The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-15

sariiy required to force the production to
secure a fair return for its labor. 1t can
not but be admitted that that system
does not commend itself either as an
equal to the contract system. In prevent
ing undue competition withhonest labor.
TO AVOID COMPETITION.
According to my Judgment The way in
which competition with honest labor can
BIZ to a more certain extent remedied, to
diversity that labor as much as possible,
my candid belief is, after an experience OF
o year and a half in watching the pr acti-
cal operations of the piece-price system,
that the contract system. with the same
restrictions in regard to the mum Der to be
employed on the various industries, SINH
lar to that existing under the present
piece-price, by having additional shop
room to enable us to still further diversity
the character of labor TO be performed,
that not only would there be less compe-
tition Than at present with honest labor.
but that the revenue would be Increased.
thereby Iessening the annual cost OF
maintaining the prison, the burden OF
which falls most heavily upon the Shout
ders of the laboring classes"
Keeper Patterson tells how many kinds
OF employment there are for the prisoners
and how many are kept at each. AG the
close of the previous fiscal year, he states.
the prison had a population of 9S9, $50
males and 30 females. At the time of
making the present report, October 81.
there were 947. The number of convicts
received during the year was 423 males
and IS females. There were discharged
1856 males and IL females, pardoned s.
paroled SIS, transferred to Insane Asylum
5 males, died II males and l female. The
average number of prisoners for the
wear was 975, and the largest number of
conylcts confined at any one time Was
1,047.
OF the workings of the parole law the
Keeper says mat it has come quite up to
his expectations. only two of tue seventy
eight paroled prisoners having been re-
turned. He declares that 1t is safer, both
TO the law and TO society. to parole d con-
Wet than to pardon him, On account of
the restraining influence which the
| former plan entails, n that it Is better
for the convict's chances of being received
by the community in which he disgraced
himself, for the knowledge or the TACT
that he is nnder the hand OF the punish
ing power Will cause people to have no
fear for his lack of good behavior.
TO REPAY THEIR EARNINGS.
The Keeper recommends that as the
present law is imperative, the Leglsla-
ture should make a new one. providing
for the return to a convict, who works
faithfully. of a definite proportion of his
earnings, in order that he can contribute
to the support of those outside the prison
who may be dependent on him. Were
this plan adopted. the Keeper thinks, the
w~orkiDgmen outside the prison could
hardly brand that of his imprisoned fell
low workman as any other than honest
labor"
He recommends also the employment of
an agent by the State whose duty it
should be to help discharged convicts 10
procure employment.
The clerR's report showed 6 of the pris-
oners are confined for life, 8 for 80 years,
Q for 81, 81 for 90, 3 for Is, l for II, % for
Is, 4 for 10, 4 for IL, and 1o1 for 10. Hudson
county has furnished a far greater num-
Der of convicts than any other county, 2O5
in all. Essex comes next with 157. Cam
den sent 50, Passaic 70, and Union 65,
There were 63 committed for assault and
battery, 81 for breaking and entering, SO
for breaking, entering and larceny, So for
grand larceny, and A for larceny. There
murder, 5 who lave been sentenced for
murder In the first degree, and 16 for muir
der in the second degree, aud ri for man.
slaughter. Ten have been sentenced for
bigamy, + for arson, 10 for forgery, 3 for
polygamy, and l for poisoning with intent
to Kill.
or the 947 prisoners, 1856 were born in
New Jersey, 1877 in New York. 81 in Ger
many, Ga in Pennsylvania. SO in Ireland.
80 in Italy, 26 in England, 10 in Virginia,
IS in Maryland and Is In Delaware.
One prisoner has BEEN therat since 1867,
one since 1869 and one sine 1872. OF the
947, 1913 are there on the second commit
ment, 35 on the third, 10 on the fourth, 5
on the fifth, 2 On the seventh and 2 on the
ninth.
In nearly all the reports it is stated that
the prison has only room for 700 prison
ers and more cell room is urgently
asked for.