The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-01-16
McMuLIN'S MESSAGE
To the Fifty bird Session of the Tennessee
General Assembly.
Education Uppermost in the Governors Mind-Monuments
to Our Heroes-Trt1sts and Combinations-Coa1 Oil
LegiSlation-State Finances, ETC., Etc.

| Our inspection laws had their incep-
tion in fear of this danger, and were
| framed to guard against it. But re-
Gently difficulty has arisen from diff
| ferent source. Instead of being too
combustible, complaint is made that
the oil put upon the market is not suf-
! ficiently inflammable. Instead Of
! burning too readily it will not burn at
| all. These complaints have been so
numerous and from so many parts of
the State, that l am forced to believe
there is foundation for them and that
| legislation on the subject is demanded.
Justice and fair dealing demand it,
and there should be no delay. \Such
| penalties should be fixed to the sale
of defective or adulterated oil as will
deter producers from selling or offer
ing for sale worthless commodity.
TIE STATE LINE.
Before the State of Tennessee was
admitted to the Union, a controversy
arose between Virginia and Tennessee
concerning the true boundary between
the States. An hundred years ago
commission was appointed to survey
the line. Another survey was made
in 1858. Strenuous litigation in the
Supreme Court came in consequence
VI bhlo hlSpuIc CllIy a ICh yCelIS oSO,
and still there was no settlement of
the controversy. The legislature, in
1899, authorized me as governor to ex-
ecute proceedings in the Supreme
Court of the United States to have the
true boundary line run and marked.
The proceedings were inaugurated,
commissioners appointed and the line
run. The contention of Tennessee
that the line run in 1902 was the cor
rect line has been sustained.
SALE OF OLD PENITENTIARY.
By an act of 1899 a board was Gre
ated consisting of the governor, secre-
tary of State, ATTORNEY general, treas
urer and the three penitentiary COM
missioners, to dispose of the old pen
itentiary site. The property was in
the heart of the city of Nashville and
an obstruction to the development
thereof. The title being in the State
and the property unused, it yielded no
taxes to the State, county or city. An
effort was made to exchange it for
large farm the State had rented ad
joining the penitentiary property
known as the Monroe farm. But such
a price was asked for that farm as
made it undesirable to make the ex-
change and it was impossible to effect
it. Therefore, the commissioners pro-
ceeded to divide the property into lots
and sell it, after due advertisement
at public auction. The property net
ted over and above all expenses $40,-
866.66, which was regarded by the
commissioners and by those who were
acquainted with the property and its
environments as judiciOus sale.
PENITENTIARY CONTRACTS.
The general assembly in 1897 passed
an act (chapter 39) Providing for the
employment of convicts in this State"
1t has been in operation since that
time But it provided that No con-
tract for labor of convicts should ex-
tend beyond the 1st day of March,
1903" Under the authority conferred
by that law the board of prison COM
missioners made contracts with the
companies and firms wishing to con-
duct manufacturing business in the
penitentiary with convict labor. Six
hundred and thirty convicts are en-
ployed under the different contracts
entered into in pursuance of this act.
As these contracts expire, by limita-
ton of law, on the 1st day of March,
1903, | urge upon you the Importance
of immediate legislation upon the sub
ject of the renewal On the best terms
obtainable of these or similar con-
IIdCIS. w lIIlOuI pl O1IpI dCllOA 10
en-, the prison commissioners will have
several hundred convicts on hand with
no authority to allow them to work
in the shops where they have hereto
fore been employed, and under the ne
cessity of supporting them in idleness.
In addition to this, the contractors
who have put up extensive plants
within the walls for the purpose of
having work done by this labor, and
who have made and are making con-
tracts for the sale of the goods, will
have to suspend operations and will
be subjected to great loss. You should
clothe the commissioners with re-
newed authority to enter into such
contracts as in their judgment will
secure advantageous employment to
the convictS. This is absolutely nee
essary because many of them being
women are infirm and are not phys
ically able to work in the mines, and
even if they were, the accommodations
at the mines are not sufficient to take
care of the increased number who
would have to be cared for without
these industries are kept up in the
prison.
Under the efficient management of
the officers and employees of our peni-
tentiary that important State institu-
tion shows splendid results. During
the biennial period ending December L,
1900, embracing the operations of the
years 1899 and 1900, the receipts ex-
ceeded disbursements $249, ,046.94. For
the biennial period ending December
1, 1902 the receipts exceeded the dis
bursements S3O4,OO1.34, an increase
over the preceding biennial term of
$54 955.40. For the four years begin
ming December 1, 1898, and ending
December 1, 1902, the'sum of S4553,-
0492S in excess of all Withdrawals
was deposited in the State treasury.
The year 1902 broke all records in the
net earnings. The net cash balance
remaining in the treasury after all
Withdrawals was $1S0,039.91.
BATTLE MONUMENTS.
The Shiloh battlefield has been set
apart by act of congress as park
or reservation. The various States
that had troops in that battle, as
we'll as many of the military organiza-
tions that participated therein, have
taken steps to erect suitable monu-
ments to commemorate the heroism
of those who fought there | submit