New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-21
PRISON LABOR.
THE CONTRACT sYsTEM-AN IMPORTANT INVEs'
LEGATION.

competition existed between prison labor anu iieo 80
10 the prejudice and dctTiment OF the i''t'' Gov
pcated petitions have been sent 10 'lo ;" -, ,,lv
relief In the session OF 1868 bill passed. .o b
having this object in view but was delea''" -
SENATE In 1859 10 aetlon appears TO nave 'o'" -.
either branch OF the Legislature on the sug
/ labor In 1870 the Assembly passed aholiioi ,
| . .,, ,,,+,r INT the Senate again reIuseu l'S 0
/ renee. This bill was iranlou "i'' NV
| the following ends: , c.. p-,,.,s aud in |
,bs contract system Of labor in The State Prisons 'D "
al tie P5e h s s .eya rsiqtoar Che m',ae
Of all Srces oher than such Gs arc e.4t' b u5iu of he
s'' forbid the sale .. prices than their hir m,te ''as o.
III Goods acl the several rrsoas Pen'-a-''' 1-e ''
n. o Saas tie character several Peniie3,-. md hoi
ultoes masking hcn sac a ms, o. a. ne see rn S
, ~ ,Popsio srch be needed TO 'a On h'r
THO scnato REGARDING the legislation proposed by the
Assembly bl as too sweeping and radical TO be sdiciy
,paucurated without further light and more careful
study OF is bearings and probable consequences ana
declining either to adopt OF reject the Assembly b!l
Instituted by means Of joint resolution extended eN
aninaons and inquiries the results Of which are en-
bodied below.
The resolution was as follows;
r,'o'ei o. q. Assembly eor,a 1l coTaon % consist o.
sse Prisons P,uite, ares md Ref11s Of &c state and al
%. sse m 81 1 tor y /, oT to ire scr md repo
70 the Legsaure vian zen eays rem he 2s'na1s le sI
and isrt ProrCi,i Ths cor2enaon ' be mate TO
O.
% s-seei Ia tbe penco OF be du., hereby laid rgoa then.
The Commissioners appointed were Nj. s. Myers, T. @.
Wines Secretary Of the Prison Association, and Thomas
Fencer, representing tho Worbinsmcn's interest The
Governor so constituted the Commission that both the
workinrncn and hose who had heretofore been under
stood to be opposed TO their views fairly represent
cd upon It, The Commissioners visited all the insu-
tons referred to in the joint resolution, Il 10 number
some OF them than and spent not less Than
SIX weeks in taking testimony holding, during much OF
that time, troe sessions day. They examined orally,
containing sunday interrogatories, deemed suitable to
the class addressed, ana likely 10 elct N;iIt..
te Boards Of Inspectors and managers OF tine several
PeuitHtariCs and ReOrmatOIie "a New orh; second,
tI,c lcods ~ number M leading lCvOud
\ the limits OF State and third, to Few prom
ucut citizens Of the STATE, asking tae.r onH % rs DIT j.
ness men on one nucrtaut points invOl1 Ia tae
investigation with which thoy were charged rive a-
seven to the second; AID 10 70 the third Iacy have
been aided 10 ther injuries ~ ilS va" ,
ami 10y i've boards in their oiDgai capacity Oi the
two wardeus OF State Prisons two were pys-rans one
q chaplain, q clerk. ana one principal Ltcp'r or
tudets Of peuitcntiaries end worlhOuscs; four were
supgrnendous o. reformotorieS: four were m'nas,is
and i've employees Of peniieNtau.s ana rrI1iA'.Ualt
% were contractors or their agents - were 'cIangs
and voTkiuSnrn; four were matil"cturtl5 dhl u,l'I
That cannot be ella ssifcd The Boards Of Inspectors and
ianasers seia e, ,e, 2n6y' arc ar 10 c o tcr
opinions being talGbe, Ike those OF otHrV men nal'
| .
respect both for their judgment ana tGcis l,' i'e
following roposi ions are believed 10y ~" ha ,-i-
evidence taken from The w.tIessc, or FURNISHED /"
Tie contract system Of prison nr bi au3 sioall be ,bs
The evidence taken showed That the som o'.ri 'et
Gsred disc ine, Subjects tho boys 70 persons wno ire
tSt bnderonce 70 heir reclamation Tie three state
Prison Inspectors Messrs. Mcneil, scheu. and Latin,
declared iAer ~ Smens 20 e as cao%'i t t' IN &
been no more successful financially than has thar q sing
Sing and Auburn prisons through Contractor anI VIZ
they Would committing the Dan2r ineu ~ the
industries of the state prisons 10 Their "aIdeh' so long
9s they remained subject 80 removal on pdlt' To i~
S-verthcc. they refused tu cruress positive opinion
fyorin, che permanent continuance Of TAG contract
ten. and would only declare turmselV IN Jay T. o. 5
continuance, "uItu somo better system Should Doe Ey
developer; opinion n which the Commissioners core
cur without several of the Witnesses however
expressed the belief that, where me c1nTact ~! D..
kept well in hand by the prison anthoriir tht t
labor system for income aA- net OgectOndDc IL othtT
1esf.Gony was conflicting rs to the House Of Refuge
on Randal's Island 3ir J5'.s, me Stpt Ihlri,'ii'
said: 81 DO no. THINK INA. ire oyecttf0n 40 'ho
adverse TO then pecunary interests j. applicable 10 thS
pine Of The house" Nj. Crownc. formerly cmpO}e ga ~
the shoe contractor, Nj Ni house, as an ln-Tuc.rl
fling i'm his SIX OF Tor G'n, What ne could NOT hcp,
i aTncsa Feeling Of favenc Which, believe the .y5
cherish til manhood have often heut boys all t4A'
fthey could meet their he, side, they woail mar
der him and that they would Zee IN Tor tneir boss
and get square with him. 30 thinA ID hirirH. iA'
htre Is none OF in the Shop and whatever they Receive
Cf ?
TIE shop. have frequently heard tne contractor lot,
men swear IN the presence OF me hoys lie e"cas or
I which believe to be bad every way"
One Of the most pregnant counts IN the general irdct
ICnt against the syntom is the introduction,
and 6epcIs OF their labor Of strangers ous,or.. Who
are employed by the contractors agents ac"o1iaAt7,
dc. Mon who smuggle to9accq hgucr leL2|coy,cirei
literature, and other coniraDahd aIuees mo inc h,u
ons, and sell them to the inmates AT 100 200 NJ 500 pr
cent above their market value. Another count against
cGacf through the giving and receiving hrhes Mr..
that the ldlQ lOr inc mon GU
,' i,trscf and sad FAR as our knowiedc. a.
The management OF Sing sing prison goes, il Is very
loose. We have been obliged, IN order 10 get QUO Work
done at all to 90 things Mich knew were COZ trary %
GOOD dlscIIine nd winch We would not have done mad
the discipline good. Nc obliged 10 pay ercry
convict IN our emlD! SOM. n,ns Over , az" IDO'c WIZ
% pay The Keepers rom - 70 so per inoi ln o'f 10
advance our interests. al nc contractors mare 10 10
II The Industries q prison well as Its discipline ought ori
In this way tho profits Of the labor would return the
Mr. Churchill shoe contractor IN the Monroe Count Pcri-
Tertiary, tesdhei the following facts TIE tofI
manu- III 80 IaSr a. a.. c,st ~ fce ',,r H.
cost OF prison IA Ut - az ,C, 'g ~, 20 I' i
0eir: siH which deducted from tof5I values DO
5nced leaves Tor gross profits 1885 Allowing five per
cent to cover bad debts and expenses OF fciig4UtO
there would stu b. left as net profits 50 JJ5 eQuti 10
! fraction CO per cent fhc capita. Inc
| co1tr9ctor In the Onondaga County Pcuifc1i isrr
values in year. $2loueO; cost Of raw material, s4704
cost Of prison labor, s70D cost = free labor cnstacyr
$1,000; interest capital G5UOyO, $500 Tuis gives
total Of expenses of Scs30 and gross profit OF $780,
Allowing por cent, as before for expenses Of sale and
loss bv bad debts we have net pr0dt of S300 c1aI %
O. per cent Of the capital employed. The most razor
binary profits appear 20 DC realized by samuel J.. TuO
kins q Co.. holding contract in Sing Sing the manu-
facure Of saddles and saddery hardware. Their s1pef
employed in their prison business was from tg 0 10
$4,000 Employing $50 conyies the rcsnlt was; To. v
ues produced $4,000 total expenses incurred S91,J;
profits after deducng per cent for bad dents and o.sl