Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-11-14
By WILL n. MAvES.

kcl even tlSlt IiOuIS u tdy iIoul
the labor.
This provision was doubtless
made with the long overtime on
the railroad contracts or on the
contract farms under the old
system, but it is proving q heavy
drain on the State farms, and
one that other farmers say they
could not stand in their work.
The law should be amended so
that the average days labor on
the farms may be kept within
ten hours, allowing the prison
officials discretion in regulating
the hours to seasons. Common
sense business methods should
prevail even in efforts at prison
reform.
Some arrangements should be
made for frequent visits to the
penitentiaries and farms either
from the governor or from some
other state official. These visits
should not be hurried Inspection
trips, but should be of sufficient
duration and frequency to allow
a thorough understanding Of the
of the system and its needs
from every view point. 1t is
true that the law contemplates
that the commissioners shall look
closely after penitentiary mat
ters, and that they are doing it
we'll, but they realize the great
problems with which they have
to deal and tina such visitations
prove helpful to them as well as
to the prisoners. | am told that
Governor Colquitt is the first
governor that has made such
visitations since Governor Lam
ham was in Office 1t is really
too much to expect the Governor
Of Texas to do this and attend TO
his many other ofliial duties.
The last visit of Governor Col
quit, and the interest shown in
the entire system and in the
prisoners, could but have had a
beneficial effect.
The system has outgrown it's
elf in a business way, Just as
towns and business enterprises
frequently grow beyond their
capital. Still much greater de.
velopment is needed in order TO
produce the best results. Every
man who has himself undertaken
large problems .understan DIS h ow
this can be true. Indebtedness
in itself is often the best indica-
ton Of business opportunities.
The only vexing or at all un-
certain financial problem con
nected with the prison system is
the best way to handle the iron
industry and the State railroad.
| do not know at this writing
just what Governor Colquitt and
the Commissioners have done as
to the lease to the Pennsylvania
parties, but if a lease can be OBJ
tanned, which does not carry
with it an option Of purchase at
a low price, and which insures
the operation of the Rusk plant
at a fair rental keeps the iron
mines active and gives the State
railroad tonnage, this settles for
the present the chief troubles
at Rusk, | presume that this
kind of contract will soon be
signed, but if it is not done, the
State itself should arrange TO
start the furnace and the pipe
foundry and to successfully ii.
nance the iron industry there. |
do not hesitate 10 say this, de
spite the fact that there have
been grevlous mistakes and fail
ures there in the past, and my
conclusion IS based on n fairly
close study of existing condi.
tons.
The farms should receive the
best of attention and should be
cultivated along the scientific
methods which the state is pay
ing SO much b teach, and il in
itself SO little practicing. To
me II appears like folly for the
State TO spend thousands of dol
lars IN teaching modern agricul-
tureal methods and itself adhere
20 ante bellum ways, especially
when the farms az Rusk and
Huntsville and in Fort Bend aud
BraZoria counties afford such cx
celleut opportunities for the
state o. demonstrate what can be
done on the different soils Of
those sections. Every State
farm should be an experimental
farm under the most highly
trained management
The State, in is penltentlarics
and on is farms should con
serve lts resources instead Of al
lowing them to go 70 waste.
Conservation congresses have
but little elect lt seems, upon
Texas itself The waters of the
Brazo> river aud Oyster Creek
arr admirably located Tor irrig,
ung vas areas ~ and. bat :he