Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-20
SENDS
Fl REPORT To-
HOUSE
MINORITY REPORT OF SPE-
CIAL COMMITTEE CALLSFoR
WORKING OF C0NVICTS ON
THE ROADS IN COUNTIES.

The minority report OF Hon. 7. S. Fielder,
OF Bib, chairman of the joint committee
appointed by the house and the senate 10
decide upon a more humane manner of
treating convicts in this state, was intro
duced in the house Monday. In his
report Mr.. Fielder urges for the using OF
state convicts upon the roads of the coun-
ties in which they are convicted and dis
sents from what he expects to be the re-
port OF the majority of the committee that
the present lease system be continued In
vogue.
The report follows: PSI
ITO the Senate and House OF Represen-
tatfves: The undersigned, a member of the
committee appointed under Joint resolu-
ton of the senate and house to investigate
and report to this general assembly the
best and most humane disposition to make
Of the states convicts at the expiration of
the present contracts OF hire. and to sub
NIT with said report a bill for the consid-
Grafton of the two bodies, begs leave TO
make this, minority report, and to re-
spectfully dissent from the views OF the
majority of the committee.
at am of the opinion that the state
should work the convicts upon the public
roads and the public works. and from the
investigation made by the said committee,
I believe that this will be the best and
most humane disposition that could be
made Of them. The present contracts OF
hire under which the felony convicts are
worked expire on March 81, 1904, and II is
for this legislature to say whether this
great force of labor owned by the state
shall be leased to private individuals for
private gain, or shall be worked and used
for the public good. The roads of Georgia
hold out employment for the convicts for
generations to come, and to keep them at
this class of work viii take them. to
greater extent than any other, out of COM
petition with free labor. The benefits to be
derived from the Improvement of our pub
lie highways are too numerous and well
known to the members OF this general as
sembly for me to attempt to enumerate
them. To again lease the convicts under
the present system will be but to delay
this great public Improvement, and have
vet 20 discover a reason why the convicts
should longer be kept from the public
roads. Recognizing, however, that there
are those who differ with me, and object
70 an abrupt change from the present sys-
tenn, have drafted and introduced a bill
in the house which believe, IL enacted
into law. will gradually change the sys-
tenn, with little expense to the state, and
will In time put upon the roads every able
bodied convict in the state.
THE bill mentioned proposes to give to
all counties now working their misde-
meanor convicts, or which may hereafter
do so, on the public roads, also the right
TO work their felony convicts in the same
way. There are now thirty-three counties
with misdemeanor chaingangs. These
thirty-three counties furnish 20 the prison
commission 1,1S7 rcouvicts. being over one
half OF the number leased by the comnnis-
sion. These counties can add this Naddi-
tional force to their gangs with compare
lively little additional expense, IL they
-y,r No1r a Nxrov ~ ~ a Law
which I believe they would. and this
would dispose of over one-half of the
convicts controlled by the commission.
The bill further proposes to put under the
control of the prison commission all feio-
ny convicts not worked by the counties;
but in order to encourage the smaller
counties in road building. 1t provides that
the commission shall furnish, in a num-
Der named, convicts to such counties, on
demand, without cost I believe that
many Of the counties would take advan-
tage OF such provision in the law, and
that chaingangs would be established In
many parts of the state where they do not
now exist, on account of the small force
under the control Of many of the counties.
II, after furnishing to the counties desir-
ing the same, there still remain convicts
undisposed OF. the bill makes IL the duty
of the commission to hire them to private
parties on short time leases, and from the
money thus derived to purchase lands on
which to work those convicts not used on
the roads, the object being to in time have
every convict on the roads where possible,
and when not so, to work them on farms
owned and controlled by the state. The
bill gives the prison commission general
supervisory powers over all convicts, so
as to guarantee humane treatment.
81 am not unmindful OF the many diff
culties surrounding this vexed question
and its proper solution, and only offer
the bill above mentioned in the hope that
its imperfections may be corrected by
amendment and it's purposes accomplish
ed. Respectfully submitted.
ct. S. FIELDER,
chairman OF Committee on Part of the
House."