The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1915-01-14

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lsh the contract system and subst
tute other. employment therefor. A
stated in the beginning Of my messag
the burden OF the change not be mad
Ito fall upon any one year, but shout
!be so arranged that the service tn
state now renders the cause Of popu
lar education and It's varioYs educa
tional and eleemosynary inStitution
should not suffer, and at the SAM
time bring about the desired end o
completely abolishing the contrac
system. The revenue received from
the contractors is about $75O,O00 o.
$780, 900 for each biennial period. Thi.
makes the penitentiary practically self
sustaining. II the contract system i:
abolished completely at once, the rev
enues OF the state will necessarily, TO,
a time, be drawn upon for this sum Of
100000 to sustain the penitentiary
which sum heretofore has been used
along educational, eleemosynary and
departmental lines. 1t will necessari
~ cost, at the lowest estimate. $500,
900 to even start the equipment Of
plants Sufficient to give employment
to the convicts.> This money, too, must
come from the general revenue fund.
These enormous sums cannot be taken
from the revenues of single year or
biennial period. At the very earliest,
1t would take two years to build and
equip plants, and then the state would
be in an experimental stage of the
change, with little or no revenue flow
ing back from the penitentiary.
This proposition must be met IN
fair. open, candid. business way. II
the contract system is to be abolished
at once, and the legislature wishes to
work all the convicts upon the roads
of the state, then in such event the
convicts could be supported out OF the
good road fund. This fund is sufficient
to support the penitentiary, and il the
entire labors Of the convicts are to be
used upon the public roads free. this
being donation from the state for
and maintenance of good
roads, then In such an event the good
road fund, which arises from the auto.
mobile license law and stamp act |
could be used to maintain and support
he convicts while doing this free pub.
lie road work. If only portion of the
,onvicts are to be used and worked
Upon the roads free, then whatever
numbers are worked thereon could and
hould be supported from the good road
und. Again. if the legislature deter.
mines to let the burden Of the change
all upon series of years, then. in
UGH an event, the legislature could
rovide for the building and equipping
4 one plant for the. first period to
such things as it may
and to then equip another
liant for another purpose for the man..
facture Of other things for the second
eriod, and so on. In this way the bur.
en- of the change would be distributed
Yer period of time and the service
by the state to its great
institutions would not,
| any way, be crippled. nor the cause
education impaired In the matter
our educational and eleemosynary
ervice. we must know no backward {
ep. but proceed to make these servi-
IS better year by year, for they are 6
first importance.
would suggest. however. as the I
rst step and for the first period. that I
farm Of 1000 acres be purchased in
Re Missouri valley, across the river
ON and directly opposite the peniten- {
airy. and that the state purchase a s
rryboat and ferry the necessary num- i
n of convicts to operate the farm t
'er and back daily. This farm should
, used for the purposes of truck v
rming, raising beans. peas, corn. to- a
atoes, potatoes. cabbage. beets. n
Gems, and many other necessary I
ings. The state should have small n
ming plant on the farm and can the t
oducts. and if the supply is greater t
an is needed at the penitentiary p
II the surplus to other state instttu-
ms The refuse or slop. upon the p
rm and the penitentiary could be a
ed to fatten hogs on the farm for o
assumption or sale. Here intensive s.
Iming can be conducted to a great II
oft. and employ two or three hun. v
ed men. many Of whom might be d
N who, heretofore, have rendered c,
service to the state BY way of labor o
the penitentiary. Labor upon this g
IN would afford a healthful exercise v
d not only be Of profit to the state q
ancially, but be beneficial to the
alth Of the convicts by giving them
'sh air, sunlight and view Of that g
sat, free world awaiting them soon. e,
or later. depending upon their own 81
ID behavior. The convicts in the Il
when left to their ownI n,
oice, prefer to work rather than toll 81
idle. n
rhe great quarries on the Galloway 8,
IFS, which would be included in the n
,perty, would afford the means Of tt
ng large number Of conyicts to q,
lrfy rock, which might be given II
. Ia khA an rS4,s AL