The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-12-11
Barrett will Present Eastern
Oregon Peoples Demand
HE IS NOW DRAFTING A BILL
Says State Jute Mill Would Make
Penitentiary Self Supporting and
Remove Burden of Taxation.

Representative @. A. Barrett re-
turned Sunday from Portland, where
he spent several days looking after
business matters. While in Portland
Mr.. Barrett was interviewed by the
Daily Journal regarding his position
in the matter of the proposed jute
mill. The Journal says:
The jute mill measure has firm
friend in @. A. Barrett, representa-
tive to the legislature from Umatilla
county, ,Iwho was a Portland visitor
yesterday and who is now preparing a
bill providing for the establishment OF
jute mill of 20 looms at the Salem
penitentiary.
The principal request of the eastern
Oregon district, aside from irrigation
legislation, according to Mr. Barrett.
will be for the enactment of the jute
mill law. The stockmen and wool
growers, the farmers and wheat grow
ers, all will join in the movement to
secure the passage of the jute mill act.
Practically all of the eastern Oregon
delegations will be in line behind tho
proposition and will fight hard to see
the scheme made law.
II am very much interested in the
enactment of jute mill law said
Mr.. Barrett yesterday afternoon. ~
have been studying the question for
some time and have been urged by my
friends and by nearly every man who
has need for either grain OF wool sacks
to prepare bill providing for the
creation of jute mill. have yield
ed to the demands of my constituents
and am preparing a bill for the legis-
lature.
81 am sorry to see that Governor
Cham berlain has not favored the jute
mill" continued the speaker. "but
hope that by the time the measure is
before the legislature be Will have
changed his views In my opinion
a jute mill at the penitentiary would
make the institution self-supporting
it would take convict labor out Of all
chance of competition with free labor
and would also serve as govern%T, of
the price of jute bags in the Bpen
market.
1T is my plan" said MI. Bareett,
A'to provide in my bill for the equit.
able distribution of the product of the
mill throughout the state. l would
make such regulation that the farmer
in eastern Oregon would secure his
share of prison made jutebags jsst as
readily as the man who tilis the
ground under the walls Of the prison.
with jute mill, the prison would
be self-supporting. The present an
| nual deficit would be a thing of the
past and the heavy tax necessary for
the maintenance of the prison would
be materially decreased and perhaps
entirely wiped out. =
| There are several other things
which the eastern Oregon delegations
will ask Of the legislature, but the
jute mill Is perhaps the one which
will be most before the eye Of tbs
public. Mr.. Barrett was asked about
the speakership contest and whether
the strife had reached Umatilla coun,
ty as yet.
"The Umatiila delegation is entire
| ly unpledged, said the representative
"It is not. tied to any candidate. I'm
atilla county has several little things
which it intends to ask the Legislature
TO grant and il y not making any
| pledges.this early the game.
From which remark it may be tax
en- for granted that the organization
Of the lower house will depend, 50 fai
as Umatilia county il ccncefSsd, to q
great extent on what good tho candi
date can bring to the people across Til
mountains in the way of promised
legislation. n.