The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-18
FOR STATE SUGAR MILL.
Pcniteniiary Board Agrees with Cap
italistS on Terms Of Transaction.
WILL CONSULT ATTORNEY GENERAL
" Deal Can Be Legally Made, the State
VIII Put Min on the Clemens Farm
in 5cszoria County.

There is probably no material question Of
government In which the people Of Texas
are more interested at the present time
than the matter Of building a mill for the
purpose Of, utilizing the product Of the
state sugar farm, known as the willflIn
Clemens farm. The last legislature in its
appropriation blu included A provision to
the effect that the penitentiary board might
erect sugar mill on the said farm, pro.
yided such an arrangement could he modc
that would permit OF purchase by the gross
proceeds of the cane crop.
The necessity for It's erection has been
recognized for q number of years, and the
present State administration has been very
snHious 10 make OF II a fact Frequently
nave trips OF survey been made thlthcr. but
so far nothing material has developed Sew
ersi capitalists and parties Of capitalists
nave investigated the subject. but their
terms have been of such a character that
the state could not consider them. The
last company possessed OF sufhcSRt zap
ital TO finance the undertaking is COM
posed Of st. Louis capitalists, and they
have been In correspondence with Governor
sayers on the subject. Finally an engage.
company, accompanied by the governor 10
make trip OF investigation to the farm,
and they met here last Friday night. Be
side the aforesaid capitalists there arrived
here on that date Governor Suyers, Senator
Clemens OF New Braunfels, chairman Of
the penitentiary board; Captain Joe 5.
Rice, superintendent OF penitentlarles
Judge It. IL. Spooner, inspector Of Scniten-
tisries; Joe Lee Jamlson, revenue agent,
and several other State officers. They
have been at the farm since last Saturday
and have thoroughly canvassed the sltua-
ton The result of their deliberations
have not reached point that warrants
their commitment TO paper, but they nave
reached such "A stage that the opinion or
the attorney general will be asked before
the verbal agreement Ii put To writing
In speaking OF the subject Captain Rice,
referred TO above as the state ,uperintcnd
ent of penitentlaries, made the following
observations to a Post reporter
Yes, we have just returned from the
State farm. We were accompanied thiseC
by company OF capitalists who have uu-
the building Of mill with which to utilize
the sugar cane produced there TO say
that we have reached an agreement would
be putting II too strong, but such an under
standing has been concluded as VIZ only
need the assistancs OF the attornGs gen
eral for legal advice TIE company have
practically made two PROPOSITIONS. either
OF which (or probably had better shy one
OF which, viii be accepted They propose
to erect mill that will cost 100000, fully
equipped, and built of steel II the State
peuitentinry board can deed them nifty
acres Of land against which they (the con-
papy) can maintain n lien after they have
paid for 1t and upon which they have BUN
a mill after paying Tor It. then the mill
VIII be built upon what is nov state farm
land. II such a deed for State land as will
not furnish Foundation for a lien against
the State can not pass from the Sts<S d,
reetly for this deal then the company will
buy land adjoiuing the farm and erect
the mill. The immediate terms upon which
the mill may or can he built have be@
discussed along these lines;
The company Will put up mill 10 cost
from s1h0000 to 100000 ms tho state di
reefs. Out OF the surplus revenues 90 the
state penit entlaries the State proposes IL
pay one-hah OF that cost nv the end al
by the fist day Of next August. aud SIS.
900, or $4,000. by the irSt day " Feb
ruary, 1903. The balance that remains due
IS to be paid BY the gross cane receipts OF
the farm, the state reservinE the right Ia
pay the whole balance due at any date II
may see proper, md ,nklng over the prop
erty at once In Zee simple
THE necessity for the erection CT I'M,
mill will scarcely he questioned by any
one who has Investigated the matter There
Is now In the ground seed to bring forth
cane that will he worth at least SIS 10,
next fall and II preparation Is moi begun
at once to take care OF 1t, It. viii he d
total loss. To save this 10 the state no.
counts for the fact that the governor ha,
left his comfortable office III Austin Ia
90 humping around over the State in \
two-horse wagon on q tour W survey. W.
must have thu mill. provided We don
construction must he begun MT the esrllest
possible moment