The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-02-09

Exclusive of machinery manufactured by
prisoners. The above does not include
the cost of putting up the machinery,
that labor having been mainly performed
by the convictss
The question, how can convict labor be
most profitable employed ? has long oc
cupled the attention Of public guardian,
and many widely differing theories upon
this subject have been entertained The
question which presents itself to your
committee is, how can the inmates of our
ptlsDn be most profitably employed, and
at the same tsme accomplish it's purpose
of a penal and retormatorv institutions?
In the consideration of this question, diff
ferent branches of manufacture have
been introduced, each offering some spc-
cial inducement, all requiring for their
successful prosecution, greater or less per.
ccntage of skilled labor.
Private capital employed in mauufac-
turers, has at its commad requisite skilled
labor for it's purposes, and seeks only
that which promises to be more profita-
table. The State in its prison workshops
must utilize the labor cf the idle. thrift
less and vicious, large majority of whom
arts Statistics show that but II per
cent. ofthe total prison population were
mechanics at the time they entered the
institution. Of the 10 received during
the year ending September 80, 1870, only
30 were mechanics of different trades,
the highest number of any one trade
being 6.
Then of an average 1875 convicts, very
small percentage of whom have any
knowledge of the mechanical arts, it
would seem to be good policy to adopt
tor their employment that branch of
manufactures which requires the least
percentage of skilled labor, and in which
men OF different occupation and degrees
of aptitude can be most proftably en-
ployed. The manufactures of chairs and
Other furniture, by machinery, possessing
this advantage, and requiring but
small investment of capital in stock, as
with most other branches OF
is recommended by your
to be continued. Then will
it pay?
The books of the prison show that the
total sal. of furniture made bv Commits
sioner Wheeler, under his contract with
Abenethy Wood & Co., 45 per cent. was
the result OF labor, and 55 value of stock.
That officer estimates that his sales would
have reached fifty thousand dollars the
past year had it not been for the destruc-
IL n OF the shops, and your committee are
OF the opinion that this is not an exag
Grated estimate. TWENTY-FIVE Thousand
i've hundred dollars then would havei
been the amount contributed bv the con.
wet to detray the current expenses of the
prison during the past year, if the fire
h I'd not occurred, or a trife more than
66 2 3 per cent Of the current expenses oil
the year 1870.
The contract referred to, it is tbopoht
can be renewed, and siuce the terms rof
payment are cash on delivery, the posi-
plllty of loss to the State from bad debts
is guardedsagainst
Ihc present hospital accommodations
of tho prison are limited. and the ilnme-
diate completion of that portion ofthe
north wing, designed for that purpose. is
earnestly recommended.
At p esent not more thar six natient !
can be cared for in the hospital at ont
time. Ia the present sanitary condition
OF the prison no Inconvenience result.
from want of room, but should an epide,n
ic or infectious disease make its appear.
ance in the prison, with the present hos.
p'tal accommodation, the treatment of
sick inmates IN their cells, in the, sam.
apartment occupied by the entire male
population of the prison woIlId basa ~.