Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-19

pIiSOu pIOuicm uluSt Dc SOlNeu. 0ihc-
wise attention must be given to over
crowded conditions and other prob
lens at various other state institutions.
Here is a task for this administration
upon which I cannot put too much
stress. for 1t is urgent.
Conditions in the state prison at
Trenton are admittedly unsatisfactory.
Overcrowding prevails. The ground
maintained for prison purposes Is so
extensively occupied with buildings
that there Is no opportunity for SAM
tation. 1t has been suggested that the
state take over the old state arsenal
grounds and purchase adjoining lands
for the purpose of charging the prison.
At best this is another makeshift prop
osition. 1t would relieve the situation
temporarily, but not effect a cure. 1t
seems to me that we are far enough
advanced in our ideas on prison reform
to face this problem and solve it for
all time in a big way.
1 take 1t that the success at Lees
burg shows the possibilities of the Pc
nal farm system. Reports show that
over one-half of the thousand acres
there is now cleared of trees, shrubs
and roots, and in a year or two all Of
this farm will be available for cult
| walton of food crops. At this time, the
reports show, the men there have con
structed several temporary buildings,
have cleared land, have cultivated
crops of vegetables, grain and other
food crops for live stock and In general
have put the former useless land into
a condition of productivity. Such re-
ports suggest the idea that, without in
terfering with free labor, 1t might be
possible through an arrangement be-
tween state and private owner to use
the prisoners in retaining for farm
ing purposes the thousands Of acres
Of pine and shrub barrens in the SOUTH
ern part of the state. This might be
done either through greatly increasing
the number of penal farms or, IL legal
and feasible, by merely retaining the
land for private owners, who would
never bother about the task of making
1t productive under other circum-
stances. 1t has appealed to me that
this idea may be worthy of some con-
sideration after reading the report of
an Investigator to the effect that after
all of the land set apart for the penal
farm at Lees6urg had been cleared and
rendered ready for farming Compare
lively few prisoners can there be en-
ployed." Evidently it is in the clear
ing and preparation of the and for
agricultural purposes that the most
prisoners can be employed, and the i'm
perative necessity at this time is to
devise the greatest possible amount of
practical, lawful, healthful, reasonable
and profitable employment for the
states prisoners, so that the task of
constantly increasing the size of the
institutions of confinement and correc-
ton may be avoided.
OF course l am not putting this forth
IS a mature plan of procedure. l ap-
p%reciate that the subject requires ex-
pert treatment, and to this end l pro-
pose calling together in conference in
the very nea future representatives of
the prison labor commission and of
the New Jersey State Charities Aid
and Prison Reform association, inspec-
tors of the state prison, the commits
sioner of charities and corrections, the
state purchasing agent. officials of the
Railway reformatory and other allied
institutions and of the road depart
ment, which has an Interest because
of proposed convict road work, and of
the department of conservation and
development, which would supervise
any extension of the penal farm idea
into the broader field of retaining
barren lands. l shall want them to
tell their stories individually, express
their own views and submit to uues-
lions.
1.-THE governor declared hat the fu-
ture of the national guard of New Jer-
sey ought to command the serious at
tention Of the administration. He
called attention to the. fact that the
relation of the national guard of the
state to the United States is going
through an evolution. He said that
the work of this administration may
be commenced this session by care
July WclSnlHS LIE HcCcoSllleS lOT SIdle
appropriations requested for field train.
iIg and rifle practice, bearing in mind
their relations to the state service, and
also by assuming a policy of opposition
to the construction and maintenance
Of additional state armories until the
nation wide question of a national de.
Tense is permanently settled by con.
gress.
f. Corporation Laws.
The question of a revision of oul
corporation laws is already in the
hands of a special commission. NJ
doubt it's report will be of valuable
assistance to you and to me in deter
mining upon the best program of re
vision.
There is no doubt that the subject
needs our careful consideration be
calsa of the changed conditions