Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-11

Measures aimed to check this awful
evil have heretofore been launched up
on the legislative sea, but have been
driven upon the rocks or sent into port
in battered aud worthless condition.
Under our laws a hundred gates are
open to those who would engage in thS
illicit traffic Of these drugs. No man
snOuld be permitted to capitalize the
weaknesses Of an unfortunate brother,
and he who engages in or protects this
traffic will have much to answer for
when he stands before the great last
Tribunal. Should this Legislature per.
form nv other duty than that of re.
stricting the sale of habit.fOrming
drugs, it will be entitled to the thanks
Of all good people.
Deportation and Repatriation.
"Only - per cent Of those admitted
to our hospitals for the insane during
the past piennium were native Orego'
mans; 80 per cent were folnd to be na.
tiyes of other states and 81 per cent
Of foreign countries, Oregon has long
been the dumping ground for the insane
Of all states ana nations. The present
board Of control and institutional heads
have adopted yigorms policy Of de-
portation and repatriation, with re-
suit that ld2 persons have been return.
ed to their home states or foreign coun'
tries during the past biennum. Had
these charges been retained in our in
stitutOns and lived the period of their
expectancy they would nave cost the
state nearly $lj0,O00 for maintenance
aIme. This policy Of deportation deep.
~ concerns the taxpayers Of the staJC
and is one which should be given every
legislative encouragement.
State Prison Reforms.
Great changes have taken place ii
and about the prison during the past
four years, The institution has beer
given n bath, O supply Of clean clothes
land plenty Of fresh air All buildings
and structures have been placed in goOC
condition and painted, " says Governor
West, in discussing his policy Of prison
reform After giving Il detailed ac
count Of the many changes that hav,
been made in and about the institution
clearing Of ground, drainage work
undermining briclimOking plant rON,
work, etc, he calls attention to change
that have been made in the plans, whicl
was fdlnd ''would save the eXpendi
mre Of large part or an appropriation
made by the last Legislature for i'm
proycmcnts, and the sum of S266SO I
therefore being returned to the genera
fund The revolving fund created a
the last session Of the Legislature ha
grown rapidly and now contains nearl.
$4,000 in eNsn and stock. ~
CAS- a rule men do not become Grim
inals from choice, he says. "They ar
largely victims of circumstance.
Health, prosperity aud happiness usual
| ly follow the route Of an upright life
no normal human being will, therefor
deliberately turn from this plcasan
pathway to the byway Of crime, whic
he knows will lead only to his down
fall. As FAR as the care Of the prisonc
is concerned, the fight in this state Ia
been won, but the big, neyer'cnding bat
tie is for the removal Of the cause
which make criminals and detectives
In discussing the question of cmplo,
mcnt Of inmates oS the penitentarl
attention is called to the opposition q
organized labor to the employment q
prison labor in any calling that will ~
ter into direct competition with free |,
Dor. With the view Of providing en-
, ploymcnt IW the men left idle throug
the uholishmcnt (by statute) of til
, stove factory contract, various indu
tries have been installed for the purpo,
of supplying certain institutional need
lie advocates a continuation Of II
" honor system Of cmploying conyic
a, in road building and Improvement worI
, clearing land, etc. and the productiu
, of farm aud garden products to supp
the needs of other state institution
Until recently We have had but few id
men in the prison, he says, "hut Il
! recent closing down Of Wtdoor wol
u ON account OF winter has placed l.
men upon the idle list. These men vi
be- returned to work us soon us Il
weather permits
state Land office,
IN relation tn tur conduct Of the a
y fairs of the state land office q rcyic
y Of the hisloty of tine states disposal
y, the federal grant Of nearly lOOO,O
v acres of state school land, approSimat
ly 100000 of which was sold prior
10 January /, lNla, at an average Of 81,
y lhT acre since which time the aycrnI
y price Obtained for state school land h
been about So per acre, lie calls d
tontiou to the fact that the state h
, pending In the general land office
Washington synool indemnity lists 60
ering about $4,000 acres Of land select
In lieu Of like amount Of survey
/, aud unsurvcNcd school lands within /
boundaries of federal forests ct
i government questions the validity
h. tho base offered fo these selections
10 he says "hut the state insists II
up valid and that patents should issue
Is. due course, -
10 State Forest Reserve.
o "rhe state has been cndcayottng
e.. secure the permission of congress