Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-18
a QUESTION OF INTEREST.
The Feeding Of prisoners.

The expense of feeding prisoners and
convicts has engaged the attention OF both
our city and county authorities, and all that
pertains to the matter is of interest The
following statement In reference to the
feeding of prisoners in Fulton county, made
by Commissioner Dodd at q recent meeting
of the Board of Commissioners of that
county, gives information on the subject
which may be Of value. We condense his
remarks as follows from the Atlanta Consti-
tuition
"The jail lot and property, ETC., belong to
Fulton county, and has cost the tax payers
of the county some $50, 1000, and DO not
think that any one man or combination OF
men are entitled to the profits arising from
it as a boarding house for prisoners, except
what the law allows for turkeys, etc. am
in favor of doing as is done in Columbus,
Ga. where, | am Informed, there Is one of
the hest Boards of Commissioners in the
State, buying supplies at the lowest market
prices, employing person to do the cook
ing, and the profits derived from the
feeding of United States prisoners, and pris-
oners brought from other counties for safe
keeping, to go to the treasury for the bene-
fit of the tax PAYERS of the county. There
has been paid the Sheriff ard deputies by
the United States Government for the last
four quarters 81, 100 so, and believe that
the profit from this and other sources will,
in the aggregate, save to the county from
what we are now paying Tor our prisoners
five or six thousand dollars per annum. The
law directs very plainly what the Sheritf's
fees are to be-no more, no less-and
/ think from an examination OF
the fee bill as laid down In the
code, that they are ample compensation for
all his labors without making this enormous
profit from the feeding Of the prisoners at
the jail, which property belongs to the
county, and all the profits derived from the
same should, in my opinion, go to the re-
lief of burdened tax paying people. Be-
sides this, am informed, there was law
engineered through the Legislature some
time ago which gave to the Sheriff of
this county 81 $50 on account OF insol-
vent costs, Notwithstanding he gets his cost
from the County and City Court, as he is
the Sheriff of both under the law, and say
to-day in my place, believe that IL all the
money that has been paid through insolveRt
costs and similar ways since the war, were
In the treasury, our taxes would to-day be
so per cent. less than they are. We have
good officers, and believe in paying them
well for their services, which The law does
and no more, and If they are not satisfied
with that, In the language of the distin-
guished Toombs, ''let them pour it back in
the Jug"
"fhe old rule of allowance for rations was
81 pounds of meat, one peck of corn meal
per week, and peas and greens to go with
it. Bacon at 10 cents, 80 pounds is IS cents;
peck of meal at so cents per bushel is 20
cents, and peas at 81 60 per bushel u peck
is 20 cents, and you have rs cents for the
week, a fraction over 10 cents per day.
Then add all expenses for cooking,
fuel, ETC., and it cannot amount to more
than 1215 cents per day. Be it remember
ed that the county prisoners get
only two meals day. and 1t is matter of
record that the chain gang hands have
been fed well with three meals per day and
only cost the county from ~ to 1917 cents
per day, and they do hard labor. do not
think prudent man for himself will give
35 cents day when 1t only costs 1919 cents.
a profit of nearly 800 per cent, and Tor the
United States prisoners, who run from so
to as boarders, thew get so cents per day.
I maintain that the profits from this prison
should go into the treasury, as the county
furnishes the jail with blankets, lights,
water, etc., except what the Sheriff is
allowed by law for turkeys, etc, and no
more, as the jail is the property OF the
people, and not of any one individual.
"The tax payers of this county are certain
ly entitled at the hands Of the Commissioners
to the same careful and economical manage
ment in the affairs of the equity that a
prudent business man would exercise in his
own business"