The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-02
MANY PLANS ARE REPORTED.
OUT OF THE Multitude OF COUN-
CILORS WISDOM MAY EVOLVE.

Have Ideas on the Convict Ques-
Must BE Reached BY the 10Th.
Principal Keeper Turner Makes a
su-nestion for the Benefit of Dis
charged ConVicts.
Atlanta, Ga, oct. 1.-The penitentiary
subcommittee continued its work OF hear
ing and discussing plans for the disposition
of the convfcts to-day. According to yes
terday's understanding the committee was
to have gone to the Dade coal mines to-
night, but the members changed their
minds and viii not go there until next
week. They are obliged to agree upon a
report of some kind by the 10TH and they
thought they ought to begin blowing the
cobwebs away.
Principal Keeper Turner of the peniten-
tiary department appeared before the
committee and made an exhaustive argu-
ment in favor of what is known as the
Atkinson Turner Hall plan. He gave the
committee some valuable information to
guide them in their work, and when he
got through. Mr.. Halls bill was taken up
by sections and discussed with view to
making il the basis of the plan to agree
upon Two other bills were formally Of
fered the committee, one by Mr.. Thomas
of Ware and the other by Mr.. Dodson of
Sumter, and Mr. Fielder Of Fulton made a
talk, outlining another, providing for the
working of the convcts of any particular
county upon the roads of that county,
which he will offer. He is strongly in IA
Nor of this idea on the ground that coun-
ties that are taxed to convict felons should
have the benefit of their labor.
The Dodson bill provides for the nucleus
of penitentiary with farm of 2,OOc TO 5000
acres placing there the classes suggested
by Mr.. Turner, and hiring
out all able-bodied cOnvicts not
taken by counties for the purpose OF
road work Only short term felons, OF
whom there are about 800 are TO be useu
in road work. They are to be assigned to
counties or municipal cities desiring TO
work them on roads provided such coun-
ties work their own misdeameanor conVicts
Gn the same way.
The Thomas bill provides for the pur-
chase of an island off the Georgia coast,
and for the working there of all the fell
ons, except such short term conVicts as
may be assigned to counties for road
work. When assigned to road work fell
ons are not to be worked with misdea-
neanor convicts. This bill provides that
the governor, principal keeper and princl-
pal physician constitute the penitenuary
commission.
The Hall bill which is on the line Of
the plan suggested by Principal Keeper
Turner and favored by Gov. Atkinson.
has been fully described in these columns.
The plan is to have farm of 5000 to 1900
acres on which the women, boys and the
.rg..er- 10 ,l..r.. 81
with so able-bodied men to begin construc-
ton on permanent penitentiary. The
other able-bodied male conViCts, 1900 in
number, are to be hired out for five years,
the state housing, feeding, clothing guard
ing and controlling them, and the lessee
paying so much per capita for their labor.
ii is estimated that the net proceeds OF
the labor hired will build a penitentIaTF
on the farm site, and thus, In five years.
effect transition from the lease
system to penitentiary system
without great cost to the
execution of the plan is to be entrusted
TO a penitentary commission of three men,
paid 5000 a year each. A central idea in
all the plans is to keep the sexes sepa-
rate and the juvenile from the hardened
criminals
In the course of his argument, Principal
Keeper Turner urged the Importance of
building a central penitentiary and said
he had no doubt that his estimate of
$4,000 as the net return on the labor of
1900 abled-bodied convicts in five years
would be exceeded, and thought it more
probable that the amount would reach
$500 600. This would construct the peni-
Tertiary when supplemented with the Ia
Dor of the convicts placed on the farm,
and relieve the state of the necessity of
paying out large sum of money in max
ing permanent provision for the peniten
tiary.
On the humanitarian phrase of the prob
lem, Judge Turner made an important
suggestion, to the effect that where con-
victs earn money for the state, a small
per cent of the amount should be set
aside to start them in the world when
they are turned loose. To show the need
for this, he told of a convict who was
released from the penitentiary at the end
of ten-year sentence and came to At
lanta, looking for work. When it was
found that he came from the penitentiary
nobody would employ him, and he was
arrested for vagrancy, because he couldn't
get work to do. He was tried in the po-
lice court, convicted of vagrancy and sent
TO the chain-gang-all because he was an
ex-convict and not because he was unwill-
ing to work.
Judge Turner called attention to the
fact that Alabama had Just leased her
convicts, the state retaining control of
and feeding and guarding them. Under
that system the state gets $423, S74 per an
mum, and It's expense is $2SS, O66, leaving a
net balance of $135000
Mr. Fielder remarked that some of the
lessees had told him that the money made
on convicts was made in flush times. and
ne intimated that there might not be a
favorable offer made for them now. with
all due reference to the lessees" replied
Judge Turner, Il should take that cum
grano sails" There is now and has been
for year an active demand for convicts,
and the lessees are calling for more and
Wranghng among themselves as 20 who
shall gel them. l have several times been
approached by parties, who wish 10 hire
eonvicts, and within the past few DAYS
q gentleman, who is interested i'm the
present lease, animated that he would
Ike 20 form a company and make a lease.
That gentleman intima ted that he would
give 40 cents a day for the convicts. if
the state would clothe, feed, house and
guard them.
THE RAILWAY COMPANY DEMURs.