Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-04
STATE PRISON INVESTIGATION.

The joint committee of the Senate and Assem-
bly, investigating affairs of San Quentin Prison
held meeting on Saturday evening in the
supreme Courtroom, Assemblyman Shanahan
presiding. A conference between counsel and
the committee resulted in an understanding
that the examination of Warden McComb would
not be resumed until next Thursday evening
The committee then proceeded to investigate
as to the output OF jute from the prison works
with view to prove that the plan adopted by
the Governor of not e1pending the money APP
proprlated for an additional jute plant, but in
its place iDaugurated the plan of running a
night shift of men, was failure. B. f. Rector
Superintendent of the San Quentin jute mills
was the only witness examined. He appeared
with time and account books and was exam
ined quite at length by Messrs Shanahan and
storke. In reply to interrogations. the witness
said; We work our men in the jute mill in two
shiits-nine and half hours during the day
and six and half hours in the evening, but
the products of the mill were formerly divided
INTO two equal shifts of eight hours each. 1t is
impossible to tell how much cloth was made
during the day and how much at night In
order to tell the exact output, the cloth would
have TO be measured, which we never do do
net know what the object was in making a d.
vision of the day into two equal shifts II was
not correct, and made the night shift output
much greater than it should be- During April.
1855, the men worked nine hours in the day and
six and half hours at night There were 100
looms running during the day, which produced
ninety-fonr cuts of about ninety eight yards in
a cut. There were 442 prisoners at work. At
HlgIt lnlrty-six cuts were produced, with 2i9
prisoners: The runs per day and night were
about as follows in that month:
April 4th-Day, 4SS prisoners employed on lutte
manufacture, 100 looms running 81 hours, pro-
ducing 81 cuts night shift, 25l men. IS looms,
run 81 hours, produced 81 cuts.
April 5th-46S men, 100 looms. 90 hours 81
cuts night Shift 265 men, 81 looms. running 81
hours. 81 cuts.
April 6th-46l men, 100 looms ~ hours, 9S
cuts; at night, 27s men. 100 looms, 612 hours, AZ
cuts
The witness was ASKED why it took more men
to run 0 looms in the day time than at night
10 which witness replied During the day we do
all kinds of work connected with making the
cloth. making 1t into bags, etc, and use new
men in part. AT night we only use expei fenced
men, aud the work of the night shift is confined
to spinning and weaving. 1t requires about $50
men TO make a complete crew 10 run the loom
and manufacture the material produced. 1t
would take about 60 men less If only the looms
are run. The work cannot be done as cheaply
in the night in the day, as there are the ex-
cost would be l cannot say, but there would be
some.
A tabulated statement of the output of the
jute mills for January, 1889 show there were 4l6
men on average employed per day, giving
daily average eroduct of &C. % cents and 25S men
on the night shift, giving an average of 1904
cents. During this time there was an average
of about 80 looms running the day shit and
100 looms at night. The same men that will
about 40 cents at night. Therefore, you cannot
run quite as economically at night as by day
but TO say the night work is failure, is pre-
posterous.
The committee then adjourned to clock
this evening.