Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-26
Prison Farm
Is Uncertain
Legislators and Governor are Active
i'm Getting Appropriation
for Building.

No little CONSERVATION was caused
in the community of Sandstone. as
we'll as neighboring Pine county COM
munities, when the news reached
here Sunday that the House Appropri-
ations committee in the national cap
Saturday had refused to appropriate
money for the proposed Sandstone
prison. Possibility of prohibition re-
peal was given as the reason for the
| action which was a reversal of that
taken about two years ago. The state
ment was made that seven-eighths of
all federal prisoners are due to prohi-
bition law violations.
Immediately upon receipt of the dis
patch from Washington, which was
carried in the st. Paul Daily News of
Sunday, Senator A. S. Larson of Sand
stone, contacted Congressman Harold
Knutson and U. S. Senator Thomas D.
Schall over the wire, asking them to
do all possible to have the appropri-
alton for the Sandstone prison rein
stated.
Governor Sends Telegram.
Representative Hjalmar Petersen of
Askov, called at the governors office
with the result that telegram was
dispatched to U. S. Senator Henrik
Shipstead and Congressman Paul
Kvale at Washington. The telegram
signed by Governor Floyd B. Olson
and dated January %, reads as fol-
lows:
Appropriation for federal prison at
Sandstone eliminated by House APP
preparations committee Saturday. Re-
quest your aid in securing immediate
reinstatement. The prison badly
needed here and also provides oppor-
tunity for employment of local labor.
Governor Floyd B. Olson"
The government has already paid
out $4,000 for the lands upon which
the prison buildings are proposed to
be erected, and which land will also
be used for farming purposes, the
labor to be done by the inmates The
proposed capacity of buildings would
be 200 inmates. Bids for the con-
struction were opened only few
weeks ago, and Walter w. Magee, ST.
Paul contractor, was the low bidder
at $3Os,OOO.
Nearest Federal Prison in Kansas.
Sanford Bates, Washington, d. c.,
director of prisons, appeared before
the House Appropriations committee
Saturday when the proposition was
voted down. He explained the saw
ings that could be made by having
federal prisoners in the governments
own buildings rather than boarded
out at other Institutions. The near
est federal prison to Minnesota now
is at Leavenworth, Kansas.
Should the Eighteenth amendment
be repealed and the Volstead act
changed to permit beer and thus make
for less prisoners through violation
of the prohibition act. it is argued
that there is still much need for the
proposed federal prison at Sandstone
State institutions are overcrowded and
some of the inmates from those could
be boarded at the Sandstone prison
in the event it is not filled with fed
eral prisoners.
In view of what transpired in the
House Appropriations committee at
Saturday the prison pro-
ject at Sandstone seems to be some
what up in the air at this time. 1t
appears that members of Congress
desire to hold off and see what hap
pens regarding the Eighteenth amend
ment and the Volstead act before pro-
ceeding further on federal prison pro-
jects, and other appropriations that
have connection with prohibition laws.