The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-03
FLORIDA'S C0NvICTS.
Will They Yield the State a. still
Larger Revenue.

VIII They Yield the state n still
Larger Revenueg
Tallahassee, Fla, Jan. 2-Gov. Jen.
nings recent visit to Tampa caused the
local papers to blossom forth in char
acteristic interviews, in when he man.
aged to dodge the political conun-
drums propounded him with his usual
success. The Governor could under the
circumstances, hardly be expected to
talk politics. The fatal effects of the
ordinary Tampa interview are too well
known to call for comment here: and
the Governor found a much safer basis
for conversation in the condition of his
famous fernando county orange grove,
and the results of his administration
of the states affairs from a financial
point of view. II will be news to some
people to learn that the state of Flor
ida now has on deposit something over
$1,0O0,0O0. and that there is good reason
to believe that the near future will see
considerable addition to a balance
already sufficiently heavy to keep the
states rural watch dogs of the treas
Ury" awake o. nights.
Gov. Jennings Tampa reference to
the present convict lease has excited
seine comment. In speaking Of the rev.
enue now derived from this source, the
Governor is quoted as follows:
THE proceeds from the lease of the
state convicts have been very large,
amounting in the year to about $780,
DOC" He then went on to say: This
will, in all likelihood, be doubled with
in the year"
1t has been limited in some quarters
that Walter Coachman. the Jackson
vile promoter and man of affairs. or,
more correctly speaking, the Florida
Naval Stores and Commission Com
pany, the present lessee of the state
convicts, was already sick of It's bar
gain; and that at the contract price,
$151.50 a head per annum. there was
not enough money In the deal to justi-
fy the expenditure and risks involved.
But, If the Governor be correct In his
views, there is evidently more money
in this convict business than has hith-
erto been supposed in a state which
once paid Gainesville phosphate oper-
ator to take these prisoners off its
hands. and which only a few years
ago thought itself playing in great
luck when 1t leased them to Gen. r.
p. Bailey of Jefferson county, for
something like $31, 900 a year.
Talking of this convict lease brings
UP the attitude of the camps and Fu-
gene West. the unsuccessful bidders,
who feel that they have a grievance
against the administration that will re-
quire a good deal of satisfaction" be-
fore 1t is wiped out AS is well known,
these parties have already sought re-
dress in the courts: and equally well
known is the fact that they have been
turned down by every legal tribunal
in which they have thus far aired this
grievance of theirs. What is perhaps
not so generally known is the QUIET
bull dog tenacity, the resources and de-
termination of both Camps and West.
Both are fighters to a finish--both have
the sinews of war in abundance, and a
retinue OF legal talent as long as the
tale of the last comet: and whether
they take their case to the United
States Supreme Court or not. no one
need be at all surprised to see them
carry 1t into the next political cam
paign in this state, and burn money"
TO make the controversy between
themselves and the board Of state in
stitutions literally burning issue In
the fight.