The Nevada County picayune., 1921-01-27
TO ABOLISH PEN
 COMMISSION
HOUSE APPROVES BILL ENDORS ED BY GOVERNOR MRAE,
 92 TO l.


 e2 TO l.
 Representative Wood, veteran House member from Lee county. cast the only vote yesterday against the Gates bill for the abolition of the Penitentiary Commission and the substitution of an honorary commission of five members to he named by the governor. There were % votes in favor of it.
 The expected fight over the bill did not develop, the only speech in opposi- ton being made by MT. Wood. The House had been devOting it's attention to passing emergency appropriation bills, when MT Hoover, chairman of the Budget Committee, announced that Governor McRae had made q special re- quest that further consideration of these bills be suspended until the Gates bill could be considered. The sugges- ton was enthusiastically received, and the bill was placed upon third reading.
 Mr Gates made the principal speech in support of his bill. He said that his bill has the endorsement of the ad- ministration and that the people of the state demand q change. Any thing would be better than the manage ment we now have he said He said tI,, {+D r.f. .5f mins and Tucker farms, and with am pie labor that costs nothing but food and cl0theing, the management has run the institution into debt to the extent of half million dollars. although planters who pay for their labor. have bought and paid for their lands, pro vided a livelihood for their tenants and have good bank balances
 DenOunces Pen Commission.
 Governor McRae is the Moses who will lead Us out of the wilderness into which We have wandered. said Mr Gates. and We can well afford to Tel the future welfare of the institution rest upon him. A proposed new plan may be aS rotten aS hell itself, but it K 99 per cent better rhan the present | management II k either question of incompetencS or dishonesty If the big planters had shown the same in- tclligence i'll the management af their business. we would all he bankrupt l. k not true that The Peaifcntiaiy Com mission had no far chance or that they failed only ru The crop of lg2o There has heen only one year du'ih. the entire time of their management whe nthey have shown I profit II is imperative that immediate action he aiken. a> tlte farms must be put m readiness for the la4l erop
 Alr Wood spoke against the bill de. elarine tlmt the ~s~teW uf honorary commissions k Il funre aS people are not working for nafane He said he was not defending The Penitentiary Commission, but he was opposed To d'~pos~eSsiug the commissioner arhi- trariiy ~" sratity the whims of any person. He said the fact that thc commission failed ro make money our of the farms last year k no criterion of Smauagcmcnt. a> many farmers throughout the state failed to make u profit He Sa Il if there had been de reflection on the parl of the cammi>- ~ioners they should he called upon to answer before the courts or other aa- thori y and mol >rmmarily dismissed
 Nr. Gregory of Prarie county said Hue Democratic Statc convention had demanded q change. and thai the mem. hors of thc leg Slature and fhe soeel- Dor were elected upon platform de handing the aboli ion of the Peniten- tiary Commission The penitentiary management said NIT. Gregory. has been q farce, almost scandal and al disgrace upon the state of Arkansas. MiSsi~>pp has made a million dollars ] out uf a> convict tarm>. and there k no good reason why the Arkansas insti- 1 ta ion should he half million dollars n debt
 Mr Carlwoll of Washington said The House wli keep its pledge and abolish commission that has violat- ed fhp SpjtIf af rho ,axy apainSt the leasing of careies>ness and gross negli- gruee if not criminal dishonesty in the management of the institution.
 Mr Alexander Is Sarcastic.
 Nr Alexander of Pulaski said
 Planters employing free labor and cul Hyatug the same character of land have prospered The governor said h his retiring message. asserted AIg