STATE ASSOCIATION OF FARMERS' CLUBS. 



FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



The Association met in the Senate Chamber at Lansing, Monday, De- 

 -tember 7, 1896, President A. M. Kimmis in the chair. 



On motion, a committee consisting of A. A. Wood of Saline, R. K. De- 

 vine of Holly and L. H. Ives of Mason was appointed to wait upon 

 Governor Rich and escort him before the Association. 



After making a few remarks welcoming the delegates to the capital, 

 Governor Rich took up the topics which the Association expects to dis- 

 cuss. 



The subject of prison labor and economy in the prisons was the first 

 topic. Governor Rich showed his hearers that Michigan prisons have 

 l)een more and more cheaply conducted year after year and that Jackson 

 prison costs vastly less to the State than any other prison, and he at- 

 tributes the fact to the contract labor system used there. On that, he 

 said that in spite of the well known opposition of laboring men to the 

 contract system, he believed the contract system to be the most equitable 

 that can be adopted. As an illustration, he said that at one time when 

 work was done in Jackson prison on State account, it cost more to keep 

 the prisoners who were at work than to keep the criminal insane who 

 did nothing. Governor Rich said that he was in favor of making Jack- 

 son prison a workshop, the Ionia prison a reformatory and the Mar- 

 quette prison a prison for incorrigilDles. 



On the subjeqt of the insane asylums Governor Rich said that the last 

 year's expenses in running the asylums was |492,000. For the next two 

 years he expects it will cost $1,200,000. He expressed himself as in 

 favor of allowing large discretion to the boards in control of the manage- 

 ment of asylums, but he thought that their power should be curtailed 

 in some respects by the next legislature. He favored a liberal policy 

 toward the IJniversity, but thought the regents ought to charge the for- 

 eign students eronn-h so that their education should cost the State 

 nothing. This sentiment was loudly applauded. 



The present tax law, the Governor thought, was fair in the main, but 

 be spoke at length on the wrong of allowing men on large salaries to 

 bave all the advantages of the State government, public schools and 

 institutions without contributing to their support. The Governor con- 

 •demned the periodical sale of lands taken by the State for taxes and 



