Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-05-14
POWERS OF PAROLE.
coSsoN RULING SAYS CONTROL
BOARD is POSSESSED OF
LIMITED RIGHTS.
PRISONERS TO MAKE ROADS
Attorney General Gives opinion That
II is Permissible to Send convlcts
to Work On Highways Without the
Presence of Armed Guards.


Des Moines.-Limited parole pow
ers' may be exercised by the state
board of control, according to an
opinion given by Attorney General
Cosson. He holds that the board may
send prisoners from the penitentiary
and reformatory to work upon the
public highways of the state without
armed guards and in small groups to
work under almost the same condi-
tions as free laborers.
The decision is so new TO the board
that no action has been taken on the
matter. 1t is probable that before any
attempt is made to carry out the plan
suggested by the attorney general the
members of the board will consult
with the superintendent of the pris-
ons.
At the present time negotiations
are being carried on between the
board and the highway commission at
Ames for the use OF prisoners at
Ames in work on the roads. This ar
rangement will be similar to the one
last season, the men being kept in
camps under guard.
Attorney General Cosson's plan is to
send prisoners who can be trusted to
any part of the state where laborers
are scarce. He has informed the
board that 1t has the power to send
convfcts in punches of two. three, four
and upwards to work on roads and
that 1t will not be necessary to send
guards out with the detachments The
men will be under a sort of parole sys-
tenn and will be required to report to
the warden of the penitent;ary daily, !
or as often as the warden may re-
quire. The men will remain under
the control OF the prison authorities
and any attempt to run away from
the place where located may be look |
ed upon as an attempt to break out Of |
prison. For this offense FIVE years
Imprisonment may be added to the |
sentence of the prisoner.
Men sent out without guards would |
not be herded In camps but would be |
permitted to live In boarding houses, !
hotels or lodging houses just as free |
laborers, the attorney general says |
The only difference would be that the |
convicts have string tied to them. 1t |
is the intention of the state that the |
men may send their net earnings to
their families or save It until they are |
released.
While there are few counties OF |
the state which want prisoners in big
bodies SO that camp may be estab-
lished, it Is thought that in many
places there will be demand for a
few men on road work this year and
the convicts can be used to relieve |
the shortage Of labor Men sent out |
are usually from the reformatory and |
whose sentences are due to expire i'm |
mediately after the season for outdoor
work ends in the fall
Ames Faculty Trouble.
Developments in the faculty trouble |
at the Iowa State college at Ames are |
being awaited with keen interest by
the alumni OF the institution. President
Raymond A. Pearson has so far de
clined to make statement regarding
the action of the state board OF educa-
ton asking for the resignation of W.
]. Kennedy, director of the agricultur-
al extension department. Others who
are close to the members of the board
say they will not make any statement
until later in the week.
Efforts are being made to restore
peace as an upheavai at the college
will do the institution no good, 1t is
said. President Pearson, 1t is said,
is taking firm stand in the situation
and he has the backing Of the state
board.
The question at the college 10
whether Kennedy will be retained I'M
til the end of the school year. AS |
courtesy. II is said he viii be permit
ted to resign. Everyone at the col
lege is reluctant to discuss the matter, |
fearing they may be drawn into the
controversy.
cosson May Test Law.
Attorney General George Cosson. in |
letter sent to Thurlo T. Taft OF
Humboldt, stated that the state is !
willing to cooperate in the bringing !
Of case to test the legality of the
nonpartisan judiciary law, but that the |
time Is so short 1t will be almost i'm |
possible to get decision from the SUI
preme court before June l. He also !
advises Thurlo that the law does not |
take away any OF the fundamental |
rights OF electors, therefore a test case
probably would be useless. II there |
are points In the law which should be |
adjusted II can be done by the legis-
lators next January. he says.
Study Iowa Roads.
Believing that the principles OF the
Iowa road law will prevail in, future
legislation throughout the United !
States, Logan w. Page, director of the
United States road inquiry bureau at
Washington, has assigned men to
come to Iowa to study Iowa's roads
and Iowa's road law, and the results
which have been accomplished in the
last year. Arrangements for the n
vestigation, with the cooperation Of
the Iowa highway commission. have
been made at the capitol by the chair.
man
Tie commission has given the gov
eminent list OF counties of Iowa
where the road work can best be stud.
led. The list includes some OF the
counties having the best roads and
counties having the worst thorough
fares. Greene county is given credit
for having done more than any other
county under the new law. The su-
perVisors of that county have let con-
tracts for the bringing to grade OF
thirty miles of the roads in the coun-
ty System, and the work is under
way.