Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-05
A NEW
And q Plausible One for Dispos-
ing on the City CORvicts.

Nearly everybody who has any views
at all has some idea Of the name in
which the city convicts should be
disposed Of. 1t is a hard nut to crack.
but 1t is important that it should be
cracked and that without delay. Of
all the plans SO far proposed, that of
Chief of Police Davis seems most
feasible. He thinks that the city
should ask the passage Of a law giving
the Police and Fire Commissioners
power to establish o workhouse and
house OF correction anywhere within
the limits of the county. With this
authority two or three hundred acres
OF Presidents island could be leased
fora term Of years and suitable build
ings for the safe keeping of conyicts
erected upon it. The farm could be
supplied with cows aud hogs.
part of the ground put in
cotton, but most Of it in grain, ard
vegetables. A practical farmer could
be employed to take charge, and with
the assistance Of two or three trust
worthy guards, the eonyicts could be
made to perform the ordinary work of
farm HANDS. Feed could be raised
for the use of the fre aud garbage
departments, and vegetables for the
hospital. The stOuter men could be
put at work 10 the fields aud the
women aud others employed in gar
dening, attending to the COWS, and in
doing any other light work about the
farm. A small tug, used otherwise
tor the conveyance to and fro Of pris
oners, might also DO used to transfer
the produce, grain, vegetables, milk
and butter to the city. If moro than
enough vegetables we're rsised for the
prison and hospital, the remainder
could be put on sale at the market
houses. or sold by the market master
to the hucksters at reduced rates. That
such a farm would at least be self
supporting seems reasonable enough,
exceedingly SO in view of the
fact that contractors have for
years paid the county ten ceuts
a day for its convict labor and made
it pay. The average number Of city
prisoners at Presidents Island last
year reached about thirty per moDth-
sufficient force for good big farm.
There might also be built a house Of
correction for unmAnageable boys and
girls, where they could be kept apart
from the more hardened criminals but
made to perform their share of the
farm work. The need Of such
an institution has long been
felt. Under the existing state
Of affairs the Police Judge is
obliged to take his chOise of two
evils when a young person stands be-
fore him convicted Of a crime; he
must discharge him or throw him into
the company of hardened criminals,
into a school Of infamy where he is
sure to learn and adopt the worst
vices which curse mankind. A house
Of correction properly managed, would
meet the emergency.
Presidents Island possesses n
important advantage, in that it is an
island and therefore escapes are
not easy. The difficulty Of escaping
and the fear Of additional punishment
should the attempt fail, would deter
most of the criminals from making
the venture. Compared with a work.
house IN the city, a farm is greatly to
be preferred 10 many other respects.
The only work they could do would
be that Of breaking rock, and if there
were many conyicts more crushed
stone would accumulate than the CITY
could use. The expense Of crushing
stone 10 this way would be much
greater than the cost Of crushing it
BY steam. AS for the Changing, It is
a disgrace to this or any other city.
Under the existing Law, however, it is
the only alternative.