Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-02-17
Greater Powers
For Prison Board
BeingAdvocate

To The Herald:
The prison relocation and central
ization bill sponsored by Governor
Moody's administration, I'm principle
Is substantially the same n the Teer
bill offered In the thirty-sixth legis-
lature, and advocated by me during
the gubernatorial campaign or 1924.
the system Ii absolutely essential 10
it's Improvement, and the plan pro-
posed by Governor Mooly ought to be
carried out i'm the main. Certain de-
tails in the bill are Objectionable.
Many years study Of the PROPOSE
ton have convinced me that legisla-
ton on relocation and c~entraliza-
ton ought to carry no details Of con
sequence. We give the highway COM
mission plenary power 70 expend in
construction OF roads SIS, 100000 to
$50, GOO, 900 a year. IL Is i~nconsist-
ent to refuse to vest plenary power in
the prison board. to sell the lands OF
! the prison system and buy new ones
| for relocation. when not more than
s 1000. 900 to $1,000. 900 could possibly
be involved Is against 81, 00O. 600
to $4,000, 900 administered annually
with plenary power BY the highway
department.
Capitalization Is OF primary i'm
portance and relocation is OF almost
equal importance.
In stating that survey of the state
should be made for location before
fixing upon one, Governor Moody has
gone to the heart OF the subject. The
new system should nos be located
| upon any OF the lands now owned by
! the prison system, particularly those
located in river bottoms, such rs the
BRACES or Red river.
Climatic conditions for imprisoned
men are decidedly adverse where the
system now owns lands and rar-
ticularly its river bottom lands. The
system ought to be located some
where near the seat OF government,
| Austin. Texas. Our cleemosynary in
situations around the capitol seldom
| give us any trouble. They are o n
stantIy under the influence Of the
states administrative officers and the
legislature when IL meets. and the
other way around. administrative Of
ficers and the legislature are influ-
enced by their proximity. The same
situation should exist with reference
to the penitentiary system.
Give the prison board plenary
powcr Us we do in the highway COM
mission to deal with this situation
and bring about a reformation OF our
miserable ~renitentiary conditions. I
am sure that men like Lee Simmons
Of Sherman, X. vi. BFker. Judge
Odell and many others / could name
on the commission, will. not abuse
that power or steal anything.
Should the statute providing for
this change in prison affairs under
take to detail the way the change
should be made. and how the lends
should be sold. other than perhaps
mandatorily setting ur the mineral
royalties to he reserved BY the state.
II would SO hamper the prison board
in its work that the whole thing
would result in failure.
Every man in Texas no doubt has
his individual views, ss TO how the
thing should lie done in detail. lust
as I have. but I am willing 70 risk
that to such men rs presently con-
stitute the personnel OF The board OF
nrison commissioners.
The major thing Is that the pres
ent outfit ought to he sold ms soon
~ IL can be done advantagcously- ana
The entire concern moved. lock. stock
and barrel to some drv healthy eli
mate where such farming MS Is done
can be done hY irrigation, ard the
--son population cared for physic-
1,ly.
Tcuston, Texas, Feb. 10.