The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-01-13


ought to be qualified by law, as she is
by nature, to act as it's superintendent.
Under the present method of man.
agement of the normal schools, where
seventy five percentum of the stu
dents are girls. one member at least OF
the board of trustees should be wo-
man. They should also be qualified
by law to serve as members of the
boards of regents of the State college
and the universities of Washington.
No substantial reason can be given for
this statutory discrimination which
prohibits them from rendering valu-
able service to the state in positions
they are peculiarly fitted to occupy.
County Jai.s.
Conditions attending the imprison-
ment in the county jails of persons adj
judged guilty of misdemeanors is
subject which deserves your earnest
consideration.
Ordinarily confinement in a county
jail means simply a period of idleness
When the prisoner is discharged in
due course of law. he is physically un-
resume his occupation or to apply
himself promptly to the earning of an
honest livelihood. County jails should
be used only for the restraint of pri-
soners charged with crime who are not
able to furnish bonds for their appear
ance in bailable cases. Among the in
mates Of these jails are those petty Of
tenders who frequently seek the hos
pitality of the jailer rather than hon.
est employment. The idleness per-
| mitted them while in confinement is
not conductive to their moral welfare
But few county jails are equipped to
| provide labor for the inmates. State
supervision and management ought to
be submitted for the present system.
Lands should be purchased in convent
ent and accessible parts of the state
and prison labor used in their improve
ment, as well as in the manufacture
of the material for and the cOnstruc-
ton of the buildings; also in prOduc
ing food supply, fuel and other COM
mOditieS necessary for their main
tenance, and in the construction and
Improvement of highways in the i'm
ment of efficient superintendent the
expense Of maintenance as compared
with the present system would be re-
duced greatly and large burden re-
moved from the taxpayers. The state
should make an appropriation for
maintenance in the same manner as for
other state institutions, and the feed
ing of the prisoners and other expen-
ses OF maintenance should not be the
subject of speculation or profit. The
property purchased by the state for
the purpose would constantly increase
in value. The prisoners would not then
live upon the bounty Of the taxpayers
but could make some return to the
state while deprived of their liberty.
Outdoor life and wholesome exer-
else would be conductive to their NOR
al advancement. BY this change the
county jails would gradually develop
into reformatories and our people
would never be compelled to suffer
the disgrace borne by a sister state.
when an influential committee, inclur-
ing the governor reported that, with
less than half a dozen exceptions, every
Jail in the state is a moral pesthouse
and school of crime
Parole Officers.
In the enactment of the indetermi-
nate sentence law, the creation of a
state reformatory and the parole law,
this state is in harmony with approved
methods of reformation and restraint
in the management of it's penal class
off Of oil ip~ I,a
conditions of the convict to the status
of a law-abiding citizen it is abso-
luteiy essential that cOnvicts be kept
employed. Work is great reformer
The means of providing labor at pres
ent. as well as those herein recon-
mended, are not and will not be used
to manufacture ANY product which
comes in competition with the free
labor of the state. A current record
OF paroled prisoners shows that only
small per cent violate the terms of
parole or become recidivists.
Divorces.
The last Legislature adopted that
suggestion in my former message MAX
ing it a felony for a husband to de-
sert his wife or parents their child
rem. | renew the other recommended
tons relative to divorce legislation
contained in that message. If crime
is to be abolished it is necessary to
commence with the child and the pace
for primary training is in the home.
The state. therefore has a paramount
interest in preserving the sacredness
of the marriage tie and the integrity
Of the home
Amendments to Primary Law.
The total cost to the state and the
several counties of the recent primary
election was $S1,499.76. and the total
receipts from filing fees of candidates
were $2S.021.60. The excess of ex-