Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-09-18
TO HELP PRISONERS
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLS
HEADS OF INSTITUTIONS
OF THE WORK DONE.
SENTIMENT UNDERG0ES CHANGE
Theories Condemned Year Ago by the
State Board Of Control Have Now
Ceen Accepted by the Majority of
the State Executive Council.

troI ana superintendent of the insti-
tutions at their quarterly conference
that right start has been made in
prison reform. Payment of wages to
deserving prisoners will solve the
economical question that has been a
stumbling block, he said.
The experiments made at Ames
where fifteen prisoners are at work
for the college and at Fort Madison,
where prisoners have been sent out
on farms without armed guard are
successful, he explained. The con-
victs at Ames now get So a day and
soon will get $3.50.
similar experiment has been
made at Knoxville with inmates of the
inebriate hospital. The superintend.
ent, George Donohoe, reported that he
has had gangs of men working away
from the institution all summer. They
are paid the wage the state gets for
their service less their keep and the
salaries of the attendants.
The conference received Mr.. Cos
sons paper on prison methods with
favor. II has been less than a year
since his theories were condemned by
the board of control The member
ship of the board has changed con.
siderably since that time, however.
In demanding that the state fur
nish the prisoner employment at
which heNcould earn money Mr.. Cos
son said he was doing 1t not from a
sentimental interest in the prisoner.
but from an economical standpoint
The cost of crime and filling the pen.
itentiaries with convicts is enormous
A system that will make the prisoner
produce enough to pay the cost of
his conviction and keep, for the sup.
port of his family and leave him some.
thing for start when he finishes his
term.
Mr. Cosson called attention to the
recent escape at Fort Madison pris-
on Instead Of being an argument
against the trusty system the escapes
speak for II, he declared But those
In charge of the prison must be able
to pick between the men who can be
given an opportunity to help them
selves and those who cannot.
State HorticuIturist Speaks,
AS an argument for developing the
fruit industry at the institutions, Mr..
Greene offered the following abou.
fruit production in the state at the
recent meeting of the heads OF state
institutions:
Apples in southwestern Iowa have
produced an annual net profit Of 500
per acre for a period of five years
and $50 for a period OF eight years.
They have yielded an income of $500
per ace in single year. Cherries
have yielded an income Of $3.50 per
acre per year. Grapes have, in several
instances, yielded $500 per acre in a
single year and commercially in large
quantities have yielded an annual net
profit OF $125 for a period OF six
years. Small fruits OF different
kinds yield from 800 to $500 per
acre.
I'm northwestern Iowa apples have
yielded $lG0 per acre annually. Cher
ries have averaged from s125 to s175
per acre and have yielded $500 per
acre in a single year, while berries
produce as high as $500 per acre
annually.
Apples in northeastern Iowa have
yielded an annual net income of SIS
per acre for a period Of four years
including one season of practical fall
ure. Cherries have a record of 5000
income per acre, while small fruits
produce abundantly with record In
Clinton county OF s62150 net profit
per acre in single year.
Southeastern Iowa produces excel
lent apples where well cared for, with
records of from $50 to 5000 annual
profit per acre. Cherries have pro-
duced an income of $500 per acre In
a single year. Grapes have yielded
incomes of from 1920 to $3.50 per acre
in one year, while the small fruits
have records from 5000 to 1915 an
nual income per acre"
The Red Light Law.
The police have not been handicap
ped by the loss OF the Cosson law,
Councilman Van Lew says. Since the
law was ruled invalid In the district
court, police matters have been run.
ming as smoothly as before, and the
so-called liberals have made no at.
tempt to throw OF the lid. The unde-
sirable element is avoiding Des
Moines, owing to police activity, the
councilman says.
Would Form Blacklist.
Denison, Ia. merchants have been
having considerable trouble with
"dead-beats". They asked the county
attorney whether 1t would be legal
for them to form blacklist asso-
citation. He submitted the question to
the attorney generals Office and was
answered In the negative. The Ne
braska supreme court has held that
the person who gives a mans name
to the association and is responsible
for having 1t put on the blacklist is
liable for damages. II there are any.
Patents Granted Iowans.
The following patents have been
granted to Iowans:
Sleigh propeller, William McMenas,
West Liberty.
Safety hook, James A. Schroyer and
J. 4. Thorp, Ira.
Explosive engine. Elmer e. e. SUIT.
phin, Davenport.
Rack for seed corn, George w.
Whitworth. Cedar Falls.
Hay rack removing appliance. Earl
Martin, Charles City.
shoyeling board, Daniel Wilde.
Washington.