Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-06-20
CONvICTS MADE USEFUL.

IL mas been suggested as an argu ment against
war that about the worst use q man can be put
70 is to kill him. 1t may be safely asserted
that the worst possible use that can be made of
criminals sent TO jail for light offences (aHd
sometimes only on charge of such offence, in
default Of baIl) Is 70 board them in idleness at
the public expense, and in the company of
first-ciass villains in all branches Of rascality
who speedily make the newcomers as bad As
themselves. There is q ball now before one of
the District Committees well calculated, il
seems to us, to correct this evil, and we trust
n may receive the Thoughtful consideration of
Congress. This measure proposes to put these
petty offenders at work outside the Jail walls,
giving them some small sum for their labors
as encouragement tor good behavior, and
" hich will serve to make q little start for
them when their time of service has
expired. They may, il is held. be
employed to great advantage by the
Government in keeping the channel of the
Eastern Branch, up to the Navy Yard, thor
Oughly dredged; and the sediment raised by
the dredgers can be used most serviceably in
filing up the marshy grounds adjoining the
Navy Yard and the city proper. The channel
70 the Navy Yard is now crooked and narrow,
and the need that it should be improved has
long been felt. BY employing convict labor in
the way suggested, the work could be done al
most without cost, on a scale OF thoroughness
such as could not be hoped for through any
other agency. AT the same time the health of
that portion Of the city would be greatly i'm
proved by filling up the adjacent marshes, as
illustrated by the greatly improved sanitary
condition of Arsenal Point since the dredging
of james Greek, snd the filling mp of the ada
cent low grounds with the sediment. There are
20 less than sixty squares Of marshy ground
on the Anacostia, within the city limits, that
could with very little labor be redeemed and
made valuable land. The experiment
of employing convict labor in such
work. we may say here, has been sue
esssfuiiy tried in the vicinity of Cork, Ire
land, where I47 acres of land have been re-
claimed at q trifing expense. The expert
n.ent was found, also. to work so advantage
Ously IN retaining the criminals and giving
hem habits of industry under the Incentive of
some small pay for good service and good be-
hsyor, that they did not require even to be
guarded.
The convic,s used in our waters could be
4uartered IN some condemned vessel, used as a
prison ship, anchored in the r liver: and q small
guard only would be requisit tie. The Navy
Department would, doub tless, very readily
turn over the Government dredging machine
and scows, as the prisoners would not only
perform All the dredging now earned on about
the wharves, but carry out the more extensive
and much needed work of widening the chan
mel a far down the river as requisite The
cost of " orkIng the machinery would BE- very
little more than the present Jail expenses, as
the number Of guards al the Jail could of
course be decreased. The present expenses
OF running the Jail ranges about S3O,Oap
annually. That amount of money ludiciously
spent In the way indicated would serve to i'm.
prove the navigation and healthfulness of the
city. and reform the criminals, giving them
habits OF industry and sobriety. When the i'm.
portant work OF cleaning out the Government
channel to the Navy Yard has been accom-
plished there would be wide and useful
field of labor in behalf of both the Gov
eminent and the city in improving the
navigation of the Potomac opposite Washing
ton. All our channels need improvement: and
especially in view of the increase of vessels Of
larger tonnage than heretofore seeking access
70 our waters. Within thirty years the size of
vessels trading here has increased from 60 10 20
tons burthen to that of $50 to $50 tons. At the
same time that the size of vessels coming here
Is increasing, our channels are contracting and
Swallowing every year.
We believe that the plan of making the con-
vIcts useful above referred to meets the appro-
val Of our Courts and OF the Police Board 1t
certainly seems to us worthy of consideration.