New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-28
IDLE STATE PRISONERS.
THE CONVICT LABoR QOEsTloM.
A FOOLISH DEMOCRATIC UrTERANcE-PaAcrIoAL
EFFECTS IN AUBURN PRISON.


EFFECTS IN AUBURN PRISON.
fYsou AgrAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEl
AcBURN. Sept 26.-The action of the Demo-
cratic State Convention In declaring in favor OF the en-
poyment OF convicts In the State prisonsl on The
State account system is roundly denounced by worKneh
In this city, 1t appears that iu their efforts TO say some
thing on this question that would be satisfactory to the
yorknen the Democrats have spoken without knowl
edge of the question Under the State account system
the competition OF the convcts with outside LABOR IS
even greater than under the contract system AT least
that is the opinion Baker and warden
several months experience In tae Auburn
Prison.
In company with these officials, THE TRIBUNE CORE
spondent recently made an inspection OF the Auburn
Prison and was fully the operations OF the shoe
department which is being conducted on tho otate
account plan. The Legislature appropriated $oOoOoo
for the of tho superintendent In employing iuIe
prisoners That money far as 1t would go, was used
in employing 225 convicts here in making shoes and
400 more Dannemora prison in manufacturing cloth
ing II took 100000 purchase the plant OF the con-
tractors and the material to employ 62o men;
and to employ the remainder OF the conyicts on the
same plan further appropriation OF $loOOoOo super
nendent Baker says will be necessary to begin opera
tons with Under the State account system the go
conyicts employed here in manufacturing shoes turn
ont q great deal more than they did when working
under the contractors The superintendent says that
the same is true OF the 400 convlcs employed In manu-
featuring clothing One travelling salesman Dyed
to sell tho Shoes and 80 far the demand has nearly
always exceeded the supply Tho average market prices
have been realized for stock but the capital at the
command OF the superintendent is limited he cannot
permit the stock to accumulate, otherwise tho convcts
would in Ideness for lack OF material to work WITH
Hence Whenever there has been an accumulation OF
either shoes clothing they have been disposed OF In
the West by auction sales with fair results NO credits
given all the being cash hence only the lowest
rafea "A rul obtained.
man can less competition with FREQ labor
by this method OF employing conylcts he VIII
do moro than the prison officials have been
able to do. Indeed, in the opinion OF
the superIntendent contract system offers less com
The contractors could hold their stock and get better
Hereby the competition with other contractors would
be less than under the state account method.
SO far Superintendent Baker has been abe 70 MAKE
the State account method pay very WELL and notwith;
standing the number OF Idle men The deficiency In an
tic pr sons for the fiscal year will DO only $4,000 In
sing Sing where the contracts are stu In force there
will be surplus Of $4,000 TIE deficiency AZ Danne
amounts about $4,000, and Auburn Prison VIII
and there is no way 70 employ them The officials ncud
ing the chaplain aud ply an agree taat these e
seares the chaplain says these idle men have most
demOralzing effect on the other cohVlci NeaIy an OF
these would prefer to work some OF them beg 20
be taken shoe shop but there IL no means OF en-
poyng them there IL Is pltabo signtt see these
healthy, stawart men azly waking about for exercise;
aud to realize that they thus supported in deness
by taxes imposed the honest and hard-workug clt
zens OF the State. Warden Ianehart has reconstructed
burned portion OF the prison. the work having been
done wholly by convict labor Enough skilled mechan-
cs were found the convtcts TO do the various
Kinds OF work required. This has saved th0 state
$4,000. As many OF the idle men as possible are
employed repairing the roads etc, within tho prison
walls but thLt furnish employment 20 only few OF
the Idle men.
As there is no money 20 employ competent men TO con
duct the manuAc business for the state, tue I'll
perntendrnt and warden have 10 look after II them
selves. This takes up great part OF their ume Ils
warden has to wltch me market anu 70 pu'unao nna
conduct sales of large quantities or raw anu manu-
featured goods Necessarily THIS tkcs mp much OF MS
time and attention. dvcrtiug him from hs proper duties
IN caring tho discipline % tue prison Referring 10
the Ieesaturo last winter TO employ only per cent OF
the in any branch OF business, superintendent
Baker said:
.uch proposition IL ridiculous. II would he impossi
BILE 10 nId sufficient number OF trades or other
enterprises employ she prisoners IN thar Nay DoHdes
A. would take an eHnrmOus capital 70 conduct 90 many
industries Then, too there would have % % laIRe
number % competent business mon cnpIOyei 70 iook
after these varied Industries. By hard Work ana careful
mana cement auc mako the clothing ana Hhoe
them 10 tie dstrimeut OF .io best Interests az tho
prisoners As engage In other enterprises
We must have competent men 70 buy stock, conduct
sales look after each utIstry. 1uch men oanhe he
hud 40 small salaries aostmstaksnimpicsslo u $40
abroad that tho State account system onors
less competition Win outside workbench when In Tact II
Offers could employ a the couvicis ~ contracts
eight ereut u-trirs aud Eci from % 90 80 cents
day for their labor That tue best FOR tie state
and the best tho worgm'n Ia my opinion. Certainly
the state system g. fne worst - far As com
petition free labor IL concerned 10 VIII require
600 600 capital besides tins 100000 necessary for
tho OF tho prs and then the possibility
OF heavy losses will be great