Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-12-05
Will HOLD
OFF BUYING
Steel CAGE
STATE MAY CHECK their USE
One Used to Advantage In
Repair Work Here

The County Commissioners have
been figuring on buying second
stael cage for use as moving
and sleeping quarters of convicts, but
in view of the likelihood of the leg
islature taking some action against
the use of steel cages for the latter
purpose the purchase may be post
poned until something definite comes
from Atlanta.
no steps toward regulating the uso
of the steel cages, but some of the
members Of the House are disposed
to object to the existing practices.
It. is because of the publications
along this line that the Sumter com
missioners will defer ordering sec
ond cage.
Representative Nix, of Gwinnett. is
chairman of the house pentitentiary
committee, while Senator w. B.
Crawford is chairman of the senate
committee with Representative Foster
of Floyd, one of the strongest mem
bers of the committee was asked If
any specific recommendations would
be made othe legislature next sum-
mer.
81 can not speak for the entire
committee" he said, but my sub
committee will favor very material
change in the present method of
caring for prisoners in camps.
Most counties use the steel cars on
wheels to facilitate moving the
camps. But these cars are not suit
able for cold weather, and we shall
advocate a change to tents with
wooden floors, which can be made
much more comfortable and sani-
tary In the tents, too, steel framed
beds can be used, and in cold wealth
er the tents can be heated with oil
stoves.
tTy, Nr1fpf
suffering with pneumonia. The camp
physician recommended that he be
sent to a hospital of the Jail. bat
the man was too ill to move. In
the steel car he could not be pro-
tected properly from the cold SO il
lessened his chances for getting well
! Some counties are using tents and
they are getting much better results
| think the regulation should be
made uniform regarding tents, as
they are more humane and better
suited to conditions all around We
shall also recommend that each
camp be supplied with enough slick
er coats to protect the convicts
: when caught in the rain far from
: camp. They are conyicts but are en-
titled to humane treatment.
II think most counties are doing
, good work on the roads, and we
e found generally that the convicts
t were we'll fed There may be other
t changes to recommend when the en-
tire committee meets to formulate
u the report for the legislature"
20 Il do not thinkthe the objections
. to tha steel cages are well based, at
1t least not 50 far as this county's
'7 use of them is concerned" said chair
> man Frank Sheffield yesterday. 1--WE
find the steel cage of very great ad-
vantage, especially on repair work
when a number of convicts are moi
. to be kept at one spot for any length
of time, but moved around every day
or two. To put up tents and estab'
lish a regular camp under such con
ditions simply maans large PIX
penditure of time and, to my mind
an unnecessary expense. We take
gang of the convicts in the stee
10 cage, transport them rapidly from on
JU bad spot on the road to another, an'
sleep them in the cage. The Gag
has canvas cover, so that it has al
10 the qualities of an elevated tent. T
IA me it seems that it would be NOR
IA healthful for the men to sleep raise
above the ground, as they are in th
cage, to being close to the ground
$40 a tent. However, if the legislatu
237 is likely to prohibit this use Of y
.2S1 cages we may defer getting q seco
,46S lone as We have contemplated"