St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-26
CONVICT CONTRACTS
Thoroughly Investigated by the
Senate Committee.


The senate committee appointed to
investigate the Saltwater prison met in
Room 16, at the capitol. yesterday, and
proceeded with the examination of wit
nesses. Senator Sanborn presided, and
Dr. S. g. Smith, member of the board
of corrections and charities. was first
placed on the stand. The doctor, in am
swer to questions, said that he had viS-
tied the prison in 1889, and found the
Younger boys Ill the library, in rooms
carpeted. aud giving receptions to their
friends and others. He went to Still
water in October last by request or Gov.
Merriam. He then read letter to
| the governor which he had writ
ten. He wrote the letter be-
cause he believed Warden Ran
dali TO be a good, honest
man, but not fit for that position. He
told the governor that 1t would be bet
ter il Randall would resign. He had
examined many reports of prison work
ana read considerable on the subject
He thought the contract system the
more profitable to the state, but not the
best system for the general welfare of
the prison. He visited st. Cloud ana
found many young prisoners working
on stone VINO were too weak and deli
cate for that kind of work. He thought
the plea of having large portion OF citi-
ZenS among the cOnvlcts is bad, but
could not give positive statement as to
the best way to conduct the prison in
the future. Tne prison managers dId
not, in his Judgment, carry out the law
of 1887. He thought they rather tried
to nullify it. ''.rhe governor has too
much to do, he said. Ito attend to the
prison management"
5. B. Foot, the st. Paul boot and shoe
manufacturer, said he had 800 men en-
ployed at present The boot and Shoe
industry is carried on in several prisons.
aud the state gets 40 or A. cents per dav
in these cases. He did not know
whether the system is more profitable
for the state than other manufacturing,
lie said: i think no employment is
more fitting than the boot aud shoe
business"
Gen. Sanborn asked what effect the
whole prison work OF the country would
have if ali worked on shoes.
80 far as the labor has been used, if
has no more effect than if you would
drop il here in the Mississippi. From
% to 40 people could work on pair of
shoes, from the time the leather is cut
to the time when shoes were finished.
IOl OVb GkloOhSAS JbN FOhHN AdfC "
have perhaps twenty skilled workmen
at perhaps $50 per week and one super
intendent for say $4,000 per year. ST.
Paul has several factories of this kind.
This state is pretty well up in this busi-
ness. ] think there are made in this
city 81, ,250000 worth. Our firm makes
S4o0, 200 of these. If we had factory at
Saltwater 1t would not hurt us here, but
would drive the goods made in New
England out of the state. Three hun
dred prisoners ought to make 500, 600
worth of goods in year. have man
in my employ who was educated in
state prison, and he is a good man,
worth $3.50 a day. / would not bid for
a contract for less than eight years.
John B. De Laittre. of Minneapolis,
was sworn. He had lived III Minneapo-
| lis for twenty-five years. He was on,
| the board of managers eight years and
resigned in 1887. He gave a great deal
of thought to prison management. In
1881 a riew contract was let, and great
deal OF trouble came from the laboring
element.
The committee then aapusaesss for
the day.