Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-04

the benefit of his advice as Consulting Engineer
| and be compensated for his service from the
next years appropriation for this purpose, provid
ing you should deem it expedient to continue the
work.
deem the drainage question one of so much i'm
portance that, although have no particular meas
ure to recommend, deem it my duty to present to
you all of the data and information on the subject
that has come to my official notice, that you may
properly present the to Congress, OF
take such other action as your good Judgment may
direct. | win, therefore, make the question sub
ect for special message, and will at an early day
| submit 1t TO you
LABOR BUREAU.
The question of labor statistics has become prom
nent of late through the demands of the more in
| teligent OF the friends OF labor.
| bureaus have been already established In many
of the Eastern States, and an effort Is being made
| by prominent United States Senators to have Ma
| tional Bureau established. Bills were introduced
during the last two sessions in the Legislature Of
| this State but failed to become laws, perhaps be-
cause of conflict Of ideas on the part OF their ad
yocates Some OF the bills introduced under the
title OF labor statistics called for the establishment
| of free labor exchanges This is not the object
The more intelligent friends of the labor movement
| demand purely system of labor statistics for the
purpose of inquiring into and bringing promi
nently before the people, and their legislators, the
facts OF the condition Of laborers, with view to an
| intelligent remedy. They believe that the only
hope for labor is through legislation; and to en-
act proper laws upon the question 1t is necessary &c
have array of facts systenatized and understood
The apparent conflict between labor and capital
| is more imaginary than real, fer each is dependent
| upon the other. Nature has bound them together
| with SO strong a bond that disaster to one must
ctssarily sect the other. Both can only succeed
| in Joining hands in the grand march OF progress
and in the mutual support and protection OF each
other.
II must be admitted that great discomfort exists
| on this subject throughout our State, among Ger
tain classes OF laboring men and many who are the
most deserving find 1t impossible in the cities to
procure employment. Is it not the duty Of the
State to ascertain the cause and ii possible provide
remedy?
The British Parliament has from time to time APP
pointed commissions to examine into the condition
of the poor, and their reports have produced last
rg benefits to the people OF the cities OF that coun
| try, among which may mention the Factory Act,
the Peabody Fund (Which has been fostered by the
| Governmept) for the dwellings of the poor.
| The fact alone that 10000 voters in this State
withdrew fir the political parties with which they
| had heretofore affiliated, and, styling themselves
Workingmen, demanded peculiar legislation, is q
sufficient for the thoughtful legislator to give
| the subject grave reflection.
| That which aids the humblest citizen in obtain
| ing employment, that he may build home is add
| ing stability to that government which is composed
of the people Profting by the experience of other
and older States let us gain such information on
this subject as viii enable us 10 provide remedy
| for this evil
The last Legislature appropriated $4,000 for the
expense of such Bureau during the present fiscal
year. but the bill creating the Bureau failing to be-
come law the money remains IN the treasury un-
expended. | beg to commend to you careful
review OF this question.
STATE PRISONS.
congratulate the people of the State ON tie con-
stitutonal change in the management OF our prisons
believe the system to be in principle correct The
zeal, tempered with judgment, manifested by the
Directors, encourages me with the hope that this
| heavy burden on the taxpayer may be considerably
ligLtened, if not altogether removed Every change
made by them has been of advantage to the State.
The discipline of the prisons under the humane,
| but firm, treatment of the wardens, has worked
we'll The reports OF the Directors and wardens are
| replete with valu- BILE suggestions their recon-
mendatons requiring legislative action | trust will
meet with your approval.
| Immediate steps should be taken to classify the
| prisoners. We are but encouraging crime IN per-
hitting this pernicious minging OF old criminals,
STEPPED in vice. with young offenders capable OF re-
formation This daily contact straight with eyll,and
is disastrous to any attempt at reformation among
the juvenile criminals. have endeavored to secure
places for several of these boys on their liberation
| from prison, and have succeeded In the promise,
from good reliable citizens that they will take three
of them (that now in PRISON. educate and care
for them until they OF age, provided viii APP.
| prentice them by articles OF lndenture.
believe these are proper cases Tor executive Gle
mency, and would not hesitate to use the pardon
| ing power if the Governor had the authority 10
| apprentice the youth therefore recommend the
passage of a law empowering the Wardens or the
President Of the Beard Of Prison Directors to bind
such boys to responsible parties, when IN the opn
ion of the Governor, the case is one calling for ex
! ecutive interference | am satisfied much good
might be accomplished in that direction. There are
| several boys now confined in the prison at San
| Quentin who owe their Incarceration more to the
Wild thoughtlessness of youth than to any real de
praviy OF character For these the law, while it Is
compelled to punish, should at the same time he in
| duced to open some avenues for their reformation
Another fruitful source of evil is to be found IN
| tba ipau ~ sentences. The bias Judge
| or the prejudice of community, are IN many III
stances made causes for excessive sentences Prs
oners in their intercourse with each other, natu
rally seek to discover the crime for which each i:
| suffering and the extent OF the punishment al
loted Tor the offense When the fact is revealed that
for similar violation of law the sentence of one i,
greater than that of the other the prisoner reeev
ing the larger broods over what he considers al
| unjust Judgment, and the thought growing by what
it feeds on, embtters him against society, and de
termines him to become "eyen whit IS soon as
the opportunity presents itself. Nearly one-half o.
the applications for executive cemency are based
on the ground OF excessive sentences, and | regret
to say that, in too many instances, the facts cor
| roborate their statements.
| The evil should be cured. Justice to society and
the criminal alike demandit it. The power is in youl
hands, and shall be pleased TO aid IN any remedial
measures you may adopt.
The constitutional prohibition against the letting
Of contract prison labor has been source of serious
thought on the part of the Prison Directors to the
best and most available method to make up for thi;
| de6cienc After many consultations among them
selves in viewing this important question in every
phase possible to express ITSELF and gathering from
the experience Of similar institutions and the opn
ions Of those who have made penal financial man
! agement study, they have concluded to enter on
| the manufacture Of jute bags etc. The market fol
this product is almost without limit at least the
| tent in which it could be carried at the prison
would never leave surplus Of material at hand. II
successful in their undertaking, 1t will have the
double advantage OF reducing the cost OF sacks, a
| farm will anil will tend
to lessen the cost of taxation in aiding the selfsup
port of the prison.
The establishment of the Branch State Prison at
Folsom now in active operation, will require some
legisl tion in the manner Of compelling Judges, in
counties that location in point of travel than
San Quentin, to order prisoners sentenced by them
| to be committed there. Under the present law a
Judge may sentence to either place, irrespective oil
the distance or the cost of transportation, which
will be found to be very large item in our appro
priations.
REFORM SCHOOL OR HOME OF REFUGE.
The large number OF convicts in the penal iastitu
lions of the State and the daily increase of crime
| calls for your serious consideration
| Our State 10 but little over quarter OF cen
| fury old and yet our prisons and jails contain q
larger number Of convIcts than of the Eastern
States with twice the population Is it not the par,
of wise legislation to endeavor to devise some plan
! to stay this growing evil
With this object in view, would earnestly recon-
mend the speedy establishment of State Boys
Reform School, House of Refuge, where the In
eorririble vicious and crini al boys may be plac
under the best reiormatory influences, with tail
hope OF their correction and reformation.
1t is sad sight, in visiting our penitentiaries aud
jails TO see the large number of boys nearcerated
with old hardened criminals apt school of vice
and crime from which they graduate prepared tc
make war against society. Most OF these boys ar,
sent for q first minor crime, or, perhaps, sur
rounded by temptation, in evil moment they
Yielded, hardly conscious of the crime they hac
| committed. Should we be unjust as to permit
them to be surrounded by the influence of ole
offendersf In most Of the older States, where they
fully realize the extent Of this evil, they have
adopted separate institutions for boys where, unde
good educational moral 6nd reformatory measures
they are trained, with fair hope Of making gooC
citizens indeed, tie statistics OF those institutions
show that eighty per cent. Of those who have beer
inmates are to day honored and aspect d citizen!
in the immediate community from which they wer,
sent therefore urge this as no experiment. but
feel assured that which has proven so grand sue
cess in other States cannot fail here ii properly
aged.
In Ohio the Boys Reform School is one of the
largest and Oldest In the country, and those who
have attended 1t (sert there by the Courts and
stuted authortie) have learned the art OF farming
or a trade and have out with fair school
training and a certificate OF good behavior OF
diploma recommending them as being worthy and
deserving OF the protection and employment of all
good citizens. Thus is removed all the stigma that
| would follow him as a discharged convict.
The Boys Reform Schools in Ohio and Indiana
have been in successful operation for about twenty
| years In the first named State during this time
more than 900 of the worst boys OF the State have
been sent there lat the present time there are over
| 5OO) A large majority Of these have been hon
oraby discharged and not since charged with crime
| or misdemeanor.
hal, ~ 10 try RI