New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-25
coyrIc1 LABoR IN NEW-JrEsEH.
To eEd,tor Of rr,bune

To he Edtfor Of Ths TrtbUne
SIR: The article on Convict Labor Prob
lens IN THE TRIBUNE Of November II, IL somewhat IN
correct In its statements, and beg that you viii allow
me to give your readers The facts The only change
proposed by the law passed by the NewJcrrey es7lh-
ture a spring IN the manner Of contracting OF working
the convlcs In the prison. was IN limiting the number OF
prisoners he employed IN any branch OF Industry TO
100 Before the passage Of this law the whole electit
force the prison might have been concentrated upon
any trade. except Matchmaking, which was prohibited
by the law Of s78 though hats had hc6h made
in the prison The results ~ this limitation may "e seen
In the following brief history OF the prison industries for
the last eight years: The financial distress Of 1873 uf
eced the business Of the contractors deeply that nj
ter having many thousand dollars for OF cOnyct
whom they could not work except at heavy loss they
threw up their contracts on June 81. 1874,
and left tho entire prison force unemployed
since that time the utmost endcavor- Of the
successive Supervisors have succeeded la securing
work for a very moderate number Of these men. The
return Of prosperity during the last year led Of The
largest and most responsible employers Of prison labor
in the United states enter into negotiations with the
Supervisor for the whole number OF abcbOded men in
the prison. after deductng those required for III
sary work at prices which would have realized 10 the
state 10000 yearly for It's convict labor The Newark
manufacturers having obtained ining OF this propo-
sOn procured the passage OF the law above mentioned
The application was dropped once, and the Super
yisor after advertising most ndustrousy for proposals.
has u to this date succeeded In dsposng Of the labor Of
only 4A5 men, with opportunities Of adding few IN
their number when business pressed. OF the GOO able
bodied criminals who might have been advantageously
contracted for, but for the passage OF the limiting ld"
1915 therefore remain idle supported by the state
The earnings OF the prison for tbs year, during when
their contracts run. viii be AS follows:
100 men nj cents per
345 at 90 cents per d. ''V
Making total o., ...... SOS, $50
II the whole 600 were contracted at the same rates
their earnings would be S930GO, while the expenses OF
the prison for the year Just expired were not quito
But 10 enable the whole GOO 10 be put at work I'm
squads OF 100 less each requires vastly increased nc
cOInnOdatiOn. The entire storage and shipping fhc
torst aud oilers of been refused by the h
pcryisor because he has no place for them To work
Employed under two contractors, In one or Two
trades the shops and of the prison were
among or ten contractors In rs many kinds or
business each II In tho OF the others, and an HpprO
priaOn OF 5000 will be made TO fit up shops, etc. In
order put the remaining l5J men at work.
Such the results Of the attempt In the NewJesey
State Prison TO do away with tho competition between
convict and free labor by dyersfng the Industries OF
the prison The state has disurganiZed s prison man
aEenent months lost capital opportunity of making
ing largely increased the deficit of the present year,
made a deficiency Of nearly $4,000 certain for next
year. reducibe only In subsequent years 10 S3OOUO by
making pendIturc st $4,000 dollar which
will be wasted If 1t goes 10 build the Intermediary
Prison for which many citizens agitatng, and which
Is needed imperativey. If this Ia "a success the less
those who have to pay for 1t have Of the better VIII
suit them. A. ). MEfRiCk,
Member of the late Prison Labor Commission OF New
4IlagstOn, N. j. Nov. 90, 1881.