Evening journal., 1917-01-11
KENT COUNTY ENDS
YEAR With Balance
Auditors Commend Comp
troller For Conduct of
His Office
RECOMMEND WORK
FOR PRISONERS

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL |
DOVER. Del. Jan. 11.--AuditOrs /
appointed by Judge William Fl. Boyce /
to audit the books and accounts of
the Kent county comptroller, Harry 3. !
Greives, completed that work today
and submitted their report 10 Judge
Boyce, showing the following finan-
clal condition of Kent county: De-
cember /. 1915 balance in general
fund. S27, ,O49.65.
Receipts From county officers, s1s,-
424O1; from taxes and constables,
500. .757.4O. Total, s115,1s1.41
Total receipts for year. including
balance in general fund. S142.2S1.O6.
Expenditures. including salaries Of
county officials, appropriations 20
towns, supplies for county buildings
and Jail, board OF prisoners Kent
county and New Castle county, appro-
Driations to county almshouse. GRIM
inal expenses, interest ON county detb,
new bridges. road supervisors, etc,
S99. .2S9.54.
Total receipts. including
balance Dec. 1. 1915. ..... $142 231.06
Total expenditures ........ 99,2S9.54
Balance in general fund,
Dec. 1, 1916. $42,941.52
Uncollected taxes, December !, 1916,
S36, 6,66O.57.
Kent county Indebtedness
SO funding bonds. ....... Ss5,OOOOO
One hundred Kent county
good roads bonds. ....... 100 10000
-
Total .............. .s1s5. 100000
Good roads account. received from
tax collectors. State treasurer, sale of
bonds. from abutting property owners,
etc, SsS. .230.93.
Expenditures-Road machinery. Ia
Dor and teams, engineers office, ma
terial and freight etc, S62.222.09. Bal
ance in good roads fund, December !,
1916. s25.0OS.S3.
The committee commends Comp
troller Grieves for the faithful per-
/ formance Of his duty, and points out
/ that a deficit four years ago Of 81
/ 94443 is Offset by a credit at the close
OF the past year Of S42,94l.52, or a net
gain OF nearly s5l, in the general
fund.
! In closing the report the auditors
say;
I've are loathe TO close this report
without directing attention to the eN-
lpendture of board OF prisoners.
For short term prisoners in Dover
Jail last year the cost was s2,S72.2O.
For long term prisoners in New
Castle County Workhouse the cost was
S413S. Total, $7,010.20.
Now, in view of the fact, as we un-
derstand il that about $1,000 was paid
To the prisoners confined in Dover jail,
by farmers and other citizens Of this
county for labor performed by them
last year, we suggest that the Levy
Court Of this county present a bill to
the present Legislature, requiring the
sheriff of this county to procure en-
ployment for all prisoners physically
able to work, and the wage obta ned
for their toll after first deducting ten
per cent. thereof, TO be retained by the
sheriff as his compensation for the
extra services thus imposed, to be
equally divided between the county
and the prisoner performing the labor.
Last years experience has clearly
and fully demonstrated the practicable
ity Only one prisoner Of the many
employed escaped. There certainly
can be no question as to the benefit 70
the prisoners both physically and
morally in being employed out in the
open air and sunlight, rather than
sitting in idleness in close confine-
/, ment, either in prison cell or Jail cor
ridor"