St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-18
THE SHOP AND MILL.
Prison Labor Discussed by Delegates to
the Conference Of Corrections
and Charities.
The Contract System Must Go, Says Gen.
Brinkerhoff of 0hio--Other
Opinions.
Important Questions Discussed Be-
fore the minneapolis Trades
anu Labor Assembly.
Notes and Gossip in Local Labor Cir
cIes--W hat the People Have
to Say.
PRISON LABOR Ell
what Prominent PenOiegists Na-
10 SmY AhRlQi FL.

The expressions of opinion on the prison
contract labor question given below from
prominent delegates to the National Con-
ference of Corrections and Charities, will
be read with interest just now, as the cam
paign in which it will be sought to make
this question an issue is abont to open.
Whether they meet with favor from inteli-
gent Workingmen who are working in this
direction OF not, it cannot be denied that
the opinions are valuable. coming as they
do from the foremost men in the country in
this line of effort, and from men who have
devoted years. some Of them a generation
to the study and inspection of penal lnStl-
tutions With the men OF this class who
favor the abolition of contract prison labor,
1t is generally because it interfereS with the
discipline and reformatory work which they
wish to make feature of prisons, and not
from economic reasons.
GEN. r. BRINKERHOFF
of Mansfield, o., is a member of the board of
corrections and charities of that state. and
man of large experience in this direction.
He has visited nearly every prison east of
the Rocky mountains, and it was mainly
due TO his efforts that the piece price
PLAN was substituted for the contract
system in that state three years ago, and
other marked reforms made in the manage
ment OF the state prisons. In all interview
81 prison labor yesterday he said: This
subject is being agitated in many states,
end in some political parties have been
compelled to c0ncede that prison labor
must be modified so far as to abolish con-
tract labor. But when it is abolished some
thing must be found for a substitute.
Fortunately the discussion thus far has
brought about general consensus of
opinion that prisoners must work at some
thing, and at something that shall contri-
butte largely to their support. Even our
labor union friends assent to this PROPOSE
ton, although. III fact, it takes away their
main argument for the abolition Of contract
labor, for if prisoners are employed in any
form Of productive labor under any system.
they must to that extent come into compe-
tition with outside labor. Contract labor
is the simplest the most easily managed
and thus far, apparently, the system most
productive financially. If our prisoners
are to continue, as heretofore mere punish
ing places and money-making machines,
the contract system by all means should be
retained. If, however, the reformation of
the prisoner is to be taken into account, and
Misunderstanding rather than money mak-
ing is to take precedence. then contract
labor must go, and the quicker it goes the
better.
THE PUBLIC ACCOUNT SYSTEM
is the opposite of the contract system. The
state itself becomes the employer, and the
prison becomes q manufacturing center.
Theoretically this is the best system pos
sible. but, practically, its results are rarely
satisfactory.
The piece-price plan is recent invention,
but it is promising one for the employment
of prison labor. 1t is a modification of the
other two systems. and apparently elimi-
mates the more Objectionable features of
both. Under this system the state manu-
features the goods the same as under the
state account system. but it does not dis
pose Of them i'll the same way. or assume
the same financial responsibilities. On the
contrary 1t contracts with the dealer to take
its products at certain stipulated price,
either by the piece. by the dozen OF by the
gross. In addition the dealer ordinarily
agrees to furnish the machinery and the
material with which to manufacture the
goods he desires. Under this system the
state avoids all the dangers of loss incident
to the state account system, and at
the same time protects its prisoners from
the slavery and abuses of the contract svs-
TEN. Theoretically, the financial gains to
the state are not likely to equal to those of
the contract system, but, practically. so far
as tested. they seem to be more satisfactory
than was expected, and with larger expert
ence may not fall behind at all In the
Ohio penitentiary the piece-price plan has
been in operation for several months past.
and at present the labor of nearly 1000
prisoners is nearly equally divided between
the two systems.
The earnings under the new system have
been but little less than under the contract
In l,aa
and Toronto. Canada, this system has been
found to work satisfactorily, and in the
latter place an emphatic preference is given
to it. About four years ago, during the
summer preceding the session of the legisla-
ture. l succeeded in converting the leaders
of the labor movement to this plan and it
was adopted. When existing contracts ex-
pire the contract system will end in the
state.
PROF. T. 3. sANBORN.
Prof. T. B. Sanbon of Boston began his
career in this work twenty-three years ago.
when he was state inspector of prisons, and
is now one Of the foremost men in the
country in philanthropic work. He is sec
rotary of the national social science conven-
tion and is member of the Massachusetts
board of charities and corrections and state
inspector of charities and iunacy.
Contract prison labor" he said to a re-
porter yesterday, has been strongly OBJ ,
jected to by the labor element as creating a
destructive competition with free labor, but
l never could see anything in their argu-
mentS. l have given great many years
Of study to prison matters and | never met
one of these gentlemen yet who knew any,
thing about the matter. The fact is, this
theory which seems to have taken hold on
the public mind is one of those popular
falacieS like the former theory about the
balance OF trade. which gain acceptance for
a time and then later the people wonder
how they could ever have believed such a
doctrine. 1t is taken for granted by the
popular mind from the sav-so of a few
agitators, and none of them have
given the question careful study. 1t is
largely used by demagogues, too, for poiti-
cal capital. Any kind of work in prison
is better than idleness, but productive labor
cannot be employed without, to that extent.
coming into competition with other labor.
Careful study will show that by the con
tract system the competition is less than by
any other. | see the subject is being agi-
tated in this state. but how many of your
agitatorS here have given it any intelligent
investigat on? Are not their views super
fetal? You say it has been suggested that
the prison labor be employed in manufac-
turing supplies for state institutions, but
that would give employment to but frac-
ton of your prison labor, and it would be
found cheaper to buv those supplies. But
really. how much is the free labor of this
state affected by prison labor? Are wages
lower on that account, or are there any idle
on that account, and how many? You
suggest that there are a good many prison
made boots and shoes sold in this city.
Does anybody know how many9 Is it not
general statement not backed
by figures. Why. all the prison made boots
and shoes in the United States would prob
ably not be sufficient to supply the market
in this one city. A slight Improvement in
shoe pegs Or in some other element in the