The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-22
WOULD FARM
 OUT WOMEN Mayors Scheme for Fe- : male Prisoners. IA MUNICIPAL PROBLEM MT. Carr Proposes a Plan to
 the Council. Jail Birds Who Are Kept in likeness at Police Headquarters Would
 Be Source of Reven-
 ue to the City.

Mayor Thomas H. Carr proposes to meet a serious municipal problem which has puzzled previous city administrations hy hiring out the women convicts of the city of Montgomery to farmers living near the city.
 | One farmer has already agreed to take a number of this class of the city's con- victs and it is confidently believed that other bids will be received when the way Is made clear for such employment of the women convicts.
 No satisfactory arrangement has yet been made for the disposal of women convicted of offenses against the laws of the city. They have occasionally been worked in the cemetery. This plan did not prove to be satisfactory. It was ob- Jectionable for various reasons.
 The women have been allowed to serve out their sentences in their cells as there was no other way to dispose of them. Their maintenance was an additional bur den upon the city.
 Message of Mayor.
 The plan as proposed by the Mayor is embodied In a message submitted to the Council last night which is as follows: ITO the City Council of Montgomery:
 ''Gentlemen-I desire to direct your at. tention to the urgent necessity of pro- viding some arrangement for the dispo- sition of negro female prisoners, who, having been convicted of miscellaneous offenses, are incarcerated in the city prison, upon the non-payment of fines assessed against them. 'Unquestionably some change should be made in the present plan of handling this class of offenders, other than allowing them to simply remain idle in their cells until the expiration of their sentence; where they are subjected to practically no punishment and are of considerable expense to the city. It is impossible to work them upon the streets. and they should not be worked in the cemetery. even If their services were needed at that place.
 'By a rigid enforcement of the vag- rancy law our city could be gotten rid of a large portion of this worthless class of women. An enforcement of this law, however, will be almost an impossibility until some adequate means are provided for the proper punishment of those who are convicted.
 Lease to Farmers. q have investigated the proposition of leasing these prisoners. for the terms im- posed upon them, to planters operating farms in the immediate vicinity of Mont gomery, and am assured by one of these gentlemen that he would be glad to enter into an agreement to secure their ser vices, by paying the city a reasonable compensation therefor. This would, in my opinion, be the best course to adopt, as it would be more economical to the city; would partially relieve the over crowded condition of the city prison, and at the same time provide means for in- l fiictlng some punishment on the offend CTS. With the aforesaid object in view, have had an ordinance prepared to carry the proposition into effect. and l ask yo0r consideration of the same. Respectfully, Thomas H. Carr, Mayor"
 The message and ordinance were refer- red to the Police and Judiciary Commit | tees.