Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-30
SIGNS OF SPRING.

and especially the inaccuracies contained
in the statement.
The prisoe commission purchased a farm
at Milledgeville poorly adapted to the pur-
poses intended. I WISH TO PROTECT
THE STATE FROM ANOTHER BLUM
DER.
The prison commission should have Sc
lected a farm by the first of February.
The laws under which they were author
lied to buy it were passed the middle of
last September. Ever since then the duty
has been on the prison commission to pre-
pare for the purchase. About the middle
of December the supreme court sustained
the tax on substitutes for liquors. Since
that time there has been no excuse for
delay about the selection of a farm. Early
in the year 1 began urging them to make
the selection promptly, so that it would
be ready for the white convicts by the
! first Of April
Commissions Selection a Surprise
To avoid delay 1 sought to confer with
the commission, and to agree with them
upon a farm. They made their report to
me, recommending the Wimberly place, on
March 18th. Up to few days before that
time l was in conference with them.
While Mr.. williams mentioned the VIM
berly place with favor, 1t was not con-
sidered by the commission and myself, nor
was it. suggested that they contemplated
recommending it.
The statement that the commission was
ready to report to me two weeks before
March 18th cannot be true. During that
period we conferred about various proper
ties. To say that they were ready to re-
port upon the Wimberly place two weeks
! before they did so is to charge the COM
mission with failing to- deal candidly with
me.
On one occasion, when they were start
ing an Inspector to southwest Georgia, l
suggested that he cover in his report two
or three farms still further south. The
commission had not finally excluded that
section from consideration. They had an
examination made of the Holmes farm,
near the Florida line in Lowndes county.
and I tho-'eht II bod policy not to at least
examine ana cNtGi7 a report upon the
farrns In t Q bs.er part of southwest
Georgia CT CT Inspectors were out at
the same tine. It was not suggested that
the examinations of these two or three
farms would cause any delay, and it did
not cause any.
They recommended the Wimberly farm
on March 18th. On March 18th 1 wrote
! them pointing out objections to the VIM
berly property, and requested that they
be ready for conference with reference to
several places on my return to Atlanta,
which | stated would be March end.
on March 22nd we discussed four
places which 1 understood were the four
they considered the most desirable. Cit
liens in the neighborhood of one OF these
places, the Smith place, in Laurens
county, filed objection to a convict
| camp at that point. One Of the four
| places, the Parker place, was off the
| railroad This left the Wimberly place
! ard the Greer place and 1 agreed to go
| with commissioners and examine these
! places.
! Good Farming Land Necessary
ibid NOT CoNsTRUE THE LAW TO
| MEAN THAT THE TRACT OF LAND
! SELECTED SHOULD BE SUIT
! ABLE ONLY FOR FARMING
! PURPOSES. DID HOWEVER, IN
| SYST THAT LAND SHOULD BE Sc
/ LECTED PRIMARILY FOR ITS VAL
/ UE AS a FARM, AND THAT TlTT -
/ DUSTRIAL' FEATURE WAS A MERE
---lIDENT TO FARMING.
! The acts under which the money was
raised and under which the farm or
farms are TO be bought clearly indicate
! that they are to be purchased for farm
! purposes. The authority for added liz
| dustries is limited by the following Ian
! guage
he commission may IN CONNEC-
| TON WITH THE FARM WORK use
I said convicts in such industrial enter
/ prises as they may deem advisable and
to this end may employ the convicts in
manufacturing such implements and
equipment or other articles as may be
needed for use on the state farm or road,
bridge or other public works, and in max
ing shoes - lothing and other articles
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