The daily gazette., 1879-04-16
From the World.
An Expensive WOrkhOuse. !.
Hs Bluckweirs Istdnd--The Dtsburse-
mcnts Exceed the Receipts and its In.
dlstru is not Refoy7ndtOru.

ns Bluckuelrs IstdNd-The Dtsburse-
mcats Exceed the Receipts and its an
dustry IL not Refo7natory.
Coming now to the present condition
of the Workhouse we see that ~ a0 In
dtstial institutionit does not claim 70
carry out Its original design. 1t Is de-
voted entirely to the Vagrant, di sipated
| ItisOrderly classes. swollen by the addi-
, ton of self committed paupers. The
commitments generally are for terms
varying from ten days to thr, o or six
months-the majority being for intozica-
ton or its effect, disorderly conduct.
The magistrate imposes fine of greater
or less amount, and in default commits
the ofienuer to the WorkhOHse. the pris-
ODers being OF all classes and both sexes,
frequently as young as fourteen years of
age.
Fin 1877 20,251 commitments were re-
ceived, the great majority representing
persons who had been previously cOn,-
mitted. One person IL known to have
been there fourteen times in one year. In
the shoe shop, where 'me fourteen men
were employed in mending shoes, every
one OF them had been there before-One
Of them seven times within three years.
| In the tailoring shop, out of elevt n men,
none were nOvices IN the place, some
having been there five and six times.
These are facts well known at the insti
tuition, and they only tend TO show how
little residence on the Island In consider
ed As a punishment and how little re-
formatOry or elevating influence it ex-
sr's The way the system works Is this:
The prisoners will have certain inquiries
put to them ~ to their trades and accord
lug to their alleged qualifications they
are at once distri buted among the insti-
tutions. A paiDter. for instance, commit
ted for drunkenness will be shipped off to
Wards Island. where work requiring his
services may be going on.
A sslf-coinmitted man calling himself II
| . carpenter will be transferred to Harris
Island from which arequisition has been
made for such labor. The same thing
happens with the women. This appor-
ltiounenf of labor at first seems desirable
and haA the effect OF reducing current
expenses, but the work is apt to be per-
formed in . sloveDly and inefficient
manner. 1t causes delay in the execu-
ton Of work requiring prompt action,
and repairs are dilatory and insufficient
to the Inconvenience of the department.
As an instance of this in the last printed
report the Superintendent calls attention
J TO the fact that the roof of the buildia =.
is In q yer, bad condition and much in
need of immediate repair. He says: "It
has been impossi BILE for us to have this
| Itiu0tl6u, NJ we udvo udu nO Hlato-TOOItI
committed here for any length of time
lin actual numbers but tive, who wero
committed for ten days EACH and tin
r0Ofer VERY few of whom have been re-
oeived in comparison with former years.
only makes matters worse, aS We have
found by experience. / would, tharefore
respectfully recommend that apractical
slate-roofer be authorized toinspeot and
report what repairs are necessary"
tnr MI hl.vf f.f In ~ do "A
vagrants conmit themselves winter after
winter. finding the light work and regu.
lar rations of the Workhouse l-ss irk.
sOr.e than the effort to gain All honest
livelihood would be; and there is nothing
in the Workhouse system to rouse them
to exsrticn or 10 any sense of shame at
their position. 1ntemperate and shift.
less workmen have been known to take
this course on the ground that they
would have very little to do until spring
when they can easily obtain employment
But is it not high time to stay the system
of perpetuaing IA race of paupers who
while preserving the highest privilege.
of a cltizrn, are content TO spend grea
part of their lives in the WorkhOuss
which they leave OILY TO continue III,
propagation of new generations of pau
pers ike themselves? 1t il well TO
. . citizens to face the extent and recogniz,
: the danger of the present evil.
: With regard to the ten-'iay commit
= tals, the time is TOO short to he of an,
use in the way OF reform, while the dis
l clpiline is TOO lax for 1t to be- regarded q
+, much of IL punishment. IL affords scarce
ly more than enough time to cove
: from the effects of a debauch; and in tact
: to many of those committed, especial
= in summer, the sentence merely implie
/. an agreeable change of residence for
:, few days, free of expense.
The men committed for longer period
who have no trade at which to be EN-
v ployed are set to work in gangs az con
mon laborars. Here, where classitirs
ton would be mort important, there
absolutely none. All the laborers her
together, and the fullest opportunity
afforded for the vicious and hardened
q corrupt the comparatively virtuous.