Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-01-07
GOV. A. W. GILCHRIST'S
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Took Cath, Of Office at Noon TueSday---Drief
Sketch Of His Life. II

m letters. in every and from every
portion Of the State come expressions
ON numerous subjects. A Governor
Is fortunate IN having obtained these
various expressions. They manifest
however, an absolute imposslbility Of
anyone carrying out the many diverg.
emit views expressed. But a few Of
the subjects win be touched upon.
Coed Roads and cOnVIets.
MANY are specially interested in
good roads. Everybody should favor
good roads. They would all favor
them Il they did not cost money.
see
"While speaking on the subject Of
roads, il might be well to refer to the
convict question. You know that
some Of our people would like for the
state c0nvicts to be worked on the
roads. .On account Of recent action
Of the Georgia Legislature the county
commissioners Of some Of the Georgia
counties met with the view Of determin-
ing how many State cOnvicts could be
used By their respective counties In
building good roads. Our State is very
responsive 70 any action taken by our
great neIghbOring State. This Is due
20 proximity. and among other rea.
sons 20 the fact that so many OF our
good citizens come from Georgia.
Some think that in using the convicts
on the roads the work viii be done
for nothing. They forget that In so
doing the county loses It's part OF the
hire OF the convlets. and will In ad.
ditiOn pay It's cost of maintenance Of
the convicts. There Is another rea-
son. humanitarian. which would
operate against the use Of long
term convicts In the temporary
camps Afforded by the counties.
The convict camps are now fitted up
with iron beds. springs, mattresses.
blankets. pillows and sheets. baths
and sanitary arrangements. and com
Portable houses. Hon. b. r. McLin,
commissioner Of agriculture. has kind
" furnished me the following informa-
tion: The number OF State prison
srs handled during the year 1907 was
1876. The number OF women handled
during the year was 40. OF this mum
Der OF women prisoners there are
three white women for both the years
l9OT-S. They are AZ the headquarters
hospital. two being 40 Quincy and
one az Ocala. The report about white
women State o0nvicts being sent out
unfortunately with negro prisoners
Is therefore a mistake. on the total
number OF prisoners handled during
1907 there were 20 deaths. OF these
ave were killed in attempting 30 es-
cape; one was killed by a falling wall;
twenty-three died natural deaths. IL
thus appears that 1.32 per cent or
1885 n every 1000 died from natural
causes. I'm most cases. the prisoners
died from the effect OF diseases con
uacted prior to entering the State
prison. This death rate Is less than
what Il n IN some insurance compa-
nies. IN which. OF course. they pick
their members. u. 8. Census for
1907 vol 3. p. Sc. registration area u.
g., being that part IN which the sta
tistics are based upon registration
records. the death rate a. IFS per
1000. Tho registration area embraces
the New England States. New York,
New Jersey, Michigan and the District
Of Columbia. In the registration area
az a whole. the death rate OF the
native white Il about rs per 1000 and
that OF the foreign white about no per
1000 less than that OF the colored
Then consider that large per cent OF
the prisoners are eolored. and that the
death rate from natural causes Is only
is-25 per 1909.
Fsmais And lnHrm Conglcta.