New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-28
EMPLOYMENT OF CONVICTS.
THE q PIFCEPRICED PLAN IN NEW-JEhehi'

,rs orccyss SAID TO BE DEMONSTRATED BY The
STATE PRISON KEEPER-sTATE TOPICS
,v,ov THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRifuSh'J
TRENTON, Dec. 27-Mr. Lavery' o'a.o
pr,son teener has submitted his annual report u .
covernor He devotes considerable space 10 'ho uis
cnsIon OF the piece price" plan Of convict LABOR "Aon
went into operation In October ana whlch' hoi. VIZ
novelty OF the experiment, hos attracted VIDE at'e
Mr.. Layerty SAYS that the "pece-fr rice p''n "'
selected instead OF the public account SYSTEM ou
count OF the heavy outlay involved In the ter anu 10
distous resuts in other States Altf ough the piece
prce plan had been in to a limited extent IN one
or two penal institutions there was little 10 guiuo 'n
prison officials in adopting 1t to the largo h"pcr vi
conylcts In the New Jersey institution Cons'uora"io
experience in the manufacture oil eoods was hso
roouse in obtaining profitable contracts and TINS inc
did not have They were forced, therefore, to
trust good deal 10 the contractors nearly oil OF WHOM
were anxious to their contracts All out one Vi
the contractors arranged their bids so tnat Tue
would produce as much Tor the Safe as under the o
system C5C cents day. The exception was 'he ii VI
Downs 4 Finch, who employ 300 conyicts On three
d,eront industres This contract arranged that
tho earnings OF the convicts reduced nearly one
half and the state authorities were evidently miseu
Neither the keeper nor Governor ADDett HAS ~
signature this contract as yet MI LaVer says 'h.
IL il TO be regretted that IN view OF the experimental
nature OF the work. contracts were awarded Tor Ionr
vea1s or that clause not inserted In each contract
stimulating that bidders shoald guarantee that each
convict should at least 90 cents day. THESE MI
Layerty say the errors OF inexperehce anu wien
they are reced 1t Will be apparent 10 all ehat INC
"rece-price system Is an unluadcd SUCCESS aEu "n
important step toward solving the convict labor
problem A number OF new industries have been INTRO
duced and It possible to find suitable employment
for nearly all OF Them The system has also had
tendency improve the prison discipline ana IL axe 'ue
convicts work more cheerfuly than heretofore 10
sum up says the keeper the receipts OF inc lh7ulon
would have been Increased under the new system were
II not TINT the nuhor had been mised by the bd OF
Downs Finch This, however, Is not the faut OF the
system" The keepers fears that the system wouiu
entail large cost upon the state nave not Deeh ea|cu
The convcts were idle for about three months between
the abandonment OF the old contracts aud the adoption
of tho piece price" plan and a new shop has been
constructed at cost OF SloOOo ana hohe "c's o'uSou
"a larger deficiency than usual
The law distinctly requires him. MI Lavery says
10 conne the prisoners In separate cells DUE ~ uater
OF fact there arc only 700 cells for 900 convlcts oDe
ence to law. therefore, Is Imp sslbe ana he urges
that greater accommodations should be provided or the
law repealed Sanitary considerations also demand
some hanges In the prison construction The keeper
ronort "A III be generally regarded among tho most
lnp,rtant n we'll as interesting state documents OF tho
wear. convict labor agitation "hch "'2HH vi tHo
and hearty response. ana the opposition 10 CONVEX
competition attained strength Nhch rc'li'cu , ,,
pfoblti the manufacture or hats; then III relhtnH
HAT p"t more than 100 conylcts should employed IN
any trade ana finally m ahS.DlnS to tSe
oiroya OF good authority rs the Keel err ana tne
oucone ~ II all seems to bc that competition Win
Ioncst nor mas been restricted narrow nts. with
out causing permanent decrease III tue tate revenues
Thc cisISurc win be asked early In the approaching
Session {" appropriate at least 10000 toward renuidhg
replacing the "a It was Iefore the nre was
he wren $50 aud $4,000, and the intention OF lhc
Legislature IN approprnllng 7'oVuo la't E'nsc WI
o have the york done Either tie estimates were nch
mistaken or the Rebuilding Commission has ialied 10
carry out Instructions; ;or enough hAs nIen 1ol1 ~
show that the original appropriation VIII not 70 Jar
toward putting the building IN hanlial 10 snnpe Inc
debates tue subject probably VIII DC spceu with
considerable criticism.
bridge question. the rcfor Ming OF te uc'hl , s ,c
reduction OF the interest To per cent the TEN
per question: the reduction OF ROAD fares 20 cte
near New York the pm 70 PHrcLaao y. r ~, aud ~
Ia limit tho rate OF horse car fares 10 cents anu 10
require companies running several lines u furnish
riroais hn,c valuable franch .es and escape local and
state taxes quite generally aud IN Newark they have
Of bona. and stock ~ that believed that they should
boar thcf r" %f p6o 6I"I tb ~ or nor yo ntry
meet pubic demand they snona Ge GHnpellsd Ny
has lost it, keen public interest, AMI some OF the
lordest opponents Of tho pan have dropped ihe avs
cussipp Il thought that the Baltimore and ohio VIII
not attempt do passenger business by way OF staten
Island connect by the New Jersey Central or other
General T. Burd Grubb entertained the Philn icphla
CITY Troop %! which no formerly commander NJ
banquet Al h- Edsewatcr Burlington County 4,
yrsterIay General Grub has friends who may deter
mine To rgc his nomination for Governor on tie Repub
hcan ticket Ills position commander Of he famous
Yorktown Battalion brought HIM into state prominence
This dinner In commemoratiOn Of tho battle OF
Trenton.
Hall dozen candidates struggling for the place of
| Collector uf Customs at Camden.
Tie situation Ia Elizabeth Is not yet satisfactory The
singer Company l. running it, factory. but tho city
authorities arc bumpou., and another difficulty may
coon bee precipitacd
The Lesis!aturc Will meet on January IL.