New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-09
SHALL CONFLICTS BE IDLE
THE LEGISLATURE OF 1895 MUST DECIDE
THE QUESTION.
SIX THOUSAND INMATES OF STATE PRISONS AND
PENITENTIARIEs ARE AFFECTED By THE
NEW PRISON LABOR AMENDMENT
SUPERINTENDENT LATIIROP5
VIEWS Of CONVICT
ROAD MAKING.
ROAD MAKING.
lBY TELEGRAPH To THE rEinvNE.I

Albany Dec S-Austin Iaihrop Superintendent OF
Prisons made Interesting statements yesterday
about tn State prisons. In my annual report 10
the Legislature. he said, 81 snail earnestly recon-
mend that pnn, liatc attention be paid = the sub
jec, 81 providing the cOnvlcts in Oh" state PRISONS
some 3 ~ in number with employment. Under the
amendment 20 the Constitution Just adopted we can
not sell anything which may be made by the con-
v.cts Ever since lsse. WHOM Senator Fasseits law
vas passed authorizing he employment Of CON
victs in the manufacture or various articles we
have kept the convlcs at work in twenty or thirty
different lines Each one o, the state prisons mas
been IN fact 4 mandatory with the state as the
ctrltalis, and the convlc,s w1rkinsmen We
" re- given Sap.cO capital In is'9. This sum we
have nearly al repaid 90 tho state from inc earn
ing 81 the conv.cts. and We have large amount
Of manufactured goods hnn1. which VIII give
| us a chance % make a good financial showing io'
| the Fasse,i sysi.m Of employment i'ui the system
has been abolished by the new Constitution. ana
We are prohibited from making anything Tor siIe'
and can manufacture nothing for use outside OF the
prisons EXCEPT articles used In other state lhsu'u-
| ions
I'VE tried that experiment once before IN AS'S'
under the Ainsw1rth act. and We learned 'ha'
twenty-five convlcts could manufacture all the
articles needed In the other Stlic Institutions Inc
| reason Of that is that in every St1'e INSTITUTION
now the inmates are employed In making their o""
| clothing and shoes. Even IN the insane aSy'"n'S
n large proportion OF IN" minutes -" '''' ." '
ably employed boy the STATE In the manufacture ol
| clothing. bedding. shoes mats ara TX Tx , ~
used by the other inmates Accordingly ATT tw. dnS
| nVc conyicts are thus emrlpf'u III MANS 49,
Tor other nstaSns we sna .b nIyG he done WITH
them Tha, will be one ~ ~" TASKS oil the l's'S
| lafurc when II meets a., 49,. >,.or tho
| ,nniovmeut OF the conyicts At road making. state
| Treasurer Covin. said he has scheme i9r eiu
the cas-, side OF Lake George. He says II - graz
pleasure resort 81 N peop'" oi sne ,na:eIy
| can improve The roads In that vicinity IL w9NlJ
build new prison thcre FOR n % ,'n,s' o
rom ,,.. ~" ,e,o ~, mis- SAT- viii ever con-
sent 10 the establishments OF the chain sang system
| The prospect OF convicts workin: IA chanr upon
| Moreover a road built by convicts would cos,
| more than hnilt hv fr'e labor"ts You wouiI
have to have TWO guards FOR each convict we tr.5
| that at clinton Prison last year. "" rad Nooc'
To- construct an cXpcrm.nial ROAD Ju.t Outside ",'
pended son upon the road ~ mile IN length We
expended $500 ~ M same appfopriInn'hu III re-
capturing two convic's who bad cscapef hesi'r -,
predict that II tn STATE ever stars to employ tne
protest from the worMngm"n OF ne SIT 'i' M, ~
Stato authorities VIII back out Of the project Inc
XIII rcnrs tbry o,,ch. 70 have the Job and
! lot Of convicts ant You could not convince thein
that It would be for the interest OF the state 'nu'
The conyicts. up to me time 'ol the hnIopl
| In making brooms chairs. hollow-ware, iroH
castings. pearl buttons saddlery and h%Iness' cor
Will lo now that work In these Industries rs prac-
ically forbidden by the Constitutional prohibition
| that The articles manufactured cannot be- sod Will
g. indeed a problem FOR the Legislator" To solV'
, II is true that this fcatur" % IN" constitution
| does not 20 into effect until January J. 1871, bur
Superintendent .athrop said that IN" Legislature
OF 1876 would have TO act ~ the case. because me
! Legislature OF 1879; would meet and act too late
for the Superintendent OF Prisons 10 tax" measures
| under It's direction 10 keen the convicts Al work
| Moreover. contracts FOR the articles made by the
| conyicts ar" expiring. and Superint enden'
| Iathrop finds II impossible 10 rene" them lhrT'
| Is prospect. therefore. that n good many OF me
| convlcts may lose their present emp oyment the
| coming year There about 300 other prisoners
I'm the penitentiarics and reformaories OF the STATE
| who are also affected by the amendment JUST
| ndopted In all these rcformatorlcs ami pcniter-
| tare~ various Industries have been carried on
| similar IN nature TO those pursued III thc STATE
| PRISONS The Legislature viii probably appoint n
| sIccal committee to consider this important sub
fec OF finding work for G.0lo persons. Humanity
| dictates that they should have some kind OF EN-
ploymcnt and not be kept locked up In their cells