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The Dispatch
LEXINGTON, N.C.

Governor Locke Craig,
Asheville, N.C.

Dear Governor Craig:

I know that you have given considerable thought to the question of calling an extra session of the Legislature during the summer, and it may be wise to do so, but I have serious doubts about it, for the simple reason that financial conditions are not what we would like to have them, anyway, as was demonstrated in the attempt to sell state bonds, and the tariff being reduced is causing considerable uneasiness throughout the country, hence, it seems to me that it would be the part of wisdom to delay the extra session of the General Assembly until the first of next year. This is only my personal opinion.

I have thought probably that all this talk about an extra session was to try to get the railroads to come to terms without any further trouble, and I trust that they will. I don't know enough about the freight rate question to pretend to advise you, but I am of the opinion that it would be better not to have this extra session before the first of next year after Congress gets through with their tariff fight.

By the way, I noticed in yesterday's paper that you had promised to give another railroad fifty convicts. If I give out an interview giving my opinion of this convict proposition, as I outlined it to you in my former letter, it will look like that we are cross-firing. It is plainly unconstitutional, as you will see by reading Section 4 of Article 5, under the caption of "Revenue and Taxation" of the Constitution of the State. As bad as the state is needing money, it looks like a crime when we are already losing to the state $358 per day and $107,400 per year, to go ahead and give away fifty convicts, knowing these things.

With highest regards, I am,

Very truly yours,

H B Varner

HBV-H

1. Though stamped "answered" on June 25, 1913, the governor's response was not found among his papers.