The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-04
FOR REFORMATORY
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN FAVOR
OF 1T.
THEY WILL CALL ELECTION.
IF THAT Is THEIR DUTY THERE
WILL BE NO DELAY.

Dir. Moore Heartily in Favor of the
Establishment of Such an Institu-
ton in This County, and Says He
Believes He Voices the Sentiment
on This Subject of the other COM
INSTRUMENTATION VIII Cost
Money and Vote of People would
Be Pleasing TO the BOard-City
Might BE Induced to Lend the
Scheme Financial Aid.
If it is the duty of the county COM
nnissioners to order an election to de-
termine whether there shall be a re-
formatory in this county, there will
be no delay or opposition on the part
of the board. Vice Chairman A. B.
Moore said yesterday he heartily fav-
ored the project and that in so saying
he believed he spoke for all the COM
missioners.
1t is Judge Barrow's opinion, as an
nounced from the bench in his charge
TO the grand jury, that it is the duty
of the commissioners. as the body
that in this county has the power to
call elections, to call one to determine
this question whenever asked to do so
by the grand jury. The matter Will
be taken up and discussed at the COM
missioners' next meeting. The grand
jury made such a recommendation a
part OF it's general presentnsnts.
Mr.. Moore said he had favored the
establishment Of a reformatory in this
county ever since he had been a mem
Der of the board and that the other
members of the board, he thought,
agree with him entirely on this SUBJ
jecr. There would be no obstacles
placed in the way of such an estab-
lshment by the commissioners.
Il believe" said Mr. Moore, that great
good will follow the establishment of
such an institution in this county. 1t
must be understood, of course, that to
establish and conduct a reforma tory
will cost money and the commission
ers would probably be glad to feel that
in determining upon it's expenditure
they Hr@. the approval of the people
In addition to this the fact that
the very great majority of youthful
criminals in this county are negroes
must be considered; it would be neces-
sary to provide for the separation of
the naces and to maintain two estab-
iiShmentS, one OF which would be Oc-
cupied by a very small number of
boys, would cause inconvenience and
annoyance and disproportionate ex-
pense."
1t was suggested to Mr.. Moore that
there was probably a larger number
of young white criminals or quasi
criminals in the county than Is shown
by the rolls of the convict establish
ments-that possibly many of these
had been suffered to go entirely un-
punished because the solicitor general
and the judges realized that to send
them to the gang was virtually to
condemn them to lives of vice and
crime.
1T may be so," said Mr.. Moore. IN
deed. it very probably is so.'
Mr. Moore suggested that in the
establishment and conduct of the re-
formatory the city ought reasonably
to be expected to bear share of the
expense. The boys who are to be
placed in it and brought within the
influence for good that it will offer
are for the most part city boys, and
Mr.. Moore feels very strongly that
the city should contribute it's share
to the success of the enterprise.
Il think" said he, that the city
could be induced to see the matter in
the same light and that if the city
fathers were approached in the proper
way they would lend financial aid to
the effort to save small boys from de-
veloping into hardened criminals"