Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-27
Superintendent Gores in Favor Of the
State Purchasing Farms on
which to Work the Conviots,
The House Lerppration Bill Under Dis.
cussion In the SeBste-Figures
on the Capitol Furnishings
Senate Educational Committee in Favor OF
Returning SEQ, 900 of the Sum Bor-
rowed from the University.
DANCED TO ALLIANCE MUSIC.


came painfully apparent that many Of the
Senator'S had made up their minds to shu,
their eyes snt bolt the measure whole
The bill is designed to allow the Farm.
ers' Alliance to form corporations with
unlimited cspltal for the purpose of es.
tablishing stores throughout the dlferen,
counties.
Senator Lane offered an Amendment
limiting the capital stock to $100,b. o.
providing that when the assets, including
! the capital stock, should reach $780,
600, dividends should be declared
psid sufficient to keep the assets st that
figure. In support Of his amendment
Mr.. Lane pointed out the fact that while
| designed to benefit the farmer the law
will allow others to enter into these cor
porations, the effect Of which will newt
ably be to place the mercantile business
OF the state in the hands of corporations
with large capital who will break down
and ruin all competitors, and then dictate
the prices on ell commodities.
Mr.. Houston made most logical and
earnest speech In favor of the amendment
but majority favored the bill as 1t came
from the hands of the Alliance committee
and voted the amendment down. The
bill will become law, though many are
fearful OF the result, which they say will
endsnger the mercantile interests of the
state.
WHAT THE UNIVERSITY WILL GET.
The Senate educational committee de.
cided TO report against returning to the
U diversity the $400, 200 borrowed there.
from by the state. They are in favor,
however, OF returning $4,000 of the
money, and will so report.
TO FURNISH THE CAPITOL.
The committee to inquire into the
amount required to furnish the new capt.
t, got figures from the departments to
day. The Governor wants $4,000, the At.
torney- Genera $4,000; the Treasurer,
$40 600; the Educational Department,
$1,000; the Comptroller, s25. 000 Treas
urer Lubbock wants no carpets, msttings
or spittoons. The others have given es-
timates on very handsome fittings
throughout. About $3.50, 900 will be ask.
ed for altogether.
APPROPRIATIONS CUT DOWN.
The House finance committee scaled
the appropriation in Mr.. Greshsm's uni
versity bill down to 100000, and will re-
port 1t with 6 favorable Recommendation.
1t provides for building the medical
branch.
The appropriation for the Austin luna-
tic asylum was cut down to about $780,
900. In the original bill it was $780,
900.
TO AMEND THE OCCUPATION TAX LAW.
Mr.. Browning will tomorrow introduce
bill amending the occupation tax law
80 ss to exclude from the payment OF &C.
cupstion tax merchants, auctioneers,
lsOd SCENTS, lawyers, dentists, bill post
ers, livery stables, cotton brokers, cot
ton buyers and sewing machine agents.
STATUS OF THE CONvIcIs.
Colonel T. j Gorse, peniientisry su-
perintebdent, has been In the city several
days. He now has something over 5000
convicts distributed throughout various
parts Of the state, working on farms and
railroad contracts. The lease system
which prevails In other states has never
been adopted in Texas. That is to say
the state never surrenders the con-
troll OF the prisoners into the
hands of the contractors. When
a railroad or .private citizen makes a
contract for convict labor the state sends
along it's own guards, who have entire
charge of the men, preserving proper dis
cipline and looking after their welfare Just
the same as II they were engaged in state
work. Physicians are employed by the
state to keepa watchfal eye upon the
physical condition Of the prisoners
is thrown around them to
preserve them from neglect and i'll usage.
The advantages which this pl,n possess
es over the out and out lease system are
obvious. UZder the regular !, age the
convic are turned over to the entire
control of the Contractors, to whose inter-
est 1t 1t TO feed and clothe them at the
least possible cost, and to get the great
est possible amount Of work out of them.
The conse quence is they are
FREQUENTLY UNDERFED,
badly clothed and worked beyond endur.
snce When the guards are employed by
the state and the bills for food and cloth
ing paid either by the state or by the con-
tractors, the guards have no monetary
interest to subserve in saving expense in
food and clothing, and when there is lack
of either they are very apt to see the want
supplied. The state, too, has fixed reeu-
lar hours for work, and the guards
have no interest which may be
benefited by working beyond the time set.
Even under the present system Colonel
Goree says abuses have crept In, but he
thinks they are reduced to min mum
and are as nothing in comparison to these
that have occurred wherever the regular
lease system has been adopted. He is in
favor Of the states purchasing
farms on which the convicts can
be worked. This plan has been and
Is being tried with satisfactory results,
and he Is in favor Of its entire adoption.
In this way, he thinks, will the prison
system become self-sustaiDing, and the
competition with free labor be reduced
to minimum.
AUSTIN, TEX, April Candidates
for state officers are rapidly coming to the
front, and II now looks as though slmost
every one of the present state Officers
would have opposition. Unless al slgns
fall Governor Ross 10 the only one who
will have entirely smooth sailing Colonel
A T. Mckinney of Walker county has
been here for several days and 1t has been
gently whispered In the ear Of THE
GAZETTE that he would be Q
candidate for Lieutenant Governor. His
friends base his claims upon his thorough
knowledge Of legislative AFFAIRS, and say
these that be would mako an almost ideal
presiding ofIlsar. They further say that
should snytn ing occur 70 vacate The otllce
Of GoyeznoES ne would make q admlrar