Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-04
SUGGESTIONS
FROM OTHERS
LET THE STATE
REAP THE BENEFIT

REAP THE BENEFIT
To the Editor of The Journal:
There are 2,71S patients at the insane
asylum.
There are 2,O24 able-bodied long-term
convicts. leased out, not counting the
convicts at the prison farm.
Surely with good management this army
of convicts, if worked on state farms,
could support the patients at the asylum.
To do this every convicts would be MAX
ing a living for themselves and also for
eight patients. This is much less than is
expected from free labor, as the head or
every family in the state knows.
This reform can be put into practice by
the state having four farms: one in each
section of the state. BY having them so,
the cost of transportation of the prison.
ers would be lessened, and 1t would be bet
ter for many reasons to have the convicts
in four squads These farms would be
worked by the convicts now leased out,
the farm near Milledgeville to be carried
on like 1t Is now.
The four farms should be bought, one
each year. one to be bought this coming
year, and a squad of hands from the pris-
on farm could, when the crop is laid by,
be sent to it and erect temporary build
ings and get the place ready for the one
fourth of the convicts now leased, to
make a crop, and repeat this for the
three succeeding years. This would make
the change gradual, and would be better
for the state and the lessees.
Have the whole business under the Jur-
isdiction of a board of trustees, who will
serve without pay, making it a position
of honor; the manager of each farm to
be engaged by the board.
Should any county want more help to
work the roads than 1t would have from
the misdemeanor convicts, let 1t hire as
many convicts from the farm as they
need.
Some counties would not want convicts
on their roads, and the roads in many of
the counties need very little working This
is the case in some of the counties where
there is little or no clay near the sur
face.
A fair rental for all of the convicts for
the next year would be large increase
over the amount paid this year, more
than enough to buy and equip one of the
farms, and the following year would
bring in nearly as much for three-fourtha
of the convicts and for one-half of the
convicts a still larger amount per head
for the next year, and for the last year so
many firms would want them that still
larger amount per head might be expect
ed for the remaining fourth.
If it is too late at this session OF the
legislature to pass such law. the con-
victs should not be leased for longer
term than one year. This would give the
people an opportunity to discuss the
question and get what they never have
mad, a fair price from the hire of the
convicts Some folks think 1t not right
to make any profit from the hire of con-
victs. There is one thing certain, the
people never have had as much money
put into the treasury as the people have
had to pay for the crimes committed, and
for the cost of the conviction of the GRIM
inals.
From the time of Grant and Alexander
down to the present, the lessees and sub
lessees have made fortunes from the hire
of convicts. No one can blame them, but
it shows very poor management on the
part of our lawmakers who have made
laws that enable some to become very rich
at the expense of the state. And during
the time, the treasury of the state re-
mains so poor that there IS not money
enough in it to pay her faithful servants,
the teachers in our public schools.
j. w MMILLAN.
Milledgeville, Ga.