The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-09-04

upol d better basis, anu more satis-
factory classification of prisoners can
be- made.
This principle has been engrafted
upon the codes of N. Y. Massachu-
setts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and
Kansas. Its practical working is well
illustrated in the famous refOrmatory
at EImira, N. Y. l give this suggestion
state builds new penitentiary it
should endeavor to inaugurate the best
prison system of discipline as well as of
labor.
Prison Systems of Labor-The recent
labor trouble lat Briceville and Coal
Creek has so emphasized the great need
of the State for new penitenLiary, that
l presume it Will be your Judgment to
take immediate steps toward preparing
for its erection. As the system OF labor
by whicn conVicts can best be employed
is such an important subject and should
be SO carefully considered before a lOca-
JiOn Is selected Tor prison, L have
made some investigation into the prison
systems of other States. The result
shows that ali nave trouble in the solu-
tiOn of this problem, and few have as
yet reached satisfactory results. Only
six States report good management and
OnIy Two, Kansas and Vermont, report
satisfactory results III SO managing the
convict labor as not to cause reduction
in the wages of free labor, in sales of
goods, or IN prOdncGs or work done.
All those VINO have given Thought to
prison management, agree that work of
sOIne kiud Is absolutely essential to the
well being of the prisoner physically,
uneutally, and morally. .t7n aaas
The National Prison Association
passed resolution AT meeting in Bos-
ton that productive labor in prisons is
All Indispensable factor in the work of
prison reform, and that any scheme
which has tendency, direct Orindirect,
to-promote or permit the; ldleness or
unproductive labor OF prisoners, Twill
inlet irreparable injury E0pouG the
prisoner, the working man and the
State.' So that, while reformation, and
not revenue should be the main object
of d prison system, labor Is one OF the
best reforInatory agents and 1s iAdts-
ypensible thereto, and it Is but Justice to
all thai tins labor be productive and be
turned to the self-maintenance of the
prison, thereby relieving the tax-pay-
ers of y portion OF the financial burden
OF crime. The great problem then is
how is it possible.tog give eonvictss pre-
ductive labor that will not compete
with free labor, for If arcOnviet but
drives nail or bores hole he pre-
vents some other man from performing
that work. 1t being Impossible wholly
to eliminate this competition, the prac-
ticable thing to do is TO endeavor to re-
duce &C TO the minimum. g. r~
h The United States Commissioner Of
Labor shows through his report oni con-
convict labor in operation in the United
States-the public account system, the
contract system, the piece-price system
and the lease system. OF these systems
the contract system is the most preva-
lent in the United States at pres
ent. Under this more convicts are en-
ployed andtmore goods manufactured
under than any other. Under this the
State makes a contract with the high
est bidder for the employment of its
at fhfa
conVicts usually being employed within
the walls of the prison. The adVant a.
yes OF this system are: First, the con-
stant employment given to the con-
victs; second, good returns to the State
Treasury, the Income under it constitut-
ing IS per cent, OF the running expenses; /;
third, the advance of business risk on
the part of the State.
The disadvantages are that cOmpe-
tition in prices between the convict
made goods and goods made by free
labor is so great as to cut down the
price of the latter, and as a consequence
the wages of the free. .laborers are low
cred, so there is a threefolu competition,
in prices, in amount of sales, and in
wages of la5orerS. Contractors have
been known to monOpOliZe certain in
dustries TO such an extent as to drive
all others engaged in them cut of the
business. The cooperage business Ill
Chicago was almost destroyed, and the
| business of the stove factories in Oregon
re SAID to have been broken up.
Phenologists say that this system is q
disadvantage To refOrInatOry efforts
because the convict is under the super
VISION of the contractors employees,
who are looking only at the amount O
| work that can be done anu not the good
of the criminal. They claim that all the
prison operations should be entirely Ill
the hands of the States officers, who
| are responsible to the people for the
faithful execution of their trust.
Under tue peace-price system the con
! tractor furnishes the materials fol
manufacturing to the prison officials
who return the completed work to the
contractor at given sum per piece.
The advantages of this system are
that The contractors have nothing to dC
with the convicts, leaving them TO worl
within the prison walls under the SUI
| perViSiOn of the State officials, Thl:
saLishes~the prison reformer, but there
is the same competition in prices o
| goods and amount of sales as nder tn,
contract system.
Under the State account system tn,
State works and controls its prisoner
and the profits which result from theil
laborS go into the State Treasury. anC
not to an individual, company or corpo
/ ration. The prison reformer does no
object to this systemhbecause the con
| Victs are under State control entirely
and no outside influences are brought Il
bear upon them, but to makea tiflancia
|
j capable business men to tcOpdu uct th'
various industries, and IL is difficult u
fiud men who are capable Of filIing tn,
duty OF Warden, ana at the same tam
superintend the manufacturing indus
tries; so the State incurS the rl5k o
losing. s----S1
. Under this system the labors incdm'
Il has met about.32 per cent OF the. run
ing expenses, but many States thfougI
the maladmInistrationo of wardens hav'
~ va Mt 4 a.
II this system is again, the eonaPetitiOH Il
prices and sales CT oonViet-mada good
AMI goods manufactured by free labor
IL Is said that the State not being com
I peIled to make profits can put It's good
on the market at lower price than ,run
der any other system, aud therefore tn,
most hurtful competition IN prices !
produced. H,f-- -lt-- Li.it III 70
The lease system brings more revenu
into the State than any other, relieving
il of all business risk and expense AM
paying surplus into the treasury.
The disadvantages OF this system ar
great. The lessee usually selects som
one industry upon which to cOncentrat
his forces ana thereby becomes tn
kagent of the greatest competition AM
the burden is made to rest upon the on
industry, or few industries selected
Again IL is impossible to classify tn
criminal according to the degree of hi
crime, to separate the younger criminal
from those more hardened in crime, an
!, 10 put around them the proper reforma
tory influences. This is the system o
AlabRna, Arkansas, Florida, Georgie
louisiana, Pepnessee, Kentucky, Mis-
, sissippi, North Carolina, South CarolinI
) Washington, Nebraska, New Mexico
f most of the other States work under tn
three systems jointlyAthe State account
contract and pi6ce-p%ce; only TIVE
t Arizona and California, working who'll
' on State account, and fve-Dakot,
l Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia an
West Notwithstanding exGluslvel
: under contract system, and all hav
: trouble on account of competition wit
: free labor causing reduction in price
, and in wages of laborers. -
! The States which diversity the
q systems and industries succeed best
a reducing this competition. ni5s
: The prevalence of the lease system
r the South is due to the fact that prior
' the war every plantation was police
y and controlled by its owners. Pen
Jentiaries were little needed. hay
: been told that South Carolina had nom
n When great numbers of ignorant slave
l. were set free from all restraints the
= quickly extended our criminal list b,
8 yond the capacity of the prisons to a
- comnlodate them and the ability iof tt
: State to take care OF them, and in Il
If financial straits incident to the civ
4 war the lease system was the best sol
: ton of the problem that the States hay
a yet been able to make. But they al
"a reaching out after q better systeI