The Pulaskian., 1917-01-12

we can take steps to see that the 1uli pro rata allowed each veteran under the pres a,t lavv is x1oO per year. Instead of $50 as at the present time. This pro rata IS I11eo by the size of the tax rate. and the nun ber of pensioners. l am informed py prom inent and thoroughly reliable Confederate yeterats that there are many instances or fraud in connection with our pension rolls' which need purging; that this fraud arises in most cases because there are some among the 10.7s1 pensioners on eur rolls wno oe- serted the Confederate army or who left the army without any legitimate Or lawful ex- cuse. and others who perjure themselves as being paupers. when. matter of fact, they are in Eood circumstances, now on the pension rolls. Three years ago Ala bama created a pension commissions which. after an investigation purged the pension roll in that state of about one-tnird or the pensioners and 1 frank to say that II the general assembly creates honorary commission composed of Confederate sTi- diers their sons, to supervise the li9n s' | will promptly sign the bill and incur what ever or criticism may attach to the creation of a commission.
 School for Girls
 There is need for an industrial school for girls in Arkansas Such school could be established on modest scale by building two cottages the site of the present re- form school and converting the present building Into class rooms, gymnasium and administration rooms the girls to be graded according to age and moral conditions The state charities board, especially if at least two were the board, might very properly have general control and super ] vision selecting woman superintendent. The present reform school for boys is b. eatsd very undesirable site where there Is little opportunity for gardening akd marketing industrial work, and another location should be secured at once, if he real reform of the boys who inmated Is to be effected, for rocky and idle brains certainly constitute the devils worksh )p.
 Penitentiary Conditions.
 "Penitentiary conditions in Arkansas are a disgrace. Any prison system which ex- euses wrongdolng and units wrongdoers to discharge the ordinary duties of ritlzcn- ship stands self-condemned. always pro- yided that men and women capable nf being bettered while in custody of the state. While the appraisers biennial re port shows that the state penal n5' s,d- tions worth s1.099,692 and that CT ps raised the Cumnlins and Tucker tarals this year were large both in quantity and value, and while a generous allowance may be made for the damage done by floods in 1915 and 1916 which estimated at approximately S255.000, yet from an eco i nemic standpoint there seems to be little excuse for the necessity of issuing a de- ficiency proclamation of about $45.00O to pay the running expenses Of rich bottom farms and no excuse for the purchase by the board of penitentiary commissioners of a tract Of unc1eared woodland
 "It has been charged that the treatment of our eonvtcts on the state farms is oft an times inhumane, unsanitary and degrading that the 1000 provided has been unWnote- some. that both clothing and bedding af -be conviets is sometimes filthy and unsani.aiy. and that they oftentimes require to wear their stripes for three Ws ,k3 at tlnne without a change, in spite of the fact that there is an abundance Of stripes anI stripe material at the walls'; that adequ lte hcs- pital and clinical facilities have not been provided that filters have not been installed at least of the farms to tpslre palatable and pure drinking water that on the Cummins farm nightgowns. soap and sheets are scarce. and dirty ticks. fat backs and officers plentiful Not only should thorough investigation of these charges be made by legislative commit tee, but the commission for the investigation of our penal and charitable institutions. if created should enter upon it's work zeal ously and begin with the state convict farms.
 An Advisory Board
 ''1n my opinion the pardoning power Of this state has been greatly abused in many instances the requirements of the law as to publications of petitions in the county where the crime was committed have not been observed pardons have been granted through political influences before the con victed parties left for the peniten- tiary and the merits of the petitions for pardon have not been carefully examined experience Of all governors. who earnestly desire to temper justice with mercy and in whose bosoms the milk of human kindness flows in ever fdening streams yet the governor, the chief executive of the state. charged with the solemn and sacred duty of seeing that the laws of the land are properly enforced must remember that
 Sovereign law. our States lect.d will. Should sit empress. crowning good, repress-
 ing ill."
 ''In order that the governor may not de- vote the major portion of his time to con sideration of applications for pardons and in order that every pardon may be acted on strictly according to its merits free from pos'ical influences, Connecticut. Illinois. In- dttsa Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi Ne hraste. Nevada. North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have created advisory pardon boards which consider all applications for pardons and make their recommendations to the governor. The governors of the states mentioned invariably follow the rec concentrations of the boards and thus the granting or refusal to grant pardons Is merely perfunctory act on their part. This means tremendous saving in the time of the executive. which he can de- vote to the consideration of weghty public questions and at the same time insurcs a thorough going consideration of all appli- cations for psrdons on their merits.
 Good Roads
 Arkansas has no greater need than good roads not only for travel. but for the cheap transrort ation of farm products. This year OUT state has a golden opportunity to be- gin conprehensive system of road build ing which will eventually gridiron com rnonweslth with vast network of improved highways Under the provisions of the shaekleford good roads bill passed by the last Congress ss2. 900 Is available imme- diately and will be available until June 90. 1917. The amount Arkansas should re- ceIve for its 1917 apportionment is s166. 900 i; for 1918, s249.000. and by continuing the addition of slightly increasing the amount for the first year. $s2 900 each year for period of five years. the aggre- gate sum of s1 500. 900 which also includes forest reserve funds, will have been received at the end of five years from the federal government for upon the states roads. However. to receive this federal aid the state will have to appropriate liberally for the cause of good roads for the next five years The tS2,o00 now available for Ark AEsss not be used unless the present general assembly makes provision for a similar amount, and authorizes appropria- tions to meet the government alIotments for the next two years. If the state can show visible sources from which the money can be derived for three years. the requirements by the federal government will have been mt.
 Auto Tax Amendment
 "I therefore recommend that the general assembly amend the automobile tax law so as to divert the entire tax into state fund, to be used by the advisory board of the State highways commission which shall consist Q. the state highway engineer. the consult ch ,,oi,, d