The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-27
The Comfy Farm.

lshed an interview with Mayor Myers
in which he took strong grounds in favor
of erecting an almshouse on the county
farm
II is difficult to understand why It Is
that the county authorities do not regard
the almshouse project with favor. The
amount that the city, county and individ-
uals give annually in charity would much
more than support an almshouse, in
which all the deserving poor of the city
! and county could have a comfortable
| home.
The time is not distant when there will
| have to be an institution OF that kind in
| the county. There ought to be one now.
| 1t would not be necessary to have large.
| costly building. 1t would be better to
| have comfortable central building and
a number Of small inexpensive cottages
| near the central building. 1t might he
necessary to have two sets of buildings
one for white people and the other for COL
ored people. If advisable, they could be
| located at least half a mile apart.
1t is evident that under the present sys-
tenn of dispensing charity the burden OF
taking care of the needy is steadily grow
ing heavier. If the city and county should
refuse to help the needy, except through
an almshouse, many that now depend upon
| the public for all the necessaries of life
would make an effort to help themselves.
And they would be better off in every re-
spect for doing so. Those who could not
help themselves would have more com.
| forts in an almshouse than they have by
| the present methods of supplying their
| needs.
| In this connection it is pertinent to say
that it is rather strange that the county
authorities do not take steps to get better
results from the county farm. There are
| hundreds Of acres in the farm suitable
for farming purposes, and which could
! be easily made to yield large crops. Under
the management of an energetic farmer
the farm could be made to almost support
the entire convict force. There are among
the convicts, pretty nearly all the time,
men and women whose physical condi-
| ton is so bad that they cannot be put to
work on the canals and roads. They could
! however, do a certain amount of work
| on the farm. At harvest times the whole
| convict force could be employed on the
| farm for a few days, or until the crops
were gathered.
| Another benefit that would result from
putting the county farm in a high state
of cultivation. is that it would encourage
the opening of farms throughout the coun-
ty. When it was seen what good results
were obtained on the county farm. the
! best lands of the county would be put un-
der cultivation very soon. Within a very
few years there would be a dozen farms
In the county where there is one now.
! What is to hinder the county authorities
from acting at once on the suggestions
herein made. in respect to the county
farm? Why say they are impracticable
before making a thorough study of them?
! With an excellent almshouse on the coun
| ty farm, and the farm under intellieent
! cultivation, a large amount of money
could be saved to the people of the county.
The bill introduced by Representative
johnson of Hail. to abolish days OF grace
on commercial paper, would if passed.
merely put Georgia in line with New York.
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and other
states, in ordering that commercial paper
| shall say what it means and mean what 1T
says on its face. When the means of
| communication between communities were
primitive, there was reason in allowing
days of grace on commercial paper, in an
ticipation of providential delays of mes
sengers or mails. Now. with Geographic
and mail systems well nigh perfect, there
is no reason why a note drawn at thirty
days should mean that 1t may be paid three
debtor to have thirty-three days to meet
the payment, he could just as easily write
thirty three in the note. Representa-
| tive Johnson's bill is intended merely to
put Georgia In touch with the leading com
mercial states, and it should be passed.
~
The report of the supervising special
agent of the treasury shows that during
the last fiscal year the cost of collecting
the customs was a fraction more than
Az cents to the dollar. There were GER
tain ports, however, at which the cost
of collecting the customs was many
times greater than the receipts At AL
bemarle, N. c., each dollar collected cost
| -
each dollar collected cost $162S; at Beau
fort, N. c., each dollar collected cost
$lS2.75. and at Rock Island, ILL.,, each dol
lar collected cost $22S.5O. The customs SER
vice at Kennebunkport, Me-, cost $500. 10
for the year. and collections were 50. 80.
making the cost of each dollar collected
a fraction over S240
-----s-e-s
The next congress is to have a new en-
tertainer, in the person of one John P. Rod
gers of the state of Washington. He is
a populist with eyes so wild that those of
Bloody Brides Waite would appear ga
zelle-like in comparison. He has written
a book in which he says that a cent is
simply ten imaginary unites called mills
that dollar is a thousand of such imagi-
nary units, and therefore Is itself only an
Imaginary thing. and that there is nothing