The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-01-11


portiol OF his keeping while In the latter
he earns nothing. The former warden OF
this institution was removed Tor cause.
Since the change in WardenS there mas
been a marked reduction In the prices OF
articles bought. but II Is not probable
that all the reforms needed nave YET
been adopted. The state accountant mas
been ordered To conduct an investigation,
and he reports verbally that the system
of keeping accounts Is Imperfect, ana
that many. Of the practices there shouia
be changed. ..
This brings up the question Of contract
labor. In Jackson prison, where tnost
such as TO show that had all the men been
employed the prison would nave beeh
self-supportlng, and possibly httle NOR Or
and Il can hardly be said that there Was
any serious Interference with free labor
there. All the food. all the clothing, ana
all the material for manufactured artlcies
free labor. The goods produced there
were not TO any considerable extent so,d
below the market price. IL Is cls'Ily
shown that contractors OF prison labor
do not usually make larger pronts IMAM
those who employ free labsr' so that the
competition cannot he very severe Inls
Is Illustrated by the fact that the AUSTIN,
,Tonllinson q Webster Co. engaged In the
manufacture of wagons have surrendered
l25 out of 100 men, preferring 70 nave
free labor At Ionia where the state ac-
count system and piece price plan have
been practiced the result has been Sc
we're burden on the taxpayers OF the STATE.
free labor has been legs. In the expert
ence OF prisons In this ana other states
where business Is conducted on state 1c-
count, Il has universally shown dlsas-
trous results financially. This is in ac-
cordance with fixed business principles.
No warden. however competent he may
be- ~ capable of carrying on successfully,
In all their details. anywhere from ten TO
twenty five different branches or busl-
ness Then, the number OF prisoners EN-
ployed on productive labor compared with
ha ptIrtnhar pnnQRpH IN free labor Is In
finitesmal, and the only way In which
their labor can seriously ln1ure free IA
labor upon the market at such price as
10 reduce the market value OF GOODS pro-
duced by free labor. This, / think, sta
tsties clearly prove Is not the ease on
s son U Si8he SGo pays s The taxes but TIE
home Of every farmer and laboring man
has TO contribute to the support OF these
entirely idle. 1t is needless 10 call your
attention TO the fact that II Is not practl-
cable or. reformatory TO keep prisoners
without labor. 1t Is sincerely hoped that
no action will be taken TO deprive the
prison management of the right 70 con-
tract the labor of TIE prisoners. A..
The public acts OF 1883 provide that the
board of control shall appoint a warden,
who shall hold his Office during the pleas
ure OF the board. The same section also
provides that no warden shall be removed
EXCEPT for cause. This section was evil
IDENTIFY designed 10 have the warden APP
pointed so that he would retain his place
as long as he was successful warden,
and that he should not be removed upon
the mere within of the board, or on ac-
count Of change in the political complex
ion thereof but our courts have construed
"cause" to be such that CSder the pres
ent law the warden Is practically appoint
ed for life, unless he does some such overt
act as TO warrant his removal; but ne
NAV become indifferent OF incompetent,
and may even be defiant in his attitude
towards the board, and yet there Is no
power 10 remove him. This is protection
for the warden, but is not, as intended
protection 10 the interests OF the state.
II would seem to me that this section
should be so amended as 10 provide what
was originally intended, that the warden
should be removed only for such cause as
would justify his removal for business
reasons In private business affairs.
Pardon and Reprieve.
The governor thinks the chief executive
should have more freedom in granting re-
prleves and pardons. lie says there are
many cases where II would seem proper
and wise to permit prisoners. and espec-
! tally some young men, TO be liberated up
on certain conditions, notably that of alb
| staining from the use of intoxicating
| liquors, provided that in case of violation
| Of this they may be returned 10 prison
| without the expense OF another trial
! There IS no doubt that men liberated upon
| these conditions would be much less likely
to enter upon career of crime, and would
be able to get a start In life before this
| restraint was removed. II would materi
| ally increase the chances of returning
| these men to the Industrial pursuits Of
| life, and to good citizenship, and at thu
| same time relieve the state Of the burden
| OF their support. II Is hoped that som'
| action will be taken TO bring about thi!
| result. IL is also desirable that som,
| provision he made, in cases OF persons
sentenced for term of years. by provid
| ing either for the filing of the testimony
| complete, or of a history Of the case, witt
| any aCgraVating or mitigating Circum
stances connected herewith, In the execu
| tive Office, to be used in cases where afte
years have elapsed an application for par
| don Is made. Anyone connected with par
don matters to-day realizes that man.
times 1t is almost impossible TO, get a
the real facts in the case, and man,
| times IL is made to appear that the mos
| hardened criminals serving q long tern
| Of Imprisonment for crimes committed
| really des rye reward at the time instea,
OF punishment. The statement OF the cas-
| Is all the argument needed.
Contracts with Prison oficers.
The section Of the public acts of 1899 re
lating 10 contracts with prison officer
should be 30 amended as to clearly am
unequlvocally forbid the warden of an,
prison acting for the prison under hi
charge, dealing in any manner, except =,
pay in the regular way in cash for service
4 rendered, with any member OF the boar
Of control, or any officer connected Wit
the prison, or with himself, either directl,
or indirectly. Officers should be paid thei
salaries and purchase what they need q
other people do.
State Institutions-state Officers.
In discussing the state charitable and re
formatory institutions the governor say
the school for the deaf at Flint. school 70
the blind at Lansing. state public schoc
at Coldwater, Industrial school for boy
ct Lansing and the industrial home 70
girls at Adrian are filing .he purposes an
objects for which they were created, an
are under the control Of competent board:
The appointive state ofiicers-commission
ers OF railroads, insurance. labor, stat
banking and state inspector Of oils-hav
proven very efficient and have given goo
satisfaction In their respective offices.
discussing the dairy and food commission
er the governor calls attention to the fac
that Maj. G. T.. Storrs, of Muskegon. wa
not given sufficient power under the &C
to prosecute the violators of the law an
that therefore he has not accomplishe
as much as he otherwise would, but
large amount of Information has been S,
cured which Will be placed before the les
is.ature, enabling Ii TO provide means IL
successfully carrying on the work. Their
Is no more important measure to be col
sidered at this time than the question
| pure food. Under The heal of factory II