing used for transporting them to and from their
places of employment II also should be said that
the trustees propose that all the work done shall be
under the general direction of tho County Engineer
the guards serving his foremen in the matter Of
telling the gangs of conyiots what to do and how 10
do IT, II is thought that by the system proposed
all the stone roads, and perhaps OF the others
within a radius of several miles Of the workhouse
could be kept in perfect condition the year round
Nor is il beyond the range of possibility that when
tho efficiently of such workmen and the value Of the
plan had been demonstrated the territory covered
and The nature Of the work done would be materially
enlarged.
objection has urged that under the arrangement,
now proposed that section OF county In the imme-
date neghborhood of the workhouse would receive
the bulk Of the benefit from such expenditures
That is true. but that objection which in a sense is a
valid one might be very easily met and overcome by
giving TO the other sections an equivalent amount of
free-labor work II that were DONE there could be
possible objection from any quarter
However, nothing be done until the Levy Court
enters into permanent arrangement with the Work
house trustees They cannot afford TO buy an auto
truck and organize their gangs and train them With
assurance that the road patrol and maintenance
work will be constant In short they must have an
ron-cad working understanding with the Levy Court
Commissioners that will justify them in setting up an
efficient road-rcpairing crganizaton not only for tho
purpose of doing good work and saving money TO the
county but also TO give the prisoners tho benefit OF
healthful outdoor employment OF a constructive ma
ture
The Workhousc trustees seemingly are actuated by
three motives in the proposition they have made One
Is p run the institution business-like way. an
other is 10 serve the county by giving to good roads
end ho third is TO the prisoners by giving to
them hoath-producing outdoor employment An analy-
sis Of the offer made to the Levy Court shows that
after the trustees have paid their guards and met
the other expenses incident to the working of the
road gangs. the rate OF $3.50 a day>for gang of ten
men would leave net profit Of only $3.50 day
to the Workhouse. The taxpayers however would
be getting the benefit o. the low and the prisoners
would be getting the benefit Of outdoor employment at
all seasonablo times We have in this county an in
vestment Of than $500 600 in good roads II is
worth preserving. The only Intelligent way to do il is
b. patrS and maintenance The Workhouse trustees
have supplied open door, for an important start
in ths, tnork'sba tie Levy Court commiss -
fur. g sS.n ,hsmA of'H An inlezad
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