New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-29
THE CONVICT LABOR PRoBLEM.

THE CONVICT LABOR PROBLEM.
The Assembly Committee on Prisons is to
Two hoarino morrow to those who have
s,,eoostions 70 offer looking to the solution Of
the vexed problem of convict labor. The hear
ing which the committee gave last week ac-
complished one good thing IL oemonsOated
If demonstration were needed-that those
whose opinion is worth anything are at one in
holding that the convicts must be kept at work.
Under the tentative law passed at the extra
sess;or ~ last summer it soon became neces-
sary to withdraw the convicts from tne prison
shops and confne them in their cells. Inc re
suit has been bad for the pockets Oh the TAX
payers; worse than that, 1t has demoralized
the prisoners themselves. 1t is safe to predict
that the bill which is to be passed this winter
will provide for keeping the convicts employed
II is too early as yet to conjecture which sys-
tenn of labor will be adopted There was
nothing in the annual report of the Superin-
tendent of Prisons to guide the Legislature.
Mr.. Lathrop failed to indicate wnether ne Ia
vored the piece-price system or the state &C
count system or the abandoned contract sys-
tenn He urged that the convicts ought to be
kept employed at hard labor, and went no
further.
At the hearing last week number OF peni-
Tertiary officials gave their views. Ihey
agreed in recommending the plece-pnce sys-
tenn The late Superintendent OF Prisons, Mr..
Baker, was firm believer in the contract sys-
tenn but preferred the pIece-price TO the state
account system. He argued that although the
State account system could be made self-sus-
tanning after the plant had been paid for, yet
the piece-price system was the better Of tho
two since under it the risk to the state was less
while the average income was likely to be
greater. But the piece-price system could not
be adopted without repeating the prison law OIL
1884. That law prohibited the Superintendent
of State Prisons from making any contracts
for the labor Of the convicts, and the Attorney
General decided that this shut out the piece
price as well as the contract system, leaving
the Superintendent only the Hobson choice OF
the State account system 10 might be well
for New York to initiate the example OF Ohio
Ohio repealed her contract system, and worked
the Penitentiary upon the State account sys-
tenn long enough to become dissatisfied with
IL. She then passed law giving her prison
managers discretion TO employ both the state
account and the pece-price systems. The
warden of Auburn Prison lately presented
statement which was quoted as vindication
of the State account system. The experienced
penitentiary officials referred to, as we have
stated, favor the piece-price system. Why not
allow the employment Of both systems?
II is of interest to all concerned in this qnes-
ton to note that the State Board of Prison In
spectors of Minnesota, after examining the lead
ing prisons and reformatories Of the country
have reported in favor Of returning to the con-
tract system This is only one Of the many
signs which are to be met with just now lndl-
eating that the opposition to the contract sys-
tenn which was so bitter few years ago in
certain quarters is now weakening. The con-
tract system, whatever it's faults made our
prisons self-sustaining, and at the same time
secured gratifying reformatory and disciplinary
results. Since il was abolished the prisons
have been a burden to the State. No public
sentiment is apparent to-day in favor OF any
specific prison policy But the Legislature can
rest assured Of this one thing-there is gen
eral demand for an adequate and businesslike
disposition Of the question. The people have
got tired Of halfway measures. II 1t is de-
cided to return 30 the State account system to
the exclusion Of any other, then the approprl-
ations must be large enough to keep all tho
prisoners at work all the year. II, on the con-
trary, il is thought best TO try two systems at
once, full provision must be made for the ell
Gent and unembarrassed working OF both. To
day the condition of the prisons is disgrace
to the State. A momentous duty rests upon
all lawmakers.