St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-13
The PRISON PROBLEM
e,on.;nued From First Page.

benefit. | want to see him fitted for
rood life when he shall have left here,
and unless some plan like the state ac-
count plan is adopted confinement here
is failure and serves only to crush ana
harden. If il is impossible 10 bring
about such revolution at ence would
suggest a short contract. say i've years.
for 200 men at So to IS cents DAY Ior
the men. An appropriation OF S5o,ooo
ought to be made to begin ana carry OH
some industry on state account ana
then willing and competent men could
be taught trade. The three best m
dnstrjes to establish here would be the
manufacture of toys, harness and
brushes. Then each man must learn
one of these trades. As soon as he has
done this he can share in his earnings,
A STATE FARM PLAN.
George Elliott, OF doc, of the Mirror
Ofhce-I am opposed to the contract
system. Two great objects to be at
tanned here should be affording men
employment and. at the same time,
learning them practical trade-some
trade not requiring many or various
tools or years of apprenticeship III order
to attain skill in their use, but some,
thing that an industrious man could
easily ACQUIRE, and by which he could
earn an honest living on leaving here.
Few convictS are capable OF making an
honest livelihood outside. except by I'M
skilled labor or simple clerkShips. And.
of course, in coming from prison a
Young man would find it hard to get a
clerkship at a remunerative salary; yet
that would be about the only field left
omen to him. That of unSkilled labor
gives hard physical work. small pay ana
is distasteful to young men. under
stand that the state pays large sums an
nuallv for printing and binding. by
establishing that branch Of the states
business here the 100000 or more APP
propriated for that work would be avail
able for the employment of convlcts.
and the desired reform be assured: L
approve of the state account plan. me
claim that under the contract system
the work of the shops can be so varied
that any prisoner can easily learn
trade is not true. In all except one or
two departments the men were put 10
work at one special occupation. In that
position they would becomes kliitul ana
be kept there because of use to the COM
pany. which, of course, has no interest
in the men except to get the most out OF
them. Now, along with number OF
short timers are those whose long time
has nearly expired, and few OF these
would attempt escape 10 risk recapture
or life of hiding. They could be
trusted under competent guards. and
for such men ] advocate the plan OF the
state acquiring land as near the prison
as possible and sending the short timers
out to farm work each morning, return
ing them at night. The confinement is
most disastrous to health. After term
of years man leaves unable to resume
active duties with necessary vig0r If lie
intends to redeem the past. Two or
three months work on the farm would
make him better, physically and NOR
ally. And besides, the state could thus
raise part, at least, Of the vegetables
needed here for daily consumption.
There could be raised enough succulent
vegetables to give the c0nvicts variety
of vegetable diet so necessary to health.
The vegetables now furnished are po--
tatoes, cabbage, beets. turnips, and
onions, once a week each. Ordinary
dietary laws require change of vege--
table diet at least once every day, and
by having q farm cultivated by state
labor there could besupplied vegetables
now impossible to secure.