New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-02
IDLE HANDS IN TIE PRISONS.

The fact that 900 convicts in Sing Sing
and 300 in Clinton Prison are idle because
the Legislature has failed to make the needed
acrroDriations to continue work under the
statc-account system is not one that can be
regarded with Indifference. Delay in resum-
ing work will not only involve serious loss to
the State, but will surely result In demolali@-
ton TO the convicts. ldlencss among men
confined in prison means moral and physical
deterioration, the weakening of discipline ana
an increased percentage of insanity The Leg
;slaturc cannot afford to fool with the State
prisons in this reckless way. The bill making
the needed appropriation, which has already
passcd the Assembly, should be taken up by
the Senate with the least possible delay. The
appropriation is mere formaity, after all,
for the money which it is now proposed to take
ont of the treasury for the prisons has been
paid into the treasury by the prisons during
the past year.
No reason can be found in their present con-
dition for Withholding the appropriation. Con-
sidering that complete change was made
during the past year in the system OF convict
labor the financial showing is remarkable. A
deficiency of only 100000 appeared where 1t
would have been natural to expect much
larger one. The near approach TO success IN
making both ends meet was evidently due to
efficient management. The change from the
contract to the Statc-accOunt system was made
in the laundry department in Sing Sing in one
day: i'm the shoe department In three days.
which were necessary to making an inventory.
There is every reason to believe that the APP
plcation of the same energy and system Will
soon bring the prisons up to the point where
they will be sclf-supporting again. In 1act'
the deficit mentioned was almost entirely
represented by the decrease of $4,000 in the
surplus in Sing Sing Prison of earnings over
cypcnditurcs, and this decrease was due to the
DELAYS and losses occasioned by the change Of
system. The present inacton of the Legis-
lature will be likely to prevent Sing Sing,
whose surplus is usually relied upon to wipe
out the losses Of the other two prisons, from
making up it's lost ground The lookup at
that prison alone costs the State 5000 day.
But there is no ground for supposing that the
failure to make the appropriation is because
Of any special dissatisfaction with the State
account system as such. 1t undoubtedly results
from the efforts of the anti-convict-labor
dcmagogues, who may be expected to buzz
about our Legislatures until they have sue
cecded in legislating our convicts into idlencss,
or have given UP the effort in despair 1t ought
not to be necessary to argue this question now
TO any person OF intelligence, such as members
OF the Legislature usually arc, although a
cynical impression to the contrary is widely
prevalent 1t can hardly be necessary to de-
monstratc that the State has the right to COM
pei criminal to support himself, especially
if it is better for the criminal that nc should
do So The bugbear of all these people is the
idea that convict labor completes injuriously
with outside free labor. This has happened
in isolated instances, and should always be
avoided. of course, wherever it is possible.
But the report of Carroll ID. Wright. the Com
missioner of Labor, for 1886 shows that the
whole number of convicts engaged in pro-
| ductive industries including inmates of rc-
| formatcfies as well as prisons, is only l-2
| pcr cent of the number of persons outside en-
| gagged in those same industries But many OF
| these convicts are working at the same trades
| inside the prison they formerly followed out
| side. There can be no injurious competition
| in that case. Furthermore, the producing
power of convict labor is one-fourth lower than
| that of free labor. This reduces the proportion
| in the industries covered by prison labor to
per cent But wages are governed by the gen
cral condition of The labor market not by
the condition Of any single industry. The
total product Of convict labor is one-half of ono
per cent Of the total product Of free manufact
uring labor. In any large Wow of the subject
| it is not worth considering.