The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-12
HOSPITAL FOR C0NVlCTS.
Those of Florida VIII he Benedict
aries of Their Lessee.

aries of Their Lessee.
Tallahassee, Fla, Jan. IA reform
is about to be inaugurated in the man
agement of the 1000 or more state
prisoners now in the custody of the
lessee, the Florida Naval Stores and
Commission Company. This company
has been the lessee of state convicts
only since Jan. /, 1902. and it is under
contract to receive all persons SEN
fenced to the state prison, regardless
Of age or physical condition, and, in
return for their labor, to pay to the
state $151.50 per convict per annum,
which is more than seven times as
much as any former lessees have paid.
While the lessee is required to
clothe, feed, house and furnish medi-
cal attention to the cOnvicts, and COM
ply with the regulations for convict
management prescribed by the board
of Commissioners of State Institutions,
there has never heretofore been a hos
pital where sick, infirm and broken
down convicts can be kept, treated and
cared for-some of whom can do only
the very lightest work, and others are
paralyzed or otherwise so enfeebled
irregular living as to be utterly useless
and helpless.
In the Florida camps there are far
more than the normal proportion of
this class of feeble-bodied prisoners.
The Legislature has failed, though re-
peatedly urged, to make any enact
ment or financial provision for the re-
lief of this class of prisoners, and the
problem has proved a trying one. I'm
der the existing law, convict matters
are left in control of the board of
Commissioners of State Institutions,
the commissioner OF agriculture, a
member of that board, having active
supervision of the convict camps.
A solution has now been proposed
which seems to meet all the difficulties
of this problem. Hon. Walter F.
Coachman of Jacksonville, the presi-
dent and controlling spirit of the
lessee company, who is a thorough
going and very successful business
man, but generous hearted and always
humane, has proposed that his COM
pany shall erect, at a point satisfac-
tory to the commissioner of agri-
culture and the board, a suit
able central hospital, with accom-
modations, physician and at
tendants to be satisfactory to and APP
proved by the same state authorities,
in which shall be placed and cared for,
at the expense of the lessee, all COM
victs declared by a physician of the
states selection, and by the commits
sioner of agriculture himself, to be un-
fit for and unequal to hard manual
labor. The proposed hospital, with
farm attached, to cost approximately
$4,000, aside from cost of maintenance.
is to be paid for entirely by the lessee
company, but is to be under the same
control of the state officers as all other
convict matters.
1t is stated that a satisfactory 1oca-
ton for the hospital has been selected
in Marion county, about one mile from
Ocala, and that work is being pushed
on the building. Commissioner of Agri-
culture B. E. McLin will inspect It this
month, and 1t will be ready for occu-
pancy In a few weeks.
In return for this outlay and kindly
care of the state prisoners. IT is un-
derstood that the lessee company
through President Coachman, will ask
the board to relieve 1t from the neces-
sity OF paying to the state the annual
charge of $151 j so for each of the con-
victs confined in the hospital that is,
for such proportionate time as each
prisoner may be so conflned-the ques-
ton as to whether individuals are able
to be at work. or should remain under
treatment to be at all times one for
the state authorities and agents to de-
termine.
While no definite agreement has yet
been reached, there is no doubt that
the board has abundant authority in
the premises, and 1t is understood that
the members are giving favorable con-
sideration to the proposition and will
carry 1t into effect. Mr.. Coachman
states that If the board will give his
company reasonable encouragement,
the greatest practicable measure of
relief will at once be given to infirm
and disabled convicts.