The Arizona sentinel., 1905-02-01
TERRITORIAL PRISON
Subjected to Careful Scrutiny by the
 Legislative Committee.
Irrigation of Prison Farm and Elm plOymert of ConvictS Extensively Users Association.

The legislative committee selected t,
 visit Yuma and investigate the terri torial prison and it's management ar
 rived in the city Sunday and spent ;
 portion of the good day in the unofficial
 pastime of looking over the town ant
 incidentally, through the chaperonagt
 of an enterprising real estate agent
 took look at one of the proposed site.
 for Yuma county's new courthouse tC
 be- It is said they were not specially
 impressed with the site as a desirable
 location.
 They also viewed another proposed
 site, block 1l4, on Orange avenue, with
 which they were highly pleased.
 The names of the committee are:
 Dr. R. N. Looney of Yavapai county, chairman; Alfred Ruiz of Apache county, Chas. Strong of Cochise, H. C. Kennedy of Pima and $. A. Taught of Gila. The secretary of the committee was Geo. D. Creighton of Phoenix. G. W. P. Hunt of Gila county, presi- dent of the council, accompanied the committee.
 Whatever the conf rhittec's report may be Git will no doubt be fair and just regarding the prison, the facts are that it is conceded to be one of the cleanest, most healthful and best man. aged penitentiaries in the United States. As the Sentinel has often sug- gested, however, and as that seems to be the principal shaft directed against the Yuma prison, the convicts ought to have more and regular employment, both as an economical measure to the territory and for their own moral and benefit. As to furnishing the it only remains for the legislature to pass measure setting forth the details; or perhaps this is not even necessary. A part of the prison property consists of 200 acres of irri- gable land. This land lies along the Colorado and Gila rivers and is as fertile as the richest delta lands. True it is overflow land and only partion of the year can it be cultivated; but as levees Ire to be built by the government to shut out the overflow, this trouble will soon be eliminated and the land can be cropped continuously the year through. Here are the means for regular em- Dloyment of the convicts. By system tic work and management the prison nay thus be made not only self-sup- porting, but profitable to the territory. There can be no valid reason for re- moving the prison on this score or on my that has yet been presented.
 The committee spent Monday in thorough examination of the prison and eturned to the capital on the 9:30 train 1t night.
 Important Conference.
 Looking to the utilization of the prison farm, as mentioned above, the egislative committee held a conference ionday with the Water Users Asso- iatiOny she object of the committee 'eing to obtain information regarding he land and especially as to the man. er in which 1t may be brought within he range of reclamation benefits. To o this the conclusion was reached that will be necessary for the legislature 0 pass bill authorizing some one to epresent the territory (perbaps the ! ecretary or auditor) and sign govern lent contract fop the irrigation of 16O cres-the remainder of the land to be | cid in trust by the association the anne as surplus holdings of individuals. ntil disposed of as provided in the pecial contracts covering such hold lgs. Secretary Miller after investi- ation informed the committee that least LILA acres would be protected y the levees, and all of this is rich [ nd cultiva5le land.
 The members of the committee are friendly to Yuma and averse E any change in the prison location: specially was this feeling apparent fter their consultation with the Water sers' Association and learning of the r. of the prison land. There
 little doubt that they will recommend immediate legislation necessary to the eclamation of She prison farm. Nat rally the Water Users Association is 1Xious to have the prison land sipfed D., as it will lessen the cost of irripa- on to the ether lands in the district bo nae extent.
 The suggestion has been made that q 'ecial act by congress allowing the rrltory to retain and irrigate the hole prison tract might be passed. hough there is disposition to not eddie with the reclamation law-to lange, add to-, or take from, yet here .
 a contingency that is not likely to ise in any other distriet and seems to dl for special Legislation. Whether .
 would be favorably considered by ngress, however, is doubtful.
 The flowers that bloom in the spring 'a-la-la-hare nothing to do with the le lot of flour which AleDander & (