The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-04-18
HOW THE PEOPLES
MONEY is WASTED

me the courtesy OF puDlSnlng some
of my observations about the method
of handling state convicts and we
have seen that few years ago the
state was receiving about $250,000 4
per annum from the hire of such con-
victs. instead of which income the
taxpayers now have to stand for an
outlay of probably $250,000 per an
mum. This is direct loss of $1,000
year to the taxpayers, when the
public was assured that there would
be no increase in taxes and that these
convicts would be put on the public
roads and system of state highways,
etc, evolved.
1t is perfectly obvious to most of US
that without these fair promises the
humanitarians would never have sue
ceeded in abolishing the convict lease
system, which at that time had been
brought into a reasonable state of |
perfection. In the years intervening |
between 1900 and 1909 a wonderful
| improvement in the convict lease sys-
tenn had been made and such convicts
were kept under close supervision by
the state, and rules were adopted and
enforced which eliminated nearly all
i the abuses of the past. Still the state
was then receiving about $250,000
per annum from source which prior
to 1900 produced little revenue and
Il caused many abuses. No wonder that
the people were reluctant to sanction
Iany change in conditions existing
about 1909 and destroy the organiza-
ton that was then built up for the
!, care of the convicts and throw away
! the revenue that was then being re-
ceived and reopen to new difficulties
!, one of, the most vexing questions of
the state; but we find the politicians,
, taking advantage of the zeal for good
] roads, masqueraded under that ban
ner for a time, to accomplish what the
: people would never approve if done in
} the open. believe that the records
will show that the state was realiz-
ing about $250,000 per annum from
state convicts when the hire was
} about $3.50 per capita. believe, too,
that the records show that after the
state prison farm had opened up the
: board was able to get some three
! years ago, as much as S430 per capita
2 per annum for all the prisoners which
| it was willing to lease, and if these
: state prisoners were worth $430 per
2 annum three years ago, they should
be worth $500 per capita at present
and I believe would easily command
: that sum if employed in the sawmills
/ of the state and in other classes of
!. work. haven't the exact figures be-
I fore me, but assuming that there are
2 1400 able-bodied state prisoners, $500
: per capita would yield 100000 per
r annum.
i. The state prison farm may be a
: very good one but / venture the pre-
: diction that you could keep keep all
the state prisoners at work for seven
Years and it would not bring 100000.
e. It is apparent, too, that the cost of
: this labor is by no means the only
: item of expense as it appears that we
: have spent in cash over 100000 on
+ this farm since 1911, if / mistake not
J. in deciphering such of the official re-
ports as are before me. In 1909
n nearly all the counties in the state
e were leasing county convicts, both
r men and women, at the rate of about
g a dollar day for each prisoner, ano
l. under this system the counties in
Icurred no expense for feeding of car
h ing for the prisoners. While no ac-
= curate data is available, / understand
e that there were about 5000 county
d prisoners in the state during each
calendar year. Well knowing this
situation and well knowing that the
!" counties were mourning no expense
n whatever under this arrangement
n the legislature in 1909 passed a law
f requiring all county prisoners to be
E, confined in the county jail for five
days before being put to work and al
the same time prohibited all womer
4 from being worked. 1t is obvious
therefore, that as result of this Law
\ the several counties of the state los
III SIS head on every county convict, a:
they were obliged to keep them in the
A jails for these five days and it is OBJ
vious, too, that they lost 81 on every
county convict in order to pay tn,
sheriff for feeding such prisoners dur
ing these five days. They wholly los
all of the services of the women ant
HI
days, the sheriff had to be paid 40c
day for feeding her during the en-
tire time. This change, too, necessi
tated regular county physicians AM
other expenses.
n Under this law | estimate that tn
. several counties of the state have los
since 1909 not less than $780, O0
= Unless the county authorities DELHI
Z erately ignore this law, it is absolute
= ~ binding and in force today and
- challenge any man to advance
single reason, based either upon NOR
al sentiments or public economy, tina
! will justify a law requiring count,
j convicts TO lie in jail FIVE days afte
conviction. ] called the attention o
several legislators to this law immed
lately after its passage and on sew
eral occasions since and never hav
3 found a man who undertook to justif,