The Arizona sentinel., 1896-06-06
THE YUMA BOARD OF TRADE
Hold a Meeting and Pass Resolutions Setting Forth the Benefits to Be DcriTed by Arizona If the Prison Labor Contract Is
 Fulfilled.
Fulfilled,

At q meeting of the Yuma Poard of Trade held to-day, the follow ing resolutions were unanimously tadopted:
 WHEREAS, The Territory of Ari- zona has entered into contract with the State of Arizona Improvement Company and has leased the convict iubor of the Tcrril orial Prison at Yuma to tne sail company, and Whereas, The said contract is in the opinion of the Yuma Board of Trade for the best interests of the the Territory, inaSmuch as it pro- vides employment for the convicts who have always been an idle burden land charge upon the Territory, and Whereas. The fulflln ent Of said contract will secure the construction of an irrigating canal ont of the Colorado river anal will reclaim 60,- 900 acres of land in and about Yuma and add five million dollars in land and not less than three million dol lars m other taxable improvements, total eight million dollars taxable property Of the Territory, and Wher; as 1t appea that certain Op- position to the lulrilment of the said contract has developed whica opposi- ton seems confined 10 interested parties.
 Resolred: That in such opposition we the Board Of Trade of Yuma re- cognize.
 First.-Repudiation: A stain upon the name and fame of the Territory.
 Second-A spirit to discourage the development of the Territory and it's wonderful resources and to repel and intimidate capital.
 Third. The desire for the annul- ment of the contract means a renewal of the agitation to remove the prison, which implies direct cost 70 the ter ritory of net less than seventy-fve thousand dollars, and the location of 1t where 1t will continue a burden and expense, and where the conditions for the utilization of the prison labor will be forever ahsent, whereas, the main tainance of the contract means terri torial accumulation of assets at the rate of thirty one thousand dollars per annum during the life of the contract, and the continued location of the prison where it will be surrounded by conditions necessary for maintaining 1t as dividend paying institution, to say nothing of opening upa vast ter IitOry of lands where the richness of the soil and the abundance of water makes 1t acre for acre equal in productivencss to that of any land in the known world, the addition of at least thirty thousand in population to the terri tory, $S,0J0,000 increase in taxable values and revenue income for tern torial purposes, at inc p-eseLt tax rate of G9 cents for $l00, will equal the amount necessary for the support of the prison even if it's inmates are Jeff Tn idleness after the terms Of the cOn- tract have been complied with.
 The See Saw is -annul the con- tract. ply out Seveuty-five thousand dollars for the removal Of the prison and fifty thousand per annum Tor it's continued main enanre or comply with the conditions O. the contract at an expense of one thousand dollars for camp equipage and the prepara- ton for work, five additional qua dS at eighty dollars per month anal the additional cost of delivering fool on the line Of the work at an expense Of ten dollars pei ton, about fifty per month |, d total cost for the first year of six thousand four hundred dollars, and subsequent years of about five thou- sanl five hundred. And have the ac- cumulation of assets as suggested, {, amounting to S310, ,000 in water rights, part of which are for the territorial lands amounting to 2l00 acres, the balance in detached and negotiable water rights. Ii it is found desirable to utilize the lan;!s it is shown what the prison labor can earn on 2l00 acres in alfalfa alone.
 And bs it further R9s0lr0d: That we t!enonncG such opposition 10 the | fIltillmant of the sai, contract and call upon the Board of Control an.l Snnerintt ndent of the prison to faith l fully and fairly execute the same. IT, W. BLAIsDGLL, PreSiden. of Yuma Board of Trade. P. G. CoTTER, Secretary.