The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-20
AFRAID or THEIR SALARIES.
GOVERNOR CANDLER's MESSAGE
WORRYING COUNTY OFFICERS.

GOVERNOR CANDLER's MESSAGE
WORRYING COUNTY OFFICERS.
Report sent out That Governor WIN
Recommend THAT Enure control
al Misdemcnnor Convtcts. Inciud-
sing Fines Paid. he Taken By che
Staa~-This Mautd Deprive chat
ham county of the tsc Of It, Con-
Victs. aud Greatly Reduce the In
come of the officers of the Courts.
Solicitors General would Lose
Heavily and clerks aud sherin-'
Incomes would he seriously Hc-
ducrd.
The legislation which Gov. Gambler pro-
poses TO recommend 90 the legislature iu
MS annual message with regard 90 the
control OF conylcts and The disposition OF
fnes accru.ug through the payment of
sentences imposed for misdemeanor, o.
fenses. So likely 10 be- a matter 81 very
serious consideration. both 70 the County
Commissioners and the county officers.
Information fsom Atlanta Sc 60 the e.
feet that the Governor not only proposes
thar the authority Of the state Convict
Commission shall be extended to include
the entire control 81 AN misdomcanor
convicts OF the state but that 81 nuos
acorulng from mi-aemeanor oneuscs shall
b. turned into the state treasury. proba-
bly, the school fund. II this be tho case
the measure proposed IS a very serious
one. both Tor the county and for he ON
GERS OF the courts.
Chatham county now conducts an
Ss public works by means 81
convict labor and should q bee
deprived OF The services OF these convlcts
thu County Commissioners would be very
seriously embarrassed IN their work Of
caring for and extending the county
drainage and improving the public roads.
To deprive the officers OF the courts o.
the payment Of insolvent costs obtained
from fines paid by misdemeanor Offenders
would mean a very serious reduction in
the remuneration Of these officers. and. ga
fact. would render some OF the offices al
most worthless. The solicitor general
woulhc be- the hardest hit. az the revenues
OF his Office depend almost entirely upon
she payment OF his costs by means OF
these fines. The clerks and sherins Of
both courts would also be very seriously
affected
Naturally the county officers or the
state. who have been informed 81 the
state 81 anairs. are up IN arms against
any such move.
IL is said that a number az the solic-
rors general OF the state are already IN
Atlanta bringing pressure upon the Gov
eraor 60 prevent such a recomms ndation.
They are not depending upon their infiu-
cnce with the Governor however. but cir
culars are already being sent out 90 the
county officers throughout the state.
warning them Of the effect 81 the propos-
81 measure and calling upon them 90 use
their Influence with their representatives,
IN the General Assembly A. prevent the
passage Of such a measure
Solicitor General ". " Osborne who
has been in Atlanta FOR sevcra, days. b.
expected home this morning Mr. Osborne
was called 20 Atlanta IN the discharge Of
his duues ~ solicitor there being several
appeals IN criminal cases from this county
before the court u Is very likely. how
as 20 the situation. ana that
n the incomes of himself and hts
brother solicitors throughout the state are
threatened in the manner reported he 81
likely 20 be aware Of the fact AMI 70 b.
prepared 20 make hts opposition felt
The control of misdemelnor convIcts ~
the state 10 as reported Il is very HkaIv
that the County Commissioners will entc.
their protest THE county Is al very
heavy expense 20 maintain the courts aud
Il would certainly seem that 81 O. entitled
90 al the rccompcnsc Il can gain m tn
use Of the convlcis as well as tn Indirect
benefit resulting from the support afford ]
its oficers by fines
A county officer In speaking Of the mat
Ter yesterday. said that the Governor
recommendation would certainly meet
with most decided opposition here
The inroad proposed upon the iucom 9
OF the officers OF the courts would he a
most serious one. " be said and one whieh
we could very 10 AFFORD The condi-
tions in the country counties are
very different from those In the cities
hut even Ia the country counties the
court officers derive their incomes largely
from this source. Ae TO the mis.iemeanor
oonvicts Chatham Is one OF the few coun.
ties In the stute which works It's own
convicis. Nearly al the smaller coun-
ties turn their convlcts over 10 the state
or lease them ont, SO they would not be
seriously affected In the case % a couu-
~ like Chatham where the use OF the
convicts g. very necessary I should think
an exception would be- made :"
II may be that the recommendation Of
the Governor as 20 mieicmcanor convicts
only relates To their control hy the Prison
Commission for the purpose OF regulating
conditions and preventing abuses. and
that q r. not proposed 10 deprive the
counties % the use Of. or the revenue de-
rived from The labor OF these convlcts.
--@~
WILL ma ROBERTSON.