The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-02-11

. reputation of Democratic handling
of State affairs and in no sense. can
be regarded as reflection on Fred D,
Gardner, the retiring Governor.
Missouri is taken over by the Re-
publicans at a time when the whole
: state looks upon the achievements OF
the Gardner administration with pride
and satisfaction.
The General Assembly is in the
midst of its biennial activities and ev-
cry big move under strict analysis is
testimonial to the achievements of
the Gardner administration.
Gardner was elected Governor at
a time when Missouri called for mod
ern business methods applied to gov
eminent. The accumulation of def
cts passed from administration to adj
ministration, from Governor Hadley
down to Gov. Major, was Gardner's
chief heritage from those who had
gone before. He took the state over
in this condition financially with de-
mands for reforms and with the
greateot program of necessary expan-
sion ever.
Taking care Of deficit of two and
half million dollars and calls for
establishing credit was no small I'M
dertaking. Quickly the Governor had
borrowed the money to pay Nilsson
ri's debts, personally standing behind
the Indebtedness. He retired the
debts here, there and yonder and just
as promised the bankers, he was ready
for payday.
He went out of the office with bills
paid, credit good and had made pos
sible surplus revenue for the year Of
five million dollars. Gardeners was
war administration and Missouri had
wonderful part in the program to
make the. world safe for democracy.
He was first among the American
Governors to take steps to mobilize
the forces of Missouri in ever avenue
With no extra session of the Gen
eral Assembly, with no war chest and
with magic-like nicely he lead Missol.
ri to records exceeded only by two
others Of the American states.
| Gardner recognizing the inmates of
the penitentiary as wards othe state
in breath wiped out the long-life
contract system of selling the toll Of
inmates to contracting manufacturers
who drove this prison labor for large
rewards financially and with regular
deficits for the state totalling hun
dreds Of thousands of dollars. He
put the state to manufacturing for
itself and bought tewlve hundred
acres of farm land where prisoners
work. The institution besides being
stripped of its industrial slavery sys-
tenn soon saw the touch of humanity
at every turn. 1t is today the great
est prison in the world and the model.
Under Gardner the prison reforms
made and with fifty percent increase
in the cost of commodities generally,
the prison has been operated to show
a profit of $135,718.31.
Every penal institution has under
gone wonderful moral and economic
reform. The Gardner administration
has been engaged in continuous pro-
gram of activities to advance educa-
ton and bring about better pay for
teachers and the allotment for the
public schools the total of five millions
in 1920, is one hundred per cent in
crease over the total in the last year
of the Major administration.
1t now seems that the Gardner pro-
gram will be more fully realized dur
ing the present session for he has
made things possible financially.
1t was Gardner who put over the
years Of road agitation into action and
many Splendid things are ahead. He
caused many good laws and road
progress was made and millions in
state and federal aid were made avail
able. The spirit was born and the
people authorized sixty million dollars
road bonds in the November election.
The farmer has had no friend in
American history more interested in
him and his industry. The Governor
went to Europe and studied the land
bank systems. He advocated such a
bank for this state and his inability
to get it adopted allowed demonstra-
tion by the federal government of the
worth of such project. In Butler
county alone the federal bank has four
hundred thousand dollars loaned to
help agriculture. Missouri expects to
go forward by growth in the rural
sections and some day the state hopes
to see the Gardner bank in operation.
AT this time it is urged that financ-
ing and marketing farm production is
the outstanding need of the time.
Dozanp of halnfuI foYs,, lovyo x.,a,.a