The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-10-28

Shows Profit OF s4s26.si During
Fourteen Months.
Frankfort. Ky lSpeciall The OK.
perimen, Of employing the prisoners OF
the state ON the State Farm seems 10
De- decided success After thor
ouch trial OF the plan OF the Board OF
Prison Commissioners and Warden
Wells there is net profit To the state
Of $l,s26Nl In fourteen months
AZ the request ct x G. Terrell. Com
missioner OF Roads a J G Wells. War.
den OF the Kentucky State Reforma.
tory. has prepared a statement cover.
INK the period The plan has been Ia OPP
Grafton Warden Wells covers hts two
years experience with a limited mum.
her Of prisoners on the State Farm.
Mr. Wells said in part.
The Legislature 90 1874 authorized
by Law the lease Of farm. with an
option OF purchase at the end of the
lease. Ia accordance herewith the
Board of Prison Commissioner. ON
recommendation Of myself. as Warden.
and with the approval OF the Sinking
Fund Commissioners Of which tho
Governor Is member. leased the Mas.
tin farm. consisting of co. acrca. about
~ miles from the prison and in tho
bend OF the Kentucky river lust op-
pOsite the new capitol. for an annual
rental 81 $4,000 per year Tho LtEis-
lature adjourned on March ~. 1914.
negotiations were carried ON with sew.
oral landowners and a contract con.
cluded, and prisoners we're put to work
ou the farm April 90. 1914 This. u
course. was too late 10 get the best
results the FIRST year This late
start, which was unavoidable, and the
severe drOuth which followed. made Il
trying test FOR the FIRST year. but IN
spite 81 both Of these serious handl.
caps, even this year made a most sat.
isiactory showing.
"a summary Of expenditures and re-.
ceipts OF the farm. from April. 1914. 70
July /. 1918. shows net gain on July
l. 1915. OF S4.S26Sl. after charging tho
farm with All labor at the same av.
erage price paid inside the prison.
Moreover this net gain does not take
into account many crops that had not
developed sufficiently for accurate in.
voice on said date These crops are
rs follows 10 acres Of tobacco. Is
acres Of late Irish potatoes. acre OF
sweet potatoes. : acres sugar cane. 7
acres turuips. 2is acres cabbage. is
acres beans. 5 acres greens. y acre
cucumhers. ! acre carrots, acres
melons
The season since July has con.
tinued good. and the products above
named have added worry materially 10
the balance above stated We have.
since July l. put up for use 10 the
prison 1900 gallon cans OF beans. 10.
matoes. corn and apples All the cattle
and hogs are slaughtered at the farm.
and sold 10 the prison at less price
than the packing houses furnish other
state institutions similarly situated.
The meats, vegetables and other prod.
ucis are served fresh. and are alto.
gether more wholesome and palatabla
than from the packers cold storage.
The better health of the prison popu.
lation resulting is within itself a large
asset
TIE farm, on account OF Ia prnI.
unity 10 the prison and It's splendid
Isolation. is Ideally located There ara
900 the farm inexhaustibIe Lodges NJ
limestone. and within few feet OF
railroad and the Kentucky river A
rock crusher Of sufficient capacity At
this point. operated by prison labor
could easily supply large demand FOR
road material throughout the state
The railroad and river facilities FOR
shipment should insure reasonable
transportation rates In my opinion. |
there Ia no place In the market which I.
furnishes so many attractive features
~ this one for farming on small 7.
scale, and FOR the production and trans.
portation of road material By tho use
of prison labor
ut might be- interesting In this con. /
noction 70 state that out Of l70 pris- |
nners sent 10 the farm AZ different .
times, only Z have escaped and 2 OF .
them returned These prisoners re-
main 81 the farm at night. aud. while |
they are under the direction and guard /
NJ Capt J y Schnorhus. they have.
necessarily, many opportunities a. %
cape. 70 they were so inclined I DO
not mean by this statement, however.
10 Indicate that prisoners. lndiscrim.
Inato'y can be- trusted ON the outside
We have attempted. as FAR as surround
INK circumstance, would permit 10 sx.
or"lse good Judgment In their selec.
ton for this work My estimate Is
That possibly Oh per cent OF the prison
population could Doe worked on the out.
old" loo farming and the production ~
road material With reasonable safety
under proper careful and humane AZ.
r'ction A great deal will depend
upon The plan adopted and selection O,
the agent pr agents. who shall ere
cute the plan
10 such a venture 10 10 De- made by
th- state. b'II should be- carefully
dAfNn, after mature consultation with