To the Mayor of Turin, Felice Rignon
E X, 4658
After further clarifications, he that he be granted a power source of 30 horsepower necessary for the many needs of the workshops at the Oratory – a project in progress by engineer Spezia – he is willing to leave a deposit.
Turin, December 1874
Dear Mr Mayor,
I hasten to convey to Your Excellency the clarifications you graciously requested in your letter of the 19th of last month, and I have the honour of informing you that the industry to which the power source of water from of the Ceronda will be applied is:
1. Printing works employing no fewer than 100 workers.
2. Pasta factory with no fewer than 26 workers.
3. Type foundry, extrotyping, chalcography [engraving on copper or brass] with over 30 workers.
4. Iron workshop with a jack and no fewer than 30 workers.
5. Carpenters, cabinetmakers, woodturners with a hydraulic saw: no fewer than 40 workers.
Total number of workers over 220.
This work is now carried out using a steam-powered printing press, but in other workshops it is done by hand, meaning that it is impossible to compete with those who use water power. Cav. engineer Spezia is determining which type of engine is most suitable for this institute.
There is no objection to depositing a treasury bond as collateral, as soon as its future is known.
However, while I accept ten horsepower in theory, I must point out that this is completely insufficient power for my needs, since the project currently underway was based on thirty horsepower, as I had the honour of explaining in my letter of last November.
For this reason, I kindly ask you to take into consideration the construction work already underway, the nature of this institution, which survives solely on charity, the number of workers involved, the fact that we were among the first to sign up, and therefore to grant us, if not the promised 30 horsepower, at least the greater amount of power that is still available.
I have the honour of expressing my sincere esteem as
Your Excellency’s
most humble servant
Fr John Bosco
