The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-06-21

The system Of paying convicts in state
Prison for over-work. which is about to be
tried at Trenton, is a good one. The plan
hos already been tested in several States,
and has been found to work well. After
the prisoner has earned fair days wages
for the State he is permitted to earn little
for himself This is credited to him on the
books and is paid him in bulk at the end of
his term. The benefits of the system are
that the prisoner is not only deprived of
all excuse for Sinking his labor, but is
offered an extra lnducement to form habits
of industry and thrift. Tho latter IS en-
forced, it is true, but the seed may take
root and grow. Work keeps him from idle
thoughts and so keeps him from evil
thoughts and plot-hatching When he
leaves jail he has little fund of money in
addition to what the State gives him, and
with proper encouragement may lead a
decent life thereafter. AS it is now, a
prisoner leaving Jail has nothing to depend
upon and as the respectable element
naturally turns its back upon them, he
quite as naturally drifts back among his
old associates, and SO returns to crime for
the livelihood that he cannot find in any
other field With money of his own in his
pocket he will be different man and may
OF least live until he can help himself in
an honest way. Then let society devise
some way of helping him, and there will be
q chance for his reformation. The possible
gains of the overwork make it we'll worth
trying. 1t will cost nothing ana is one of
those cases where the State has everything
to gain and nothing to lose.
The school year will have closed before
the next issue of the SUNDAY TATTLER shall
have made its next appearance. We trust
that the little ones will enjoythe vacation the
Board of Education has thoughtfully given
them. The TATTLER is an advocate of long
vacations. The youth of the city are
obliged to spend too manyhours of the day
and too many weeks of the year in the
close, ove-crowded and combining school
rooms. If we had our way, school would
close regularly at one o'clock, every day,
and the Summer vacation would begin
with the first warm day, and end not till
the cool weather had fairly set in. The
prolongation of the school hour till three
in the afternoon leaves the pupils in the
short winter days no chance for vacation
before night sets in. In the heated season
they chafe under the restraints of the
school room. The heat of the Summer is
bad enough for those to bear who have the
largest freedom. 1t is doubly enervating
when one is forced to sit bolt upright, with
head in ono direction, and arms and limbs
in one position, fearful that movement
for comfort will bring bad mark in
the Department column. The Board of
Education took a step in the right diree-
ton in closing the schools early. No ono
would have found fault with them if they
had also decreed that they should not re-
open till after the middle of September.
Newark drew a long sigh of relief when
she learned, week or two ago, that the
State Capitol Rebuilding Commission
would do nothing towards the erection of a
new Capitol till next winter. 1t gave them
hope, because it gave opportunity to induce
the next Legislature to change the site from
Trenton to Newark. There are good
many people who believe that an effort in
that direction might have been successful
next winter, and the fear that it might led,
no doubt, to a reconsideration Of the for
mer action of the Commission, and to the
determination to go on as far as the $780,
900 appropriation made it possible, leaving
the rest of the work unfinished till more
money had been set aside. Now that the
Commissioners have decided to 60 on,
without regard to the quantity of money at
their disposal, we believe that they will be
reasonably economical, and give the State
an unextravagant hut perfectly respectable
seat of government. Hope, at any rate,
springs eternal no longer in the Newark
breast, but is crushed to earth like
mashed strawberry never to rise again.
The police heard that party of young
men proposed to play game of base ball
last Sunday, and because there happened
to be church across the way from the
ball ground, they made active preparations
to stop the sport. At the very moment at
which the police were most active in en-
forcing the Sunday law as to the ball play
ers, three saloons, as close to the church as
the grounds are, were in full blast in vio-
lation of the Sunday law, aud some of the
police stopped in the saloons to violate the
Sunday law by drinking beer in them, be-
fore going across the street to enforce the
Sunday law by driving away the ball
players.
The eminent Edward Hall is in
trouble again. This time he has been try
ing to establish branch of the Interna-
tional Bank of Guatemala and while the
effort has not been 60 successful as It's pro-
jector could wish it has at least provided
Mr.. Hall with accommodations at the Ho-
tel de Ludlow, where he may consult with
that other eminent fnancier, James D.
Fish. Possibly they may be able to give a
few points to each other 1t is a great
pity that Ward cannot join the conference.
What trio they would make !
Little Billy Fielder Of Newark is so hor-
ribly light, that, like the cork, he is for
ever hnhhinp to the snrfaca A hone of