New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-11
HOW coNvICTs SHOULD BE EMPLOYED.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE on PRISONS
A VISIT TO WARDEN GREEN.

TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE on PRISONS
A VISIT TO WARDEN GREEN.
When the Assembly Committee on Prisons
met Yesterday at the Hotel Brunswick, Warden Brush
called attention section No. 1907 Of the Revised
Statutes, requiring the inspection of every letter
received sent by prisoners Michael r. Murra y,
of Yonkers, a hat inspector for sixteen years,
testified that he worked for WariDg Belknap & Co In
the State prisons GOO dozen hats turned out daily
Outside Of the prison. be said 1t would take 1900 hands
70 finish these 600 dozen. The prison COZ tractors paid
so cents man a day and the manufacturer 81 70. The
manufacture of hats in the prisons reduced the
mechanics number of working months in the
year to seven. The hat industry had built
up Yonkers. Now there 1900 mechanics in
that city out Of employment One factory had been sold
last week at an assgnees SALE another was being run
by an assignee and third barely running at all,
He had been by the haer Of Yonkers TO appeal for
relief They believed convcts wearing the ball and
chain and being put TO improving the village roads.
Arthur Kenny shoe manufacturer since 1870 was
The next witness Manufacturers, he testified, could not
make the lower grade of Shoes owing TO the competition
Of prison labor. favored having convicts work on
the rivers and harbo He wouldn't nave big ships stick
ing in the mud when they up the bay. Hire
them TO the Government" he added, land LEI them
clean the rivers and build aud improve forts"
Robert c. Maxwell said that he once worked for a
contractor Mary and who had prison contract This
contractor started with $1,000, and now be had the
biggest marole yad known since the wines had
siarfel marble business for himself he had had 10
follow the Maryland contractors prices all over the
country.
TO compete with prison labor he bad had TO put his
on piece and from them four times much
was done by cOnvicts Elihu Il. Campbell, former
keeper at Sin. Sing recalled Be stated that the in
yestgatiUn ordered last year was melted ny lin.
John b. Hughes, of Chicago, and member OF the firm
OF Perry CO. tue prison stove contractors at sing Sng
testified that Perry 60. mp Their price lt on tie
recommendation of the National stove Asso iauOn. lie
received tn list at Chicago aud did rot de-
vlate IRON 1t, less other manu- acturers cut rates
emit & nj ~
in Chicago Perry Co.'s contract at sing Sing would ter
inmate in 1897 1t was renewed in ISL They PAD the
state 90 cents day for each man. 900 cOnv1cts being
employed The 900 cOnvcts pOyed act as CLERKS hook
keepers gineers tnsmths pattern MAKERS etc Clerks
in bis Chicago house received fOm 81 week to 81 600
year. Michael A. O'Bren hatfinisher complained
that convict labor reduced the honest mans working
months one-half. He could make good living
ELK years ago, the average pay now being So q day
After dinner the committee visited the Kings County
Penitentiay where, guests OF Warden Green, they
were conducted through the workshops The Warden
explained his system of managing the prisoners.