The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-06-28
(By George Harvey in Harvey's
Weekly

"GCAlysI
The Weekly has often criticized
Mr.. Burleson for errors he has COM
mitted in the execution of the heavy
responsibilities which the President
has thrust upon him. But the crit
icism has invariably been specific
and constructive-never general.
Of late a part of the press has
shown a marked tendency to crit
icise Mr.. Burleson in the most gen
eral manner. All sorts of charges,
as irrelevant as they were de-
structive, have been made. Some
writer's have stated bluntly that Mr..
Burleson was altogether without
business experience and that the
errors charged against him are the
result of the lack of such training
rather than of political mania or
personal idiosyncrasies. Nothing
better could be expected of one
whose life has been spent upon pub
lie affairs, to the exclusion of ousl-
ness, they inform US.
All of this is to be deprecated.
1t is untrue and unfair. Politics
has been an avocation-a side line
in Mr. Burleson's career. Bust
ness has really been his principal
interest in life. He has prospered.
He is rich. His success a a buiness
man has been far greater than as
politician. Compare, for example.
the creation of personal fortune
variously estimated at million and
upwards-out of Texas farm lands
as a sample of his business acumen,
with, let US say, the results of the
last congressional campaign, which
he helped to direct.
AS an evidence of this thoroughly
developed business ability-his caps-
city for getting dollars worth
for every dollar paid-consider tie
manner in which Mr.. Burleson de-
veloped 1900 acres of Indifferent
land into the most profitable plants :
tons in Hill and Bosque counties,
Texas.
Economies of Convict Labor
Take, for example, the contrac.
made by and between the Texas
state penitentiary and Mr.. Burleson
and his brother-in-law This con-
tract is an extremely long dotu-
dent and cannot be reproduced in
full, but few of the more i'm
portant sections will satisfy any
fair minded person that it repre-
sents the handiwork of no business
novice.
1t provided that the state would
furnish Mr. Burleson and his broth
er-in-law with 125 convicts, whites
and Mexicans," who would work
the plantations on the "share sys-
tem," whereby the state would re-
ceive 60 per cent of the profits
and the brothers-in-law the remain
ing 40 per cent
In specifying the detailed finar-
cial agreements, the contract pro-
vided that any moneys the brothers
in-law advanced for running ex-
penses would be repaid to the
''parties of the second part, with
interest at the rate of per cent
and that ''they shall pay 70 cents
per day" for each man who might
be employed solely by the brothers.
in-law on work in which the state
had no share.
These arrangements indicate al
uncommon degree of business
acumen. Which of Mr.. Burleson's
critics can show contract that
compares with the document in
question?
! But this was not all. Anyone
might sign up for a bargain, BIZ.
it is the wise business man who
takes precaution to insure its cor
summation. Mr.. Burleson and hi,
brother-in-law saw to it that the
men they hired would do their work
honestly and faithfully-there was
to be no chance for shirkers. Sec
ton 10 of the agreement guaran,