Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-28
STATE PRISON LABOR.

An impression seems to have gone abroad in
the State that the contractors for prison labor
in Minnesota receive exceptional favors from
the State in the form of buildings for shops,
machinery, etc. Such, however, does not APP
pear to be the case. In almost every State in
the Union where convict labor is leased, the
State not only owns all the buildings used,
but the permanent machinery as well, and
constant expenditures are necessary to keep
both in repair as well as to increase their
capacity. In New York, where the contract
price is forty cents per day, it has been found
necessary to expend considerable amount to
render the shops suitable for carrying on the
business of the contractors. At the Auburn
prison we learn from the report of the warden,
that
"More room being required for foundry
purposes under FoXell, Jones & Co.. S contract,
the collar shop was removed to apartments
fitted for its use on the second floor of the
old tool shop. The ground floor of F., j. &
Co. shop was extended two hundred and
forty feet, occupying the entire space formerly
occupied by the collar shop. To provide room
for the moulding floors, the main building
was widened by taking away the whole of the
north WALL and substituting line of posts.
A new brick wall was built twenty-one feet to
the north on a new foundation. To accom-
modate the cupola inside the building, a cross
section seventeen feet wide and two stories
high was built near the center. A second
story of brick was also built over the north
archway, sixteen by thirty five feet; a ventila-
tor was also erected over the entire length of
the extension including the cross-section, and
five new windows and sashes were put in the
north side of foundry No. 2. The forge shop
of Sheldon & Co., having been, virtually, with
out roof for ten years, the building has been
put in perfect order by raising the walls from
two to eight feet and covering it with sub
stantial truss roof, tin and waterproof felt
The hammer shop was in similar dlapidated
condition, and was repaired in the same sub
stantial manner"
The Illinois report for 1878 contains the fol-
lowing reference:
Our buildings, machinery, and all things
belonging to the premises, have been kept in
good repair, at a cost of upward of three thou
sand dollars. In addition to this, meac engines
and boilers have been found necessary and
furnished in several instances, either to replace
those old and worn out or to furnish poiOer
needed for new industries established. On
the 18th day of October, 1875, it having be-
come evident that more shop room would be
needed at an early day to meet and fulfill the
requirements of our contracts, and particular
ly with Messrs. SELF & Co. for their fine shoe
mandatory, we, in order to obtain possession
of a shop leased to J. II. Winterbotham for a
store-house, under his labor contract, entered
into q contract with the said J. H. Winterbo-
than to build for his use a store-house, 164
feet long, so feet wide, and Is feet high, the
said s. Fl. Winterbotham & Co. to furnish the
lumber, lime, sand, nails, iron and other ma
terials, aside from stone, necessary to con-
struct said building, and the penitentiary to
reimburse said firm at the expiration of their
contracts for convict labor for the amounts
so expended, the said warehouse to be CON-
pleted by the first of May, 1876, at which time
said firm was to vacate the aforesaid shop
then used as a store-house. Large amounts
have been expended for new and improved en-
giaes, boilers, machinery, ETC., rendered nee
essary by our increased industries.
1t further appears from the report that the
State has built new boiler houses, store houses
and manufacturing shops, all for the use of
convcts employed by the contractors at the
rate of forty cents day.
In Pennsylvania during 1878 the State ex-
pended $4,000 for building workshops at the
Western penitentiary, and the results are said
to be highly satisfactory. The contract price
is forty cents per day.
In Wisconsin the prison labor is leased to
NJ. D. Wells & Co., of Chicago, manufactur-
ers of boots and shoes, at the rate of forty
cents day. In the contract between this firm
and the State, the latter agrees
''To furnish so much of the shop room now
built within the walls of said prison as may be
required for the successful employment of
said convicts, and in addition thereto such
room for storage as may be required and can
be conveniently spared by the party of the first
no f for hof oil cnrh m
be necessary for carrying on said manufactur-
ing, and such shafting, pulleys and machines
now on hand as can be legitimately used in
said business; to warm all work shops, to
move all cars as may be necessary, and load
and unload the same, and in addition furnish
not to exceed one runner or chOreman for
eveey fifty convicts employed"
1t may be stated that Messrs. Seymour,
Sabin s. Co. once offered to give the State of
Minnesota sixty cents day for the labor of
convicts, provided they could have a contract
which would be an exact duplicate of that in
Wisconsin. The prison commissioner of the
latter State expresses himself as highly graft
fed at being able to secure a contract so favor
able TO the State.
The contract price paid IN other States for
prison labor is as follows: Connecticut, 40
cents; Rhode Island, 40 cents; New Hamp-
shire, 461a cents; Ohio, 45X cents; Vermont,
35 to 40 cents; Missouri 40 to d cents; West
Virginia, Is cents; Maryland, 40 cents; Michi-
gan, 40 cents; Kansas, Is cents: Nebraska, 35
to 40 cents; Iowa, 43 cents; Indiana, Is cents.
In all of these prisons the State furnishes
buildings and power, and in number of them
also furnishes fixed machinery and keeps it in
good repair.
1t will be seen from the above that the Min
nesota contractors are not exceptionally favor
ed by the State. There may be differences of
opinion as to some features of the existing
contract, but all must agree that it is as ad.
vantageous to the State as the contracts en-.
tered into in other penitentiaries, most of
which have larger number of convicts than
the number confined at the prison in Still
water.
The serious question is, whether taken with
all its bearings it is as good for the State as
anything that was offered. 1t is not an ex-
cuse for Minnesota that she does as well as
other States if it can be shown that she can do
better, but it is also reasonable to suppose that
in the old and experienced States where prisons
are much larger and more densely populated,
the average prices are fair compensation.
The rawlings of a venal journal which has a
,,arsonal and po1jfica1 grievance 10 revenpe