The Morning herald., 1877-01-15
4 KHW HACTS ABOUT PENlTEN
TlARIEO.

= REW RACTB ABOUT PEN1TEN-
T1ARIEs.
One Of the reasons advanced in favor Of
he State Work-house System, is that it
would Be- profitable to the State. The
prisons Of New York are quoted, as being
sslfsntaining. The prison discipline OF
society Of the State Of New York in a
rpemosial to the Legislature of the State,
suggesting at least the modification of the
s'Congregate System" refers to the cost OF
the New York State prisons.
Thus while the rate Of wages, inuring
10 The benefit of the State, increased not
over 50 per cent, the expenditures, at the
cot Of the State, increased during. the same
pxiod 1t the rate Of 800 per cent. The
contract system seemed, even to the In
specton to be failure, they have at
tempted within the last FIVE or six years to
abandon it in measure, and have had ne
sourse to labor conducted under their i'm
mediate supervision, with what success the
foregoing statements show. Within the
past five years, from 1866 to 1869 inclu-
siye, the deficiency Of earnings 10 pay ex-
penses has been 81 ,0o4,l 4,l5l.o5-an amount
larger than the Deficiencies Of the whole
prsvious 10 years; and the appropriations
from the State Treasury have been s., 1885,
7eo.O7, being about equal in amount to the
appropriations for all those previous
years"
Again from this memorial:
'sThe effort, however, during the whole
Of the last twenty-five years, has been a
failure, and is, year after year. becoming
mere signally and disas.rously so."
Ifths central idea be profit from the
labor Of a convict, it must dominate over
the purpose for which the offender was sea-
tenced for violating the law. Can the
State Of Delaware afford the trial Of con-
gregate system Of work. house labor, thus
brutalizing the young offenders, and de-
stroyiug the sensibilities of those who may
be imprisoned for crimes Of violence re-
sulting sudden passion; or for those not
s'malumin e. by hourly contact with afro
cious and hardened veterans in crime.
Convict labor feebly competed with
free labor, during the war, and immedi-
ately following the war were twice, and
some instances from thrice az high as now;
but with the present low standard OF
wages, it is all bosh to talk of competition
with the honest tradesman Outside.
The Allegheny county prison, the De
t1oit work-house have been quoted e.
being profitable, the former does yield re-
turn over it's cost, but it is exceptional Z:
to the fact, and accidental as to industry
The prison has = monopoly in the making
ofoil barrels, steam lie large item Of CT
therein, it has coal at q minimum cos, To
its generation, and also for the nanufac
ture Of gas, slaves, hoops, food, everything
to render production low. The work re
quiring but little skill or long training o.
the part of the workers-all factors In tn
result which are no, ooincidens, in any in
dustry We might undertake here. Penslos
has become a science, and one which
now occupying some Of the best intellect
of the country. A committee to advi:
With such scientists, collate facts, mesht
disc plan suited to our small populalio
might, and no doubt, if it was composed
painstaking and studicus men who had L
hobby ride, would be productive OF muc
geod.