Mr. A. E. Smith of Mt. Airy, a member of the State Prison Board was in to see me some days ago, and expressed himself as very much opposed to the decision of the Prison Board to sell Caledonia Farm. He stated that his opinion was that this was being done to prevent the State Penitentiary at Raleigh being turned over as a Hospital for the Insane.

I have referred to Chapter 63 of the Public Laws of 1919 and find that it is provided therein that the Penitentiary be turned over to the Hospital for the Insane as soon as the Directors of the State Prison provided for the care of the prisoners now occupying the Penitentiary at the Caledonia farm or such other place as the General Assembly might hereafter provide. I next referred to Chapter 243 providing that the State Prison Board should choose another location instead of the Caledonia Farm for the location of the State Prison, should they so desire, but that the new Prison should be completed by March 10th, 1921.

I understand that no move has as yet been made for locating the Prison elsewhere after sale of the Caledonia farm, which sale I am told is advertised to be held in the next few weeks, and recalling your very great interest in the transfer of the Penitentiary building to the Hospital for the Insane, I felt it my duty to write you today to tell you what Mr. Smith had said to me, because I am sure that you and other members of the Legislature will not care to have a Board of Directors of any State Institution nullify the intention of the General Assembly, if it can be avoided.