The Arizona sentinel., 1905-02-22
Recommends Branch Prison.

 turned in, evidently came to Yuma to search for "adterse testimony"
 We have not seep the official report but as summed mp by the Phoenix Re publican, the committee recommends the establishing of branch prison, the location not being suggested. The committee ''found' a good many kinds of fault with the present location which lead to the conclusion that some of the members are unduly prejudiced against Yuma-and possibly have axes to grind. Maybe they are judged wrong, but it looks that way. It was found" that $50, 900 to $75, 900 would be required to put the prison here in condition to meet the committees views of requirements, and such an expenditure deprecated at Yuma
 Because the territory does not own the ground where the prison wall rests, and because there is and can be no useful employment for the convicts.
 As to the first objection, the honora- ble committee could have easily learned that the ground upon which the pris- onwalls stand" does belong to the ter ritory as long as the prison remains where it is.
 The Sentinel has heretofore suggested the prison farm as a solution of the en- ployment problem, but the committees report deals unfairly with this propo- sition-unfairly because the members became thoroughly informed, while here of what can be done to change the present conditions. Reference IS made to the land as "being so much of the time under water as not to be counted upon.'
 When the committee was here some of the members, at least, learned more about the national reclamation act than they ever kne~ before-and one Of them actually learned for the first time that Secretary Hitchcock had al- lotted S3,000, 000 for the construction of dam ten miles above Yuma, and q complete Irrigation system for the Col orado valley. They also learned that part of this system includes levee on each side of the ColOraGt and Glla rivers to shut out the overflow during high water, and that when the levee is built more than eleven hundred acres ol the prison farm will be protected and subject to the highest stste of cul- tivation throughout the whole of every season. Having learned these fac.s from the highest authority, there is no excuse for such a reference in the re- port. Presumably, in the minds Of some of the committee, it would be a wise plan to spend sl00,W on branch prison in some favorite locality-to say nothing of the extra expense in main taining a second penal institutions; but it is not likely that such "economy" would be endorsed by a large per cent of the tax payers of the territory. A little common sense investigation by the lcgislattsre should convince the fair-minded members that, considered from an economical standpoint, the es7 tablishment of branch prison would be unwise as it would entail great ex- pense and unnecessary loss of valuable concessions and property to the terri tory. This branch prison scheme is we'll understood to be the entering wedge for prison removal. Should the prison be taken away the territory's rights or claim to the ''grOund where the prison stands" would be annulled and much of the property thereon would be almost a total loss to the ter ritOry. Let it not be understood, how ever, that the prison farm is referred 1 to in this connections; the territory owns this landQ200 acres in fee simple.
 As to furnishing employment to the convicts it will not be necessary to wait: the means are at hand, here and now, in the construction of levees.
 It is unnecessary to dwell upon the importance of She prison farm as a val uable asset for the territory, when pro- tected from the overflow aud under proper cultivation by the prisoners; as a means of employment, it is hardly necessary to go looking for stone quar- ries; they are not in the same class for profit and usefulness as our delta lands.
 Referring to the expenses of the prison the report says: "Fhe per cap- ita cost of keeping the 342 convicts for the fiscal year ending June was Sl65.4l. That is certainly not an ex- travagant bill.
 The committee credits the institution with a good system of discipline and compliments the management.
 A New River Boat
 Messrs Lichfield and Leland have completed the construction of their new river boat, and expect to launch it today. The boat is one of the finest looking boats yet placed in the Colorado river service. It is twenty-eight feet long and will carry a cargo of five tons. The power is a gasoline engine of seven teen horsepower strength. The novel feature of the boat is the paddle wheels which are really sprocket chains run hing over sprocket wheels placed about ten feet apart and horizontal, the pad dies being fastened to the sprocket