The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-23
LABOR IN STATE. PRISONS.
A Letter From the State Prison
Directors.
Why Conyicts Are Employed-Danger
of Idleness in Prison-We Consume
Eastern Convict-Made Goods.

| l.
Eastern Convict-Made Goods.
The following communication explains
itself. 1t is the official reply of the Board
Of State prison Directors to the Manufac-
turers' Association in response to in
| quiries regarding prison labor. 1t will
well repay for perusal:
Manufacturers and Producers Asso-
citation OF California, IL. Il. Mead, Secre-
tary, San Francisco-Dear Sir: The State
| Board of Prison Directors, acknowledge
ing the receipt of your various communi-
cations, and the inclosure of letter from
the California Cotton Mills and the Board
of Trade OF Oakland, in reply beg leave
to say:
Before proceeding to discussion of the
question contained in your letter, 1t may
| be we'll to clear the ground of some false
Impressions. The jute plant at San
! Quentin was not erected for the sole bene-
| III OF the farmers Ofthe State of Califor-
MIA. Prior to The adoption OF the pres
ent Constitution, the labor of the con-
yicts at the state Prison at San Quentin
was employed under what is known az
| the contract system in the manufacture
OF various products. Under this system.
as You are doubtless aware, the State
leased the labor OF the mon at so much
per diem, the contractors furnished the
machinery and material. Under this
system only portion OF the conylcts
were employed. considerable profit
resulted 10 the person employ
| ing the Ia bOr, and consldera Die
| dissatisfaction was expressed at this
mode of employing convict labor
For the purpose OF curing the evils OF this
system, pursuant TO recommendation
rAy 10 al odd of
Governor Perkins, the Legislature passed
an Act appropriating sum OF money for
| the erection of ute plant for the manu-
tacture OF jute goods. Ii was believed
ct that time that the introduction OF the
jute plant and the manufacture of goods
therefrOm would add another important
industry to those already existing IN
California. Governed by this view, the
Legislature passed an Act providing that
a bounty should be paid to every person
raising specified quantity OF jute, which
Act is still on the statute books unre-
pealed. An earnest attempt was made
TO introduce the jute plant III California,
| but our climate conditions were not
found to be favorable TO its growth and
curing. In subsequent years, it is true.
it has been the policy of the State Board
of Prison Directors to give every possible
| benefit to the farmers OF the State. and
undoubtedly such viii be the policy Of
| the board in the future. We speak OF
this matter now simply to remove from
your mind the impression that the sole
object of erecting the jute plant at San
Quentin was to aid the farmers.
In common with your association it is
the desire OF the Board OF Prison Direc-
ors, as we presume it is Of every citizen
of California, to aid in every legitimate
way the manufacturing enterprises OF
this State. We have uniformly. SO far as
consistent with the pu bile interest, given
the preference in all our purchases TO
products manufactured in this State, and
this has been our course for many years,
and will be our course in the future
So far az the question of employing the
convicls Is concerned, there are several
matters to be considered. The board by
law are compelled to employ convicts,
and al San Quentin the only industry
now pursued or allowed by law to be
pursued is The manufacture of jute fab
RIGS. 1t would be a disastrous thing TO
the prison and to the State to have the
large number of convicts now congre-
gated at San Quentin remain idle. 1t
would be almost impossible to govern
them with any reasonable expenditure OF
money, TO say nothing OF the Injurious
effects that this would have upon the
prisoners themselves.
The people OF the State of Calfornis
not only expect but demand that the
| prisons shall be so managed as to pay q
portion OF their. expenses. In some
States OF the Union the labor of the con-
yicts is so utilized that the prisons are
selfsupporting, and others are not only
self-supporting, but produce a profit 10
| the State. Ii the prisons are to contribute
anything to their support, this result can
only be attained by employing the con.
yicts in some labor the products OF which
will command market. The Legisla-
ture in making the appropriation for the
present and succeeding fiscal year
estimating that the san Quentin Prison
would earn in the neighborhood of thirty
thousand dollars per year by the labor Of
convicts, appropriated the difference be-
tween that sum and The total sum neces-
sary to pay all the expenses OF the insti-
tuition. In addition TO this, concurrent
J resolution WAS passed by both houses
calling upon the prison authorities TO de-
wise some other way, in addition to those
now prevailing, whereby profit might
| he made from prIson labor.
There is no form Of productive labor al
which prisoners can be employed thai
will not BRING them into competition
with somebody, and everywhere the
! question Is presented, Shall the interests
of some private individual he made SUI
periOr to ibose of the whole State? Every
citizen of the state contributes by the way
|
prisons, and every dollar that the State
pays, in addition to what the prisons
earn. is wrung from the taxpayers. Ii
has been our policy TO make this burden
as light as possible upon the taxpayers
having regard at all times to the inter
ests OF free labor.
1t is not our intention to employ the
convicts at san Quentin in any other
form OF productive labor than in the
manufacture OF julie goods. We have in
the past few years devoted their labor tc
the manufacture OF grain bags, simply
because that class OF jute goods would
probably find The readiest market; but il
| circumstances should require US TO manu-
facture other forms OF jule goods we
would consider it our duty to do 80
; Such questions will not be decided in adj
vance, but Will be determined as they
! may arise.
The present law hampers US very much
in The disposal OF grain bags. and it may
be that the necessities OF the situation
shall compel us TO engage in the manu-
facture OF other forms of jute fabrics, bu
we have not yet given that matter serious
consideration, and have come to no con
clusion on the subject.
Probably your association is not aware