Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-23
BLIGHT OF. PENAL COLONIES.
Why It Does Not Pay to Found Them
in Some Regions.

1t is not likely that a convict colony
will ever again be established in any
region whose resources are sufficient 10
support large number of -law-ahidinS
people
New Catalonia is an example of the
evil effects of giving To Il naturally rich
Even the children Of the convicts there
are clamoring today for the total ADOLF
ton OF the convict settlement. Though
their parentase was icnonninious. they
Caledonia as long as it is a prison for
conVictS.
This Pacific island is nearly five times
nn ,ar: =, as ns Long Island and Mr.: LIE
..e island would easily support 10c0,O0O
Inhabitants. But France has failed To
induce free colonstS to settle there.
Though the government reserves only
5o.bto acres for use of the conNictS, and
though for 10 years not a criminal has
been sent to the island and free grant
Of land and other assist lnce are offered
to agricultural immigrants. the free
Europeans scarcely outnumber tho con-
victs and most of them are in the gov
eminent service.
opened to free immigration the protests
al the colGniStS against The system of
transportation resulted in its abolition
1T ls 3. wears since Il convict was landed
in East Australia, and long ago the con-
wet clement was completely mixed in
the rest of the population and all sense
of humiliation associated with the early
penal settlement DISAPPEARED.
I he Island of Fernando de Noronho is
tle best example of the kind of territory
that !; renal cnlCry should occupy. AS
the island is only five miles long and two
and one-half miles wide it can he used
as Il penal colony without sacrificing rich
regions that Immigrants will not enter
as long as criminals are their neighbors.
me island is out i'm tine Atlantic 800
miles from Fernambuco. and the worst
c3nvicts Of the state of that name are
kept there. There is no capital punish
mcnt in Brezil and the island is tha
convicts
The conditions are ideal for such n
settlement; Tie land is wonderfully
fertile ana its cotton commands a spe-
The convicts are out in the fields at G
a. NJ and work for the state until .
+. NJ, after which they may work for
themselves til 9 on little plots which the
stare allcts TO each Of them. Only 30
ponce are required to control the con.
vlcts and there is no chance for them to
escape. ~
No trees suitable for RATS are permitte,,
TO grow on the island, and only a few
trustees are allowed to fish around the
coasts Their boats are tiny catamarans.
700 small Tor sea use. The cOnyicts live
" comfort at cost that is said to make
the worl. ''' III
About 5000 Of the toughest criminals of
;r,ance and her colonies, including Alger-
IAN Arabs and negroes, are scattered in
SETTLEMENTS along the Maroni and Mana
rn:erS IN the eastern part of French
s Guinea, south America. The government
selected as the homes of these criminal
eNles districts that were regarded as
Vely nnhealthful. 80
1he dry gullotine'' was the pop,,lar
name among TIE convicts for the maIari.
Gus region in which they were placed
sur nost of the wretchnd victims lived
ana ana tne country would really De the con
adapted TO- ard abba TO attract colonists
IN any numbers.-f;ew York Sun.