Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-14
WARDEN SMITH
URGES MOVING
OF PRISON FARM
Declares Its Acres Worse Than
Worthless - Hearing
Continues
BY MARION KENp2ICX.


complete reformation in prison meth
ods at the state farm anC the trading
of the present property for a more
suitable site will result from the
investigation of conditions at the in
stltdtion, If the report of the COM
Ll.ttee of Superior court judges is
adopted by the general assembly this
summer.
The examination Of witnesses has
not been completed an the report If
the judges will not he completed
/ within q week afte. the hearing has
ended But af5sr submission Ct tes-
st = by prison ,tfl,Ial, Tuesday
| attn' noon at Ike state farm and me
sc, ring Of infoc n. )n :: m tuthel-
ii: Scmccs there can be no douht
ba, what the com-nlttae will maze
th above recomio .ndation Governor
Tomas w. Harlwei.
Il don't know another place in the
state declared Warden j. E.
Smith, Of the prison, in reply to ques-
tions. where Georgia could have
bought such a large tract Of land
containing SO many. sorry acres"
Shocks Committee.
This statement, which came from
questions asked by Judge w. E. Ii.
Searcy and Judge Nose Wright, sur
prised the committee as if streak of
lightning had shot from the clear
skies, coming as it did from the
warden of the farm who has held his
office continuously for the past Is
years.
, in other words you have three
times as much land as you need, and
II you had 400 acres of good land
and fair labor, a profitable institution
might be established" questioned
Judge Searcy.
Yes, Sir" replied Smith.
Isn't is true?" asked Judge
Wright, that you can raise hardly
anything on this miserable land?"
The officer replied in the affirma-
tive and revealed that an average of
only five or six bushels of corn to an
acre are produced on the farm. He
then declared that it cost more to
raise things on the farm than to make
outright purchases" An unsuccess-
ful effort to produce wheat, under
unusually heavy fertilization and
cultivlzatlon, in a sufficient quantity
to yield a profit, was outlined.
With the exception of charges of
cruel treatment to prisoners, War
den Smith and DR.. Guy V. Compton.
prison physician, substantiated prac-
tIcally every other charge made
against the institution when thew
testified late Tuesday. Blame for
many Of the alleged deplorable con-
dlHons was attributed to lack of
funds.
Letters Withheld.
Judge r. C. Bell secured state
ment from the warden to the effect
that for the past three years the
water system at the farm has been
inadequate. Judge Henry C. Ham
mond developed that on several oe-
casions letters mailed by inmates had
been placed in file and never de-
ilyered to the outside world.
Why weren't these letters mail
ed?" asked Judge Hammond.
! have withheld very few and then
only when | knew charges contained
IL them were absolutely false" ans
wered Smith.
Are you and the prison commits
sion so exalted that you can not be
subjected to attack" the Augusta
Jurist retorted. What harm could
nave come to you if the charges were
false?"
The witness maintained that he
thought he had acted properly and
within his scope of power. Judge
Wright langhingly remarked that
judges may be and are frequently
criticised for decisions rendered.
Reverting to the physical property.
Judge Bell interrogated the witness
ON the equipment Of the institution
and its value to the state.
If the estate. of Georgia should
Continued on Page Three.)