Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-03-23
Prison Location May Win Out

= Governor Moody and Speaker Barron held a con-
ference. Speaker Barron outlined the subject dis
cussed and the viewpoint Of the chief executive as
well as the viewpoint of the lower house gavel wielder.
Prison reorganization and location will be one Of the
major subjects submitted at the coming session. AS
related by the speaker this is the girst Of what oc-
CURED at the conference:
Il am confident that the special session will solve
the prison system problem, and if the concentration
is made on the rich valley land already owned by the
state, it will be a splendid accomplishment of the ad-
ministration Of Governor Moody. My confidence in
a solution Of the problem by the special session IS
based on the increasing disposition Of members TO
give and take in a settlement of the proposition and
the general knowledge that present conditions are in
tolerable and cannot continue. The inclination OF
MEMBERS to get together and work out a satisfactory
plan was more and more evident as the regular SEES
sion adjourned. And when the special session con-
venes I feel certain that this all important matter
will have the best Of attention and final consumna-
ton"
Conditions are intolerable. There IS a prison prob
lem to solve and the lawmakers should solve it. 1t
is not a ~factional question. 1t is not a sectional ques-
ton. It should not be made a partisan question. By
their votes at the ballot box taxpayers OF Texas de-
clared for prison reorganization and prison location
At the beginning of the legislative session the Hol-
brook bill which received the approval of the COVER
nor. empowered the state prison board to make a
searching survey and report as to removal
Now IL is well known that the prison board favors
removal.
This proposal was modified in the senate so that
the members Of the prison board with the attorney
general, lieutenant governor and speaker OF the house
would constitute a commission to study the prison
location problem and decide whether it should be
moved to another part of the commonwealth.
Then what followed? Representative Dewey
Young Of the far west and those who shared his views
Tel +J1a o1.oSition II the senate DTOp0SalS and SUD-
ported a bill which would unequivocally commit the
concentration Of the prison system TO lands now
owned. Their bill named specifically the Darlington
and Clemens farms as possible sites for the peniten-
tiary.
incidentally. under both proposals the Huntsville
prison and the lands in that section OF the state
would be sold to the highest and best bidders. In
the legislative Jam that came on closing day the ma
ior proposition known as prison concentration and
location was one Of the $50 measures on the calendar
that were swept into the ditch Of defeat. All sena-
tors and all representatives are said to be in hearty
accord or agreement that something constructive
should BE done. As for the governor, he is said to
be hopeful Of the prison problem being solved at the
coming special session. He is said to have declared
emphatically IN his conference with the speaker OF
the house that he is not committed to the program
Of moving the prison system to a location in Central
Texas. This IS the viewpoint Of the governor.
What favor is a thorough study and investiga-
ton of the question as to the most desired site for
the state prison system. II the results Of that in
vestigation should show that the prison system can
best be maintained on the farm lands Of South Texas,
that will be acceptable to me; but if the answer IS
that the prison system should be moved to another
part of the state. I certainly would support such a
removal at this time 7 m bound to either PROPOSE
ton. All I am trying to 90 IS to arrange for a survey
to be made by competent persons 50 as to know how
to act"
Constructive legislation should be the aim of all
the lawmakers. They have a duty to perform. All
the people are interested in the solution Of this very
cexed problem. It is a problem that should not be
passed on for solution to the Forty-second legislature.