Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-01-14


six months.
The policy of the present state land board
diners from TINT or the two preceding
boards boards, n e., some a, respects particularly con-
The present board has deemed It wise to
sell lands TO actual settlers. chiefly, for two
securing water upon the lands before ali Of
tho water shall have been taken by owners
Of other lnnds, In which event tho state
purposes. Second. because such sales would
result In the settling UP OF the agricultural
regions, resulting In development of those
sections, and the payment to the state of
taxes.
The selling Of state lands in large bodies
has been avoided by the present t''s board.
Some lands have been taken back from
companies which have bought them: In
every Instance after nn equitable settle
ment.
State PenitentIary.
The state Institutions arc next referred to.
In regard to the pcnitentIary the governor
says:
The management Of this penal institution
has been economical. humane and eminently
satisfactory. The expenses per capita of the
prison population has been reduced 1O.7 per
cent. being 3G.0S cents per diem. The cost
OF maintenance for the biennial period of
lS93g4 was 500. 1876, to which must be
added deficit incurred amounting to S12,.
553.Il. For the present like period, the cost
OF maintenance was sl96. 102.53 OF which
sl6o,I79.14 came from appropriation. This
business.llkc management. been sufficient to
conduct the institution without n deficit,
although the average daily population has
have fallen on very materially, owing to the
decreased demand for the limited class of
articles produced, consisting mainly or en-
tircly of lime and brick and stone. The de-
crease In cost has been So. 20 per day, or
S23,55l for the two years. The cost per
diem per man, for provisions, has been OF
Although the penitcntiary has cost less
to conduct under the present management
been carefully regarded. and the food. cloth
Ing and care fully up to the standard: The
lhs inv srsf mn made through f h buy
cause OF prompt payment by the state, for
generally prevail; but the chief saving has
resulted from the thorough business man.
ngement OF the warden:
tion the remarks Of the warden on the en-.
pioyment Of & cSnviets % while In confinement snt
them after their dlrshnrge
a radical and prompt re{orm is needed In
the penitcntiosy In the matter of employ
ment Of prisoners. As ut present conducted.
In this r., respect, the psnItentiary is burden
100000 Fer annum, with the certainty Of n
steady Increase of cost for the maintenance
Of some ESQ prisoners In practical idleness.
to tho serious detriment of the prisoners
themselves. physically, mentally and NOR
Among the causes leading to crime, prin.
rlpal one Is the lack of training to work;
that Is, to make the continuous effort neces.
sary to gain % livslIhocd To this class the the
early training not received in this direction.
Men cannot reform In idleness. Aside
from the question OF cost to the state. which
the state may regard, II tho Legislature
choose, ns immatcrlal. or not of sufficient
Importance to bring nbout reform, there
n pa nft hos fpp fprp xrl,l In IN uatI leo
and In humanity be regarded as Of grave
Importance. Again, what to do with the
am iafSrmeG stf'f hat Coerado efds one Of
two states that does not manufacture mar
ketable goods In prison. Many states derive
conyicts; Kansas thus obtained about $3.50.
900 In the past year. New York. from Sing
Sing prison alone. received s144 900 In 1895.
In Massachusetts,, according to the latest
report available. the conyicts yielded S2O1,-
9lS.TS during one term. in making brushes,
riod of statehood the Colorado penltentlnry
has cost the taxpayers s1,9Oi, ,524.S2. This
does not include the cost of other penal in.
stltutions.
In spite OF an economical ndministratio
by board composed of the same men who
conduct d the penitentiary. the reformatory
at Buenn Vista Is an expensive Institution,
s6 asanss ss e at tSe Rss Pe asHs
more than three times as great.
II this Institution is to be continued, in
view of the increasing number. and the evil
results Following upon their presence, some
tory, as Is now too frequently the case. A
few OF this class demoralizes the other in.
mates and affect adversely the efforts Mt
reform.
A satisfactory remedy for the evil. men
toned could be found through sentencing
all who are convicted of crime to the peni-
tentiary, suspending sentence upon those
who are Intended TO be sent to the reforma.
being given to the warden or commissioners
Of the penitentiary, upon the approval OF
the class OF prisoners who are proper in-
mates of that institution.
The number OF convicts now confined here
speedily Increased since thu completion of
the cell house, and the improvement in the
management The Militia,
In referring to the adjutant general,
Governor McIntirc says:
At the first call for troops the entire ma
tional guard went to Leadyille. The max
listed at that time, was about 1900. At this
date, January 8; 1897. the total number
Fore Se Cost
$500 per day: for the next thirteen days,
$500 per day; the next thirty-one days,
per day; the next twenty-one days, up to
does not allow for the deductions to be
state, suggested In the adjutant generals
report, be made. The law concerning the
national guard should be symmetrical and
adequate; as 1t now stands It is confusing.
incomplete. unmilltary and inconsistent
within itself.
cannot close the consideration of this
department without adding n word to ex.
press my appreciation Of the high quality of
only a credit to the state, hut is so conspic.
uons for Its efficiency, its discipline, fits
courage and Its endurance that /, as Its
commander: :in-chief, am proud of 1t and Its
service, and as governor of the state, rep.
resenting the whole people, take this oppor-
Tho Game Laws.
Concerning the game laws the governor
While our laws may need something In the
way of amendment, the trouble is not with
the game law. but with the enforcement OF
1t. This is largely due to insufficient means
and partially to Il misapprehension the
part of the community generally and the
county authorities in particular as to the
sphere of the game warden.
The fact Is lost sight of that the district
attorney. sherifIs and constables are all not
only empowered to act. but required to do
so in their respective places. The existence
community to look solely to him and his as
with the result that the very Of
ficcrs who can best and most speedily and
most cheaply enforce the law, take no part
1t seems to me that n reformation In the
present system would produce the best re-
suits.
Let the game warden, with probably the
present number of deputies, have In charge
the enforcement of the game laws.
There Is no occasion for the employment
In isolated instances. Let the
tro mo vo rdcn hnye authority n to nppOint sne-