New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-10


used has como from the land of individuals. Ore
has Just been discovered however. on these lands
With all tho draw backs occasoned by the disordered
anagement of the prisons the contract system Is
nevertheless considered the best by many. 1t GER
tainly works well and brings in good returns in
other States and in institutions in this State not
under State management. in Massachusetts, convict
labor brings dollar day; in Ohio, 81 IL in New
Jersey the prisons have just turned surplus
over into the state Treasury. In this State,
while large sums of money ere sometimes expended
in advertising tor proposals for the Labor OF state
Prison convcts without the response Of a single bid,
in the county pententiares labor is let without diff
fculty and at remuneTative rates. In the Albany
Pententiary perhaps the best managed prison In
this State during the worst days Of the panic they
concluded a contract for 500 men, oil those SEN
fenced for year and over TO receive % cents per
day. and all those sentenced more than three nchths
and ess than one year. 40 cents each. In addition
to these rates the contractors pay the cost OF the
Keepers, which is estimated as three cents more
day for each ccnvict's labor. Az the Kings County
Penitentiary, II cents day are paid for all long,
term prisoners. In the Monroe. Onondaea, and Enc
Pcnitcntiaries, where the prisoners are mostly on
short terms and consequently not so valuable 10
contractors they yet obtain 30 cents, 80 cents and
IS to 80 cents. respectively.
EVILS OF LOOSE DISCIPLINE.
This is no story In reference TO tue oisciilne
of the State prisons II has been growing worse Tor
years Go through the Albany Penitentiary, aud not
prisoner will lift his eye as you pass him ~ WORK
Go through the State prisons and they stop ana
stare st you from the time you enter the room ui'
YOU leave it, visitor recently went through one OF
the prisons and noticing several conylcis iounsing
about asked why they were not at work. they've
struck p was the reply. And the strikers went on
with their iounging undisturbed. Occasionally
there il an incident Of a eraVer character within
thu pas, two years there have been two murders by
convicts in Auburn Prison beth of which musi have
been the result Of lax discipline The inst was the
,Iimax of n ouarrel over song book. aud the Judi
cial Investigation of the second showed dat nearly
syery convict was allowed 10 carry KNIFE.
The large aud growing deficiency III the amman ac-
commits of the prisons is just Micawbers trouble over
again-the receipts are too small ard the expenses
are too large Why the earnings make but slender
showing has been perhaps sufficiently indicated;
the leaks are no LEES important The great opPortu-
nty Cor fraud and extravaganza is in the purchase
of slies though this seems TO have been carefully
surrounded with nu;nber of safeguards The con
tract system for furnishing supplies was abandoned
nearly forty years age and haze not been h use SINCE
except that at Auburn the flour and coal are
contracted for at tho end of every month";
PROPOSALS being received on the last DAY
of the month for the ensuing month All
other supplies are now purchased IN open
market by the warden and for the peFpciiaton ~
fraud the eonnivance Of three persons Is necessary
The dealer from whom the purchase is made must
swear that the articles are sold at Che Lowest market
ratos and that he has moi offered gVcs OF prom
ised ANYTHING Of value 90 effect the purchase. The
warden swears that the goods were bought at fair
cosh prices and paid for in cash. that he has no
pecalniary OF other interest ia the articles purchased
and that no person has any III his behalf; that he
"rcceiyod no pccuuary other benefit tho reIon III
the way Of commissions percentage, or presents cf
in any other manner whatever. directly CT ind
recttv.s &c. &c A similar oath is taken 10y the
storekeeper who receives the goods when tlioy are
brought into the prison.
The plar of this oath evidently u make each
OF these men check upon the others bat il il easy
to see how perfect collision could be established
between the three. There u little reason to doubt
that COLLISION has oftea been established, bu;
the frauds are 40 petty in detail that ii will doubt
less need careful and luxurious investigation 70 dis
coyer where they are aad who have perp'ttlted
them In former years Inspectors have bce1 charged
with receiving commissions on purebas@S and There
have been instances where w3Idens have been de
teeted in carrying large business with them
selves charging the State 20 or 80 per GEM more
than the market rate for supplies. In one Mardehs
accounts a hong time ago. defconcy OF 100000
pounds ol beef in the amount charged and paid Tor
wae discovered. Thc smls VI the state prisons are
filed with frauds If this description though often
much less respectable III size
As q furtiIsr cheek UpiH the expenditures, the
sfoFekeeper If reOrired ia send each month 60 the
Cont1oll r statement of hia account for the mouth,
acooinys.iicl 10y an estimate fOr the ens,ung month
This 0.gii perhaps 10 enable the Controller 10 de
tact ipstavces Of excess in purchase and hc ike
bnt II has not prevented cases the gay I0oD.
of Vie sa3o0 hill three times over, each pay .ncui be-
ing lsrp,,, than the 5cfore A. - eIs SEEN II
is IN tho larlor that 1886 Of the leaks Are 10 lie
found Largo Numbers ol Gonyios are pnced on the
sick rolls and are allowed hospital food who are as
well as their less fortunate follows, who without
money OF rich friends There seems 10 bc no room
for Aollaf that physicians have made money by CIV
ing certificates of sickness to oOnvicts n good
health A least that was Inspector ki'l.ratIickS
CONCLUSION ggen taking charge 81 onoOi tho prs
ons be found that 100 pounds0f meat were bfng used
in tho hospital every day while thcre Int seven
mon sex on cots and numerous nyalils were walk
Jug about in apparently tine best Of health Nardens,
it is said have also fallen ito the habit Of furnish
ing their own tables from the prison Kitchen and
are known to have used convict labor and State ma
toriale for ti'eir private purposes.
One great Source of expense TO tho prison and an
other result of their political character il the over
abundance OF employees and The consequent swelling