New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-28
IN THE PRISONS
OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED AT TIE OUTLOOK
TWO SYSTEMS coNTRAsTED-sTATE INsTITu
TICKS -uAT WILL DE ZIG BURDEN Z
on THE TAxPAYER-No RE-
DEFINING FEATURES.


DEEMING FEATURES.
Albany, De-. a9-Austln Lathrop, the surcnn
tendent OF Prisons is eeng discouraged over The QUE
look for the prison finances. Virtually. The prisons
have been cast back by the legislation oi.'he pes'"
year into the Slough OF Despoud7 OF eleven year, a1o
when they wore buidsn TO the aNrayer yearly ~
the amount OF half million dollars But even 'nen
tho prisons were not Handicapped as hcy arc now.
1t was State account system Of labor and the prisons
were under the control OF three cxtrayagsnt Prison
Inspectors but sill there no law orbidding inc
use Of machinery and The sale OF any article made h
the prisons. In view of the fact that The godcn
age" Of the prisons, when ther were sclfsuppor'nS'
has Just departed. General Lathrop has inserted mo
following instructive tabuiatcd statement In his an
nual report the coming Legislature contrasting the
financial prosperity of Of the three state PRISONS
Sing Sing for the last eleven years under the man
agemcnt Of Superintendent OF Prisons ana Win
the convic;s employed for ten years OF the period
under contract labor system, with the preceding
eleven years. when the prison was governed Dy throo
inspectors and the convicts were part OF the time
idle and part OF the time were employed under the
state account system OF labor.
Deficiency 1se5Is75 H eae Ss9 % %
n,rs..0c. 80 iC0 100 %
This difference of SO 166.796 93 In favor Of the new
system Of centralized responsibility for prison manage
ment is one that confidently looked for oy Gov
ernor Hoffman, Governor Dix. Governor TIL
den and other advocates Of that system when
It under public consideration rom low
TO 1877 It should be stated that this
surplus OF So 600 at Sing Sing was gained after
all the bills for the ard maintenance OF the prSoh
had been paid. 1t was clear profit TO the taxpayer.
Moreover it was earned by the labor Of the convcts
labor that itself made the convict by its discipline
better man.
General Lathrop waited upon on December 10
by State officer, DR.. Armstrong, Of the Binehamoh
Asylum for the Chronic Insane. who cast new hght
upon one feature of the system of prison labor hastily
created b. the Legislature last July. That system
has for its central idea the manufacturing OF articles
for the State charitable institutions by tie state prison
coHycts. II thought that In that way the con-
victs could be kept busy the year round but IL Is
now learned that the charitable institutions manu-
factuTc 60 per cent OF their own supplies. ms
leaves only per cent for the prisons and this 40
per cent of supplies be made by 80 of the 34oo
convicts. leaving $3.50 Of them unemployed so far as
IT, charitable institutions conccin d. Fortuna'eE
the convicts must do some work FOR themselves III
manufacturing their own supplies, and therefore @oo
more convcts find employment. Not all OF them are
employed in manufacturing supplies there is always
work to be done around the prisons. such as BAKING
bread laundry work. cleaning cells. etc. which gives
employment 10 a small proportion OF the convicts
Yet this leaves 1000 convcts without work
Dr. Armstrong has discovered another objectionable
feature of the system. lie said: We have
to pay higher price for your goocs than We "a"
get them for from other persons. think the Boards
OF Supervisors of the various counties will complain to
the Legislature when they discover that the cost OF
maintaining the insane in our asylum has pcen IN
creased owing TO this cause
at is no object for the State make money In this
way replied General LahrOp. " and therefore tho
Controller the president Of the State Board OF Chair
ties and myself who are required by law TO fix and
determine the value price Of all articles that tie
convics manufacture for the charitable institutions,
have put that price below the market rate. We
charge nothing for the labor OF the prisoners. But
we are forbidden TO machinery and handmade
goods, of course, cost tho state more Besides, you
cannot buy the material for the clothing OF small
number Of persons at low rate as YOU can that
for a large number Of persons. Tai tinware. for
instance. Two men make all thu IS needed in
the prisons and charitable institution re only need
small quantity OF tin and is 'act tat you can
60 into the market and buy tin ute ~ . lower rate
for your institutions than e pply them.
giving the labor of convcs and considering 10
In fixing the price of the articles"
Charles X Baker. the chief clerk Of the Prison
Department. said The labor agitstors complained
last summer that competed with the free laborers
making clothing. Well now sending clothing
to the charitable Institutions upon which we put q
It to the wholesale clothing dealers. Yet the man
ayers OF the charitable institutions protest against
other tds persons think this is proof that we're.
not competing njurouSly with other manufacturers or
clothing We obtained high price for the goods GOD,
ready made clothing made IN the United States AZ
first dealers would hardly look at plison,made goods
but as they discovered how well made they
were they were eager to buy them"
may be added in conclusion that If The present sys
superintendent Lathrop. the taxpayers Of the state
will year discover that the state prisons have
cost them 900 more than they do now.
.