The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-04-07
ARE MAKING FACES AT EACH OTHER

. prison commission Delayed so long a
selection. 1t has been a number of
months since the legislature adj
jOurned, and l have for several
months been urging prompt action.
Il shall regret If the commission
|, does not proceed with the duties
which the act places upon them, but
my only authority in the matter is
to reject piece of property which
consider not adapted to the pur-
poses needed, or approve one which
is satisfactory"
The Commissions Position.
The commission takes the position
that there is available land of the
very best quality on the Wimberly
place sufficient to employ all the
white convicts.
That the position between them
and the governor regarding the pur-
chase of the Kimberley property for
the prison farm are due to their diff
ferent constructions of the convict
law; that the prison commission is
| unanimous in its opinion that no 9TH
er property offered approaches the
Kimberley property in desirability,
the selection has been caused on ac-
count of the governor, are some of
the statements in an interview given
out by Commissioner Wiley Will
liams Saturday afternoon
The commission, following the
governors statement, gave to the
press their side of the controversy
as follows:
This is a difference of opinion !
between the governor and the COM
mission which may be irreconcilable. |
The governor CONSTITUTES the law
to mean that tract of land should |
be selected suitable only for farming.
The commission believes that the law |
requires a tract suitable for agricul- |
ture, but possessing other features |
adapted to the employment of con- |
yicts in other pursuits named in the |
act, so conveniently located as to be |
the proper place for a central peni- |
In the opinion of the commission |
the Wimberly place came up more |
nearly to its conception Of the law |
than any other offered.
In the opinion Of the governor !
several other tracts were preferable. !
The real difference between the |
governor and the commission, appar-
emily, grows out of their different |
of the law. If they had !
agreed upon the spirit and intent of |
the law there would have been no |
in the selection of a !
farm Neither the commission as an
official body nor the individual COM |
missiOners has had a second choice /
in the matter. They were unanf- !
nous in their selection and, in their |
opinion, no other place offered pos
sessed all of the essentials required |
by the law.
Difference in Judgment.
THE governor was equally unani- |
nous in his opinion that several 9th |
ers possessed the necessary qualifi- |
cation, and the one selected did not /
The commission submitted only one
tract to the governor. He disap-
proved the selection because, in his
opinion, others were preferable.
Thus far there was only a difference
of Judgment
Until the supreme court decided
the near beer tax to be legal there
were no funds with which to pur-
chase land. After that decision was
made the commission lost no time in
Investigating such of the many tracts
offered as were considered available,
under the law, seeking to be just to
all. This investigation necessarily
consumed much time.
Governor Was Absent From State.
The commission made its report
to the governor on March 18th. He
finally disapproved the report on
March 25th, two weeks after it was
made, during which time he was out
Of the state about one week.
The commission was ready to re-
port to the governor two weeks be-
fore March 18th, but, at his request,
other properties were inspected,
which, on account of the remote To-
cation, had been eliminated as not
available.
The governor agreed with the
commission that they were unavaiI-
able, but suggested inspection as a
matter of policy If this request had
not been made the commission would
have reported the Wimberly place
two weeks earlier than March 18th.
Had he then disapproved the selec-
ton another place could have been
selected without delay. If he had
disapproved the Wimberly place i'm
mediately, or within a reasonable
time after it was reported, another
place might have been chosen.
-Four Weeks Delay by Him.
But after four weeks delay, on
/ his account, it was impossible to Sc
! lect another place, possessing the
/ necessary qualifications, in the opin-
! ion of the commission, in time to put
the white convicts on a farm, the
time for such other place possessing
the necessary preparations for their
care thereon, being only six days.