El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-02-28
PROPOSES FARM
FOR PRISONERS
Rev. Sidney Love, Prison
Worker, Says Ell Paso
County Should Act Now.

IN a long letter to county judge f. B
McClintock. filed Tuesday. Rev. Sidney
Love, secretary of the Texas Prison
ers Children's Aid society. who IS here
for 80 days campaign to increase the
membership OF that organization, pleads
for the transfer Of county prisoners
from the Jail 10 the poor farm. near
Belen, in the lower valley. Rev. Mr.
Love argues in his letter that the COST
OF establishing the prisoners at the
poor farm would not exceed S2096, cal
culating that they would be placed on
so acres of the tract. a sum less than
II would cost to keep them in Jail for
one month The matter viii be brought
before the next meeting or the COM
missioners il was said Wednesday.
Every Large Community Adopts Plan,
Rev. Mr. Love asserts that the plan
of providing outdoor work for pris-
oners is one that has been adopted by
nearly every large city and county He
claims that the application Of the pro-
Ject in this county would not only make
Tor the health Of the persons under
detention. but would yield net rev
enue 10 the county treasury above the
cost Of keeping them. at the same time
providing farm and garden products
for the poor maintained by the county
at lower prices
Speaking of the plan suggested. Rev
Mr. Love said Wednesday
Would Avoid Deserving Poor.
The principal objection that might
be offered to the transferring of the
county prisoners from the jail to the
county farm would be that they would !
come in contact with the deserving |
poor, but this could be very easily
avoided A camp for the prisoners !
could be placed at the extreme end OF /
the 50 acres leaving a distance OF 90 $
acres between them and the old folks 1
at the county farm, and in addition 1
TO that the u foot fence suggested in /
r.-n~ LOT T-.aA
prisoners from the deserving poor
In fact when the men were working
on the farm they would be 20 acres 1
away from the inmates.
I'VE must look into the future. The
time viii come when this county viii
need all the vegetable products that |
it can muster to feed the large pOpu-
lation Of this city. and If We nave
large county truck farm of zoo acres
we could grow enough vegetable prod
ucts on that farm TO feed the entire |
population
Prisoners ShouId BE Producers.
"CUr prisoners should be producers, !
not MASTERS Of the public resources
and If properly handled can be made
while they are incarcerated to be OF
great service 10 the public at large
Every large city in the United states
employs its prisoners on a farm be-
longing TO the city or county Inc
old idea OF city or county workhonseS
is passing out and the one idea that
prevails is that you must put the man
who IS a prisoner out Wnere ne VIII I
be q benefit 10 the community
"The figures given in the estimate
of the cost of erection Of a camp were
given by some of the best business
men in this city. and the plan that ls
suggested has been worked out in hun
dreds Of counties in the United states
and five of our own counties IN TeAas
Would Make Fine Farm
Another great feature Of this plan
is that with prisoners labor and an
efficient farmer the finest farm in the
state could be made in this county,
which would demonstrate what could
be done with the soil II properly
worked Past experience and all rec
ords will show that nearly all the
prizes for agricultural products in the
south have been taken by state or
county farms. when they have been
permitted to contest What beauti-
ful sight il would be for those who
come TO our state in the interest OF
farm land. to look at a truck farm
that could not be surpassed anywhere 1
And then let US remember that the poor
we have with US all the time, and IL,
when the price Of provisions got De
vond the poor mother with her little
hes she could turn TO this county,
as mothers do in other counties. for
provisions free o. charge, what great
blessing il would mean to them
Assistants To Arrive.
Mrs Love wife OF the secretary. and
Miss Ella Lance, membership solicitors
For the society, will arrive here from
laredo soon to assist Rev Mr. Love
Vanv members Of the society are be-
ng added among FL Paso people