The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-04
Kansas Prison Investigators Re-
turn to Topeka.
Will Go to LeavenWOrth to Meet
Oklahoma Committee.
TO RENEW CONTRACT
Apparently No Reason to Dis
continue Arrangement.
Now About Five Hundred PriS-
OnerS From Sister State.

Secretary F. D. Coburn, Rev. Charles
NJ. Sheldon, Frank Gilday and DR.. S ].
Crumbine, Topeka members of the
prison investigation committee APP
pointed by Governor Hoch, finished
their labors at Lansing last week and
returned home Saturday night. When
seen today regarding their work these
gentlemen were reticent about making
public their opinions at this time, pre-
ferring to wait until their report had
been fully compiled and sent to the
governor.
Prof. Blackmar of Lawrence is writ
ing a report on conditions at Lansing
in general. DR.. Crumbine is writing of
sanitation and Frank Gilday is writing
of the conditions in the mines. The
committee will. at its meeting at Leav-
enworth. Wednesday. consider these
separate reports and combine them
into one joint report and mail it to the
governor. They will then proceed again
to Lansing and meet the Oklahoma
members of the committee and con-
tinue the investigation further If the
OkiahOmanS desire 1t.
Secretary Coburn of the committee
has been quoted as personally taVor1ns
that the committee recommend InaI
the state of Kansas make no turther
contract with Oklahoma for care OF the
prisoners of the new state and other
members of the committee are said to
also favor this course of action.
Now there about five hundred Okla
homa prisoners at Lansing. all cared
for by contract. and it is said that, un-
der the business management of the
prison and by working the men in the
mines. that Kansas has made this con-
tract profitable. At any rate the state
does not lose anything by It's prison
contract with its sister state. And toc
that matter Oklahoma has as good
contract as she could get from any
other state. and does as well IN the
matter as she could expect to do until
her own state prison has been built
and placed in commission.
The contract with Oklahoma expires
in the next 80 days and will likely be
renewed. either by Governor Hoch be-
fore he leaves his office or by Governor
Stubbs upon assuming the office.
There appears to be no good reason
why this contract should not be renew
cd. even though the committee should
recommend otherwise said state Of
fetal in speaking of the matter today.
Another official speaking of the sys-
tenn of working the prisoners at Ian
sing declared that the prison was a re-
formatory and to keep 1000 men there
for years at a time with nothing to do
would be a grave mistake. "1dleness
is the devils Workshop" he quoted. The
Oklahoma prisoners are worked just as
are the Kansas prisoners. and as pro-
vided in the contract, and Kansas
makes a fair profit on the deal, enough
to pay for the trouble and responsible
" in guarding 500 convicts.
The only reason that could be urged
against the continuance of the OkIaho-
ma contract is the stir and trouble over
the Kate Bernard charges and that, so
far as can be learned, was nothing but
a tempest in a teapot, taken seriously
neither in Oklahoma or Kansas.