The Morning herald., 1877-01-12
ruE PROPOSED STATE WORK
fu HOCoE.

The bill which Mr.. Bird intends t.
push through the Legislature is one which
demands careful examination, and can
vase, in al its details, as we'll ss upon the
main question whether such an institution
should be founded in this State, Or not
legislators will bear in mind that our
population is only fraction OF that Of
the large States with complete peniien-
tiary system. We are not prepared to fav
how far the New Jersey State Prison was
profitable or not-but We at presens
doubt the assertion tha. its profits paid the
State Debt; but we do know that iht
Eastern Penitentiary Of Pennsylvania, Ii
not by any means self-sustaining-on the
contrary is an annual charge upon the
Ssate I've speak from memory Of close
upon $4,000 if not more. We hnd
in the 11th annual report nf the Board
Of Charities of Massachusetts, under the
head Of l.The Massachusetts, State Peni-
Tertiary at Charlestown," We find this dole
full picture OF profit AID losa:
'The prison instead Of paying its e1-
penss BY its earnings, as in former year.:
Is now costing the State from sl,Voo &c
$l.50O Der week above its earnings and
viii probably show deficit at the end oi
the year of at least SIS, ,000." 1t is ,bert
admitted since 1915, period Of sixty year.
the Penitentiary hasupon an average never
paid its expenses, but has yearly been de-
pendendant upon the STATE.
We fortunately have not a ''climinai
classp who would be likely 10 receive long
sentences, and it is useless 10 attemp: utili
zipg the labor of tramps and hummer.
The best penolosis.s all agree that it is q
waste of time to attempt utilizing the labor
of couyicts for short terms of imprison.
ment. The great majority Of convicts fol
serious offences are negroes, and pena.
statistics prove that the regular sedentary
routine Of prison destroys their health
and incapacitatss them by phtisis and ii:
kindred diseases in frightful ratio te
white prisoners, from profitable labor.
Let US 90 step further; is the work
house to be a factor in the reformation d
our criminals:-or ia it to be a place c,
punishment alone? Ifthe latter the pill
luy, post, and cell answers every purpose
ofthe punitory principle admitted to b
vicious by every thinker, and writer upor
the science Of penology.
The competition Of convict labor, witt
that of our mechanics is a view of the cas'
to be fully considered, snch rivalry il
offensive to every toiler whose hand
earns bread, the congregate system, q
that Of convic.s working in mas together
is the only one, where there is even al
approach to the profitable Use Of fucl
labor, would be a necessity in the proposed
Work-house. This necessitate. the mixing
together Of every class Of convicts. TAX
the case Of young man convicted Of SOM
crime of violence for the first time,-a ma,
offair intelligence, without either a Ieprav
ed disposition Or moral tendency to crime
Of fair social connections, picture for
moment the consequences Of kis intima
hourly associations in the work hop, witt
some hardened criminal-white or blac
subjected to the example, teaching;
degradation, hardened moral nature Of
manor men. who defy all laws, rejet
all Improvements or reiorlnating agencie.
simply and only because he has tn
physical capacity to labor. To subjee
such = man-to such associations ia crue
We would respectfully advise the ap
pointment Of a committee to confer wit
men who have made penology study
such as Richard Vaux, Charles Thompso
Jones, Mayor Henry, or Furman Shel
hard, Of Pennsylvania, and such scien,is
in other States, as they would give ii
names Of 1t is a subject Of too much in
portance, and likely to involve the Sta
in an expenditure greater than the enti
aggregate cost Of her State Government,
bs acted upon without advice and inf
nation from men who have made it Il
study Of life. lit be wise, and help
lift the fallen, to have work-house ,
can afford to pay tor, if not-not.
The School Board of London wan!
ROYAL Commission 70 consider the BIZ