The New York herald., 1879-02-26
CONVICT LABOR.

COLONEL TRowBRIDGE'S PROPOSED SOLUTION OF
THE PRoBLEM-ALAsKA AS A PETAL COLONY
STATES TO COLLECT THEIR CRIMINALS AND
LET THE ARMY WATCH THENf-NEw PRISON
BILLS
ALBANY, Feb. 25 1879.
Colonel Charles T. Trowbridge. member of AS
sembly from Kings. has prepared resolution which
will be offered in the House tomorrow. and will.
doubtless excite wide attention it presents the
possibility of entirely solution of the vexed
problem of convict labor. Trades unions and work.
ingmens guilds of all kinds throughout the State
are constantly sending to the Legislature protests
against prison competition in their various trades.
and bills introduced from time to time having
in view the protection OF one industry or another
from such rivalry; but these suggest any
other way of employing the prisoners of the State
they lead to nothing. Several bills have also been
introduced this session booking either to the
erection Of new prison or the extension Of
old ones, to accommodate the surplus Of
seven hundred more Convicts who now
boarded out by the State Colonel Trowbridges reso~
luton in of whcreases. reviews the present
aspect Of the problem. 1t declares that prison
system fails to reform the criminal, except in
instances. and fails utterly in deterring old and
habitual offenders from continuance in crime. Tho
sale Of convict labor by the State. although IL
may save some money to the public treasury.
does nevertheless it is declared involve this great
wrong-that the State having control of o certain
amount of slave labor, puts this slave labor in COM
petition with that OF its free and law abiding citizens,
who struggling by honest work to maintain them
selves and their families and who at the same time are
contributing by their labor their full share Of the
taxes the public treasury The present system, the
resolution asserts involves also this inconsistency
that the State while it cannot afford employment to
the many honest who seeking it, stands ready.
nevertheless, to give work in respectable trades
and occupations to any one who will first commit
crime The offering OF convict labor in the market
at low prices it adds. necessarily tends to diminish
the compensation for the work OF honest men and SO
tends to discourage demoraze and degrade those who
labor for bread In view OF this tendency to diminish
tribute to the taxes, Colonel Trowbridgcs preamble
| doubts whether. notwithstanding some apparent
saving of public money. the bringing Of convict
labor into the market is measure of real economy.
THE RESOLUTION DEMANDS
The resolution calls upon our Senators and )
Representatives in the Congress OF the United states
to urge that the Territory of Alaska. or some other
portion of the common territory be set apart by the
| federal government for the purposes OF penal
colony to which the several States may Danish
| victs. under proper conditions each state pro-
| viding for the maintenance of its own crminss.
| In course of u conversation with Colonel Trow 1
bridge this afternoon he remarked that the United
States government contemplates the abandonment OF
Alaska for want of immigration thher or the traffic
induce people to settle there. Now we have that
we are out the s7.OOOOoo or moro that we paid
| for it. WELL here is splendid chance to
utilize it. BY making it Issa penal .,.c;,G colony
free the country from the convict labor question:.
which promises otherwise to be one of the most EN-.
1
| employment for the many army officers who have
nothing to do in these piping times of peace. Tho
removal convcts out of the States and TO adistanco
| from the scene of their crimes and away from the
haunts of vice. win break Oft all vicious associa-
| tions. The splendid success of the English penal
colonies in Australia should encourage to follow
the example of the old country in that respect II
convicted for ten years or longer he might
| be allowed to take out with him his wife aud chill
dren il he had any. long residence would acclimato
| no desire to leave Children born there would
grow up TO the manner born and there would soon.
be thriving colony; Prisoners VINO behaved wouia'
lands might be granted to manumitted convcts upon
condition that they should spend their lives there
| The agricultural and mineral resources OF Alaska
would thus BE- developed and we would soon get back
some portion of the money we spent for it, and the
honest laborcrs of the country would have . free
field to earn their bread.
Isn't rather late in the session to introduce such
q measured" asked the writer
| "Rather" replied Colonel Trowbridge. but Con-
gress will not adjourn for week or ten days yet.
and there may be an extra session. have been
studying this matter and not sanguine Of any
instant action upon it. The notion will have to be
fully y se wS the
gcstion. am determined to do what can to solve
this great problem of prison labor and see no plan
that promises so iairly as this one
NEEDED IN THE Prisons
The bills introduced already this session providing
more space for the increasing number of criminals
exciting great deal of interest, and will un-
doubtedly receive very careful attention; the nrst.
which was introduced by General sharpe OF Ulstert
il substantially the that of last and calls
simply for the appointment Of n committee of thrcc
prison and to select site for one should they deem
one necessary. The committee simply reports to
the House, and of course does not commit that
body to the adoption of its views The commissioners
named in the bill are Superintendent of Prisons
Tousey The bill passed the senate last year and had
also majority in the Assembly but failed tor LACK
of quorum of two. IL had the support Of Mr. Pills
bury and also that OF the Governor.
The other bill. introduced by Mr. Moers. OF Clin-
ton proposes to increase the prison in that county
at expense not TO exceed s2oo.ooo large array
OF facts and figures presented by the advocates
| Of both bills. but the general feeling is that q
necessity exists for additional accommodation
last prison erected was the bonnemora in
s,,s sn's sa. a@os. 'e aoused e
prisoners now at Sing sing Auburn aud Clinton 10
something unprecedented. This crowding OF prison.
crs is declared be bad policy. when more than
occupies cell they corrupt each other like bad
fruit II is not only dcmoralizng TO the nature Of
the prisoners but is exceedingly unwhoesome In ita
| WHAT PRISONERS NIGHT EARN
Besides an excess of six hundred the number
OF cells az the Clinton Prison there hundred
State prisoners boarded out at annual expense to
state is also 90 be added to this sum- because IL all
the prisoners were provided for properly
discipline they would it is estimated. earn siso.oco
| yearly. This in year or two would amount to .
| build a new one. The distance of Clinton Prison
from New York and Brooklyn. which form the greae
criminal centre is urged as q capital objection to
| the proposed enlargement. IL involves .
heavy expense In getting criminals there. Besides
the great cost OF transporting supplies there ana
carrying away finished goods is SO great thae'
contracts cannot be made remuneratvc There Is
dead set also in respect to prison labor and the mem
bcrs casting about for method OF rcconcing
4 the conflict between the industries carried on IN
prisons and the free labor outside them IL s alleged
that the manufacture of hats at Clinton has scri-
ously crippled the hat trade especially in Brooklyn.
| where IL has caused the failure Of large manu-
| factory in that line which gave employment to
100 persons, number equal TO one-half the convcts
| In the Donncmora prison. The object OF the pl
| aprofntinp a commission is to secure report II
possible, as 20 q location where some industry may
bc carried which will not conflict with any other
industry in The state. Both these bills In
mi.tee and will probably bo brought up at an ssrlv1
L A.