Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-11
PRISON FARM
IDEA CARRIED
OUT IN A BILL
Measure in Preparation
That Would Afford Iowa
Custodial Farm For Re-
form of Criminals.
TBY ORA WILLIAMS.

Des Moines, Feb. 1O.-Very close re-
lationship is proposed between the
state college of agriculture at Ames
and the state farm, or "state CUSTODIAN
farm" to be part Of the correctional
and reformatory system OF Iowa. The
bill, as prepared, gives to the board OF
control the duty Of designating 1llty
acres of the 1000 or more In the
custodial farm to be used by the state
college for experimental purposes ana
to be made use of by the college for
experimental work with the labor or
persons on the farm under dlrectlon
of the college authorities.
It is this coupling up Of the agricul-
tural educational work and the duty OF
he1ping men to better life that Is the
feature of the bill for the passage or
which Senator Spaulding and others
ore enthusiasts. The senator from
Poweshiek, Just a plain, hardheaoed
husiness man, is deeply In earnest re-
earding the measure. ,.. .....
The bill describes this custodlal
farm as for the detention and employ
ment of convicts and detectives. me
farm shall consist of not less tnan
2 OOO acres. 1t shall be centrally
located and convenient as to trans.
portation. A commission consisting OF
one appointed by the governor, one oy
the nresident Of the senate, one by the
sneaker. a member of the board OF con-
tro, and the attorney general, Will Duy
the land.
consIan Some to Farm.
When the farm is in working order,
and the equipment will be modest the
hoard of parole may select persons at
Anamosa and Fort Madison VINO can
he sent there and the board OF control
shall direct how many shall be trans
ferred. Then any judge may sentence
men over 16 years of age, convicted OF
felony and not previously convlcteu'
to the custodial farm. Those conVlcted
of murder, treason, rape, arson OF roo-
berry are not eligible to the farm unoe'
any circumstances. .
The bill provides for extensive and
intensive farming, dairying, gram
growing, stock raising, poultry raising
etc. . .-..
The plan is not to locate it too far
from the college at Ames, so that from
the faculty there men may be deslg-
mated to take direction OF affairs as
far as farm operations are concerned
and to carry on agricultural scnool
work in thorough manner. Des'gna-
tion of a part Of the land for expert
mental work will give the college peo-
nile a chance to develop something de-
cidedly useful The bill carries out the
ideas developed by Attorney Generai
Cosson and his associates as FOUND IN
the report of the prison commission.
Roads Pay City Tax.
Effort to work out the problem or
separate assessment Of terminal prop
ertv of railroads is being made ny the
v,avs and means committees. The cities
have been asking for a number OF years
that something be done. The railroads
acquire large tracts OF land IN the
cities and its value is absorbed In the
General value of the system and is
distributed on mileage basis, but the
cities do not get the taxes on all the
nr6nerty in their limits. But both the
railroads and the farmers oppose any
a adjustment of the matter for obvious
reasons. r
A bill in the hands of members Of the
committee which is receiving consider
alton presents what members believe is
a feasible plan for separation OF the
land values In cities from the other
.y. -lues. 1t provides for the present
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