The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-15
THE STATES BAD WARDS.
CONVICT LEASE SYSTEM TO BE
OVERHAULED.

70 Increase Her revenue Ten Fold
FROM the Hire of COnvicts-A
Grand New Penitentiary and Penal
Fnrm OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Report on MisdemeanOr Convict
Camps Promised.
Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 14.-Principal Keeper
Turner and Gov. Atkinson, after studying
,be subiect assiduously for the past year,
have reached their conclusions in regard
N the disposition of the convicts at the
e,-niration of the present lease, which oc-
ours in April, 1899. They are now at
york formulating their plans to be pre-
sa7red to the legilature at its approaching
session.
1t IS agreed that the legislature will have
IN dispose of the convict question at this
Years session. if the state is to have
The advantage of competition in making
new lease. This, of course, presupposes
mat there is to be another lease. And if
there is not to be another lease, the ques-
ton will stil have to be settled this year
IN order that the state may have time
enough TO prepare for the care of the 400
convicts, which, without a renewal of the
lease would be thrown back upon her
hands. The plan that will in all proba-
bilitv be recommended by both the gov,
ernor and the principal keeper will be a
contemplated short lease of all the able
bodied male convicts, including the mis-
demeanor convicts also. if the legislature
listens to the recommendations already
made, and which viii be repeated that
This class of criminals be placed under
the jurisdiction of the state penitentary
department. All the arguments used are
AGAINST another long-term lease.
incidentally it may be stated that of
the men who made the present twenty
year lease with the state there is but one
now living, Col w. B. Love- 1t is ar
eued that the state can get more per
year for the convicts on a short lease, say
for five years, than for a long lease, for
the reason that few responsible
business men care to under
take an obligation for so long
a period when the chances are that they
viii not live to see the contract completed
and their estates would be left cucumber
ed by it,
Principal Keeper Turner has already
been approached by a number of parties
with a view to bidding for the convicts
From what these parties have said to him.
he is of the opinion that there will be no
trouble az all in making an advantageous
ease along the modified lines 10 be recon-
nlended.
If the lease is made this fall the amount
the state will receive for the convcts will
he much larger, Judge Turner thinks, than
if the matter should be put off until the
Legislature of 1898 assemblies, for the rea-
sson that a few men who are prepared to
take the convicts on short notice would
have the state at their mercy and could
combine and offer any price they pleased.
The state would be unprepared to keep
the convicts and would have to accept
Tt is estimated that the convicts can be
leased on a 5-year contract for quarter
of a million dollars per year. as against
$4,000 which the state has been receiving in
the past This estimate is based upon what
r!ncipal Keeper Turner considers safe
PREMISES not only from what has been
done in other states, recently, and con-
sderng the value of labor, but from
what has been intimated by prospective
1cssees
The plan which will be recommended to
the legislature in brief is that the con-
SIcts shall be classified Those in for Of
senses not involving moral turpitude
separated from the hardened criminals and
only the able bodied ones let, the state
a.so reserving the right to retain for her
own use on public works as many as she
1eslfes
AZ the outset the state is to take COM
p-ele charge of the female convicts, the
juveniles ana the disabled ones To utilize
t1em IS as yet matter of detail not set
te1 although the principal keeper and
governor have plan in view which work
admirably they think. 1t is proposed that
1'e state shall at once be in preparations
I'd Take charge of all her convicts at ex-
Puaton of the new lease To do this a
suitable tract of land is to be purchased
q tract which will yield granite and brick
gay enough for the erection of a great
80 'ehlary, with factory buildings and
tiaef adjunots. Then the hire of the con-
N.'is % part of it is 60 be set aside for
we building Of this penitentiary. The
il'of 90 De performed by such convicts
Aa' been reserved by the new lease
contract Az the end OF the five years
'"''-c. the state would have this peni-
"-.'iE competed, practically at no cost
q. ar as it would be paid for by the net
-e ol lhe convicts Then the state would
o. ih POSITION to take others of and use
.s part or all Of her convcts upon the
Gcltia7y
III 'le convicts can be leased for a quar-
million a year, a part of that
r''' could still be given to the school
s10' ana enough left to complete the PEN
s'iai5 py the expiration of the lease
KY ooltd one, too, that would be as fine
any m the country
ctpt nm G. Byrd who was selected by
4 60. CO.. AlHinson to visit the misdemeanor
49, camps of the state, has completed
80 a.h' ana his report which Is now be-
n y VIII be filed with the governor
ts" days Can't Byrd will show u
e le msiemeanor chain-gangs in a light
t,r. WI probably awaken the legisla-
d., me necessity Of wip.ng out this
No. -H ng the state penitentiary de-
rl.. Ia.l charge Of this class of Grim
D.. "alen there are now I 500 employ
Ri1 oo,t N"ilous counties. The report
,--e .2ut1in some very sensational de-
lis q the m.sdemeanor convicts
yesterdays RACES.