The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-06-16

Court, being unable to assent to the
report made by majority of the
Grand Jury touching the investiga-
ton of the City Court, and believ-
ing that the report does not thor
oughly and fully state all the facts,
herewith give to the public some Of
our reasons for opposing said report
In doing this we have no criticism
to make upon any member of the
Grand Jury, and only ask that they
give us credit for being as honest
in our views of the matter as we
deem them to be.
We cannot agree with that part
of the report which says: 1T ap-
pears that the City Court has but
two sessions year" AS matter
of fact, it has four sessions a year,
with juries for the trial of civil and
jail cases Bonded cases, however,
are not tried but twice a year, to-
wit: July and December, when it
is we'll known fact that the farm
ers are more at leisure and when
the holding of the court does not
interfere with the farm labor to any
extent.
We do not believe that the ques-
ton of persons giving bond when |
committed to the City Court is Who'll |
ly a question of speculation. If our
farmers will not stand the bonds of
persons to be tried IN the City Court |
IN July and December when people |
are more at leisure, we cannot be-
lieve that they VIII stand the bonds
of persons to be tried by the Supe-
rior Court in May, when the crops
demand all of the attention that can
be given them.
We cannot agree with that part
of the report which says: 1--WE fur
Their find that the Jail expenses are
about $500 per month, which is very
nigh. AS matter of fact, a care
fuI examination of the records shows
that the entire Jail expenses of both
the City and Superior court for the
last six months is 1910, or an aver
age monthly expense of S161.66.
only small part of them are charg-
able to the City Court. From a care
1ul examination of the records in the
Ordinary office, wherein the sher-
IN S monthly itemized account is
MED and recorded, and which gives
the jail expenses of each prisoner, II
dlscloses the fact that the entire iaiI
expenses of all cases tried in the
CITY Court and all cases bound over
TO the City Court, which have not {
been tried, but who have been COM
mitted to the City Court for the last
SIX months is $221.60, or an average
OF 1864 per month. This leaves '
$748.4O Jail expenses chargable to
other courts, or an average of II
$124.72 per month. This is not a
matter of speculation, but are fig
ures taken from the records.
We do not believe that there can k
be any question about the value of [
the convict labor on the public roads. {
nor can there be any question that
the labor is worth more than the |
cost of maintenance. If this were t
true we think that our county au- i
thorltles have made a very serious y
mistake in accepting the state con- {
VlctS. If the convict labor is more |
expensive than free labor, then they I
should hire free labor and let other t
counties who desire them have our t
conVlcts. We agree, however, with t
our county authorities that it is best i
to work our public roads with con- a
Wet labor. 6
We thoroughly agree with that f
part OF the recommendation that the
people be given an opportunity to L
vote on the question of the City a
Court, but we believe that all the t
facts should be given fairly and i'm O
partially in order that the people t
may vote lntelligently upon the mat a
ter.
The record shows as follows:
Number of days in session with
Number of days in session with
out JurleS ............... 3
Total number days in session. IA '
Number of criminal cases con- F
Number of criminal cases acquit- 9
TED ............. IA
Number of criminal cases mol T
pressed ........... Fl f
Number of criminal cases dis v
missed by order ..... 10 h
Number civil cases tried ... 23 a
Total number cases disposed of 112 a
Number of months of convict a
labor given to the county chain O
gang from above convictions IA
Expenses of Court. =
Salary of Judge ....$ 500 90 s
Salary of solicitor ~ 500 90 4
Pay of jurors and bailiffs 691. so c
Pay OF clerk ........ %. 90 7
Pay OF sheriff ..,... AZ. 90 a
Total cost since last re- 7
port of grand jury. .$1,861 so r