The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-03-09
MRS. BOOTH TO SPEAK
At HOPE HALL FARM
Institution for Uplift of Dis
charged Convicts
Volunteers of America are Doing q
Good Work in This Behalf
in Florida.

Tallahassee, March 6th,-Comr1is-
sioner of Agriculture McRae is cd
vised that Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth
will be in Florida during the last week
of March and make addresses at va
rious points in behalf of the Hope
Hall Farm, at Hampton, an enterprise
recently established under her dircc-
ton by Adj. and Mrs. L. A. Odom
and other representatives.
The itenerary as planned by Mrs.
Booth is as follows: Hampton, March
26; Bradford Farms, (thc State pris-
on), March 25; Tallahassee, March 2G:
DeFuniak Springs, March 27; Winter
Park, March 20; St. Augustine, March
30. Other dates may be announced
later.
Hope Hall is an industrial home for
released prisoners. Similar institu-
tions have been established by Mrs.
Booth in other States. Hampton
Hope Hall has 100 acres of land and
several buildings are already in course
of erection. In speaking of this work
Commissioner McRae says:
"The citizens of Florida have never
failed to take a lively interest in any
movement which promises to amelio-
rate the condition of the unfortunate
and wayward. I only need to men
tion the care given to the blind and
deaf the insane, and for misguided
youths-as seen in the Industrial
Home for Boys, and the one for girls
recently established-not to speak Of
well directed efforts to guard the
health of our people and of other ben
eficent movements inaugurated by our
various legislatures.
"Thcre is goodness, too, in the work
of the Volunteers of America in cre-
ating a more ENLIGHTENED and Chris
tian sentiment in the treatment of dis
charged prisoners. The chief purpose
Of the prison is the protection of So
ciety and the reformation of the pris-
oner. The success of the second OBJ
iect conduces to the accomplishment
of the first.
at is hard enough to travel the
straight path even with a good repu-
tation to begin with. How much
harder when one starts off anew in
the struggle of life when over the
man is spread the mantle of a prison
reputation. The avenues to honest
endeavor are too often filled with oh
structions, but unfortunately the gates
IF bo of no
doors of the saloon and of other OBJ
iectinable haunts swing temptingly
wide, but Florida is putting up bar
riers. as fast as possible in this res
pect. No password is necessary at
places of disrepute. Is it to be Won
dered at that eX-prisoners return to
their old courses when society fails in
it's duty? Charity is beautiful vir-
tue under all circumstances, but when
it throws the mantle of forgetfulness
and forgiveness over the past of the
wrongdoer, credits him with sincerity
to do better, and assists him in car
rying out his intentions and desires,
it becomes nobility. This done in all
fulness, a mighty service has been
rendered to the man with clouded
reputation and to society itself"
Senator Trammell in speaking of
this enterprise says:
81 am impressed that the Florida
Hope Hall and Industrial Farm for
the care and fitting for the duties of
life the discharged prisoners of the
State is q commendable and worthy
enterprise. Such an institution, in my
opinion, is capable of accomplishing
much good. l heartily commend the
cause and its promoters for their ef-
forts along such humane lines"