The Cordova daily times., 1922-05-03
REFORM DAUCHERTY'S
 HOBBY


 General Harry M. Daugherty has a lot of hobbies
 He likes to drag away on a rusty looking pipe. He's pretty fair fish erman. He turns a wicked tenor in an impromptu barber shop quartette. When not engrossed with official cares he enjoys card game, horse race, a billiard game, or any one of forty other varieties of pastiming. His real hobby, though, is making good men out of bad ones. It's not a new hobby for him. He's been doing it for years. Taking the helm as head of the Justice Department, and the Presidents right-bower in legal problems, MT. Daugherty jumped into field of activity genuinely to his liking. Possessing human" qualities in a rare degree, the Attorney-General within one year has extended his hu- manness into the dark recesses of the Federal prisons.
 Within the federal penitentiares MT. Daughorty has introduced moral and educational advantages calculat- ed to make real men out of the con victs, so that when their terms end they may go into different fields of | activity and again become useful citi- zens-free from the temptation to re- peat their old and dangerous ways.
 At the three penitentiaries main tained by the government at Atlanta. Leavenworth and McNeill Island, MT. Daugherty has seen remarkable results from the operation of prison schools. In Atlanta Prison over 200 illiterates, some native and some for eign born, after few months study were able last Christmas to write in telligent letters to friends and rela- tives.
 PRISONERS MAKE GOOD More than 1000 prisoners were pa roled, and their earnings were about $1,O00,0OO. The Attorney-General gave that number another chance to make good Besides, they are contributing their share to the country's productive output-production that would be lost I if they remained in prison
 The success of industrial enterprise | at Atlanta, so conducted that there is profit both for the government and for the prisoners themselves on a bonus basis. according to their out. put, had led Attorney-General Daugh. erty to urge Congress to pass a bill au. thirizng the installation of similar in. dnstrial features in the prisons at Leavenworth and McNeill Island.
 A cotton duck mill operated at At lanta Prison brought a net profit to the government of $1S5 900 and earned for the prisoners, in bonuses of two cents a yard on their output, about S45,000. About $50 prisoners are em ployed in the Atlanta Prison cotton mill. The product is not sold in open market. but is disposed of to govern ment departments needing such sup plies.
 %DLENEss TENACIOUS"
 Because of industrial methods and other measures to establish prison re- form. the Attorney-General said recent ly that, although there are now 645 more inmates at the three prisons named. the expenses of operating them will be about s70,OOO below the amount appropriated by Congress.
 MT Daugherty's opinionis that idle ness is dangerous both to the idle and to society.
 "Idleness is pernicious," he said "pernicious both morally and physical ly to all men, especially to prisoners If men in prison are to again fill places of usefulness in society it is impera tive that constructive labor be turn ished them during their confinement
 "No record of merely material ac complishment can give such satisfac tion as comes from the re-establish ment of man as useful member oi society. The period of mans incar ceration for an offense against the State need not necessarily be destruc tive of the mans present or future worth to society nor of his self-respect ] or immediate earning capacity"