St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-26


by Senator Wyman and one by Senator
Greer, the latter providing a $1,000 APP
preparation for the improvement of
the national guard camping ground at
Lake City. One of Senator Wyman's
bills was to authorize boards of trus-
tees for Young Mems Christian as
sociations, and another to provide for
the payment of wolf .bounties. An
unimportant amendatory act by Jones,
j. D., was passed. When the house
reached Tiers bill to amend the bank
ing laws, it was found that there were
not two-thirds of the members present,
and as it requires two-thirds vote to
amend the banking laws, an adjourn
ment was taken.
AT the morning session eight new
bills were introduced, making the total
number of files 456 to date. Mr.. Johns
has a bill making telegraph companies
liable for the mental suffering of dam
aged patrons, in addition to the actual
pecuniary damage. Mr.. Johns also
has a bill to amend municipal laws re-
lating to the payment of judgments
against cities. Mr.. Mathieson pro-
poses to protect the public by requir-
ing milk dealers to cleanse the COWS
in which the tactical fluid is kept, and
Mr.. Martin has a bill to prohibit OPP
pressive garnishment proceedings.
Mr.. Grondahl has one bill providing
system for levying special assessments
in cities of less than 5000 population,
and another giving preference to old
soldiers in the making of appointments
for the public service.
to tive RnOh9r will TODAY
introduce bill asking appropriations
aggregating $4,000 for new buildings
at the St. Cloud reformatory.
The joint census committee will meet
this afternoon to formulate some plan
for taking the census of the state.
Incidentally there is, of course, row
between certain branches. of the public
service to determine who shall reap
the political benefit of the census TAX
ing. Labor Commissioner Powers
would sacrifice himself for the pur-
pose for $4,000 a year, in addition to
what he is getting. Assistant Sec
rotary of State Wildt will do the work
if he has just the right kind OF
chance.
Inc board of managers of the state
prison look with evident disfavor upon
the proposition to curtail or abolish
the manufacture of shoes by convict
labor. and to this end have printed
and caused to be delivered to the mem
bers of the senate and house the 1ol-
lowing circular:
For your information and guidance,
we, the board of managers OF the MIN
neSota state prison, desire to place
before you some facts bearing upon
certain features of prison management
that are now being so ruthlessly at
tackled in several states throughout
the Union. We refer to all manner OF
proposed visionary legislation tend>
ing to the adjustment of convict Ia
Dor, or placing such reStrlctlons upon
same as are practically prohlbltory.
A healthful and instructive system OF
labor for our prisoners must be mad.
Without it all efforts for prison reform
must end in miserable failure. W ORR
is necessary to break up the VICIOUS
thoughts and idle habits that always
go before and invariably accompany
life of crime. Prison labor, in order 10
be healthful and in any way benefi-
cial in it's reformatory effect, must be
productive labor, that is to say, 1t
must be in harmony with industrial
conditions that exist in the outside
world. It is suggested by some that
labor performed in our prison shall
be done wholly by hand in order to
minimize the competition of convict
with free labor; that is to say, that ali
manufacturing shall be carried on
without the use of machinery. Any
legislation along this line must result
in enforced idleness of our prisoners,
with all it's attending evils. TO carry
on any system of labor not in harmony
with the business methods established
by the Industrial world would prove 8
ruinously expensive experiment to the
state without any commensurate re-
turn. Any industry carried on under
these restricted conditions would be
non productive in two ways. In the
first place the manufactured product
would not pay for the raw material
consumed. Secondly. it would be d.
recting the energies of the prisoners
along lines that cannot benefit them as
a means of mechanical training.
Legislation that interferes with the
productiveness Of labor as fixed by the
natural development of all modern in
duStrieS, must result, in the end, in
doing away with all mechanical labor
in our prisons. Enforced idleneSS in
several Of our Eastern prisons has
been tried, and its deplorable and in
human results is a matter of record.
Men by the score were driven insane;
the prison corridors reSounding with
the echoing cry of maniacs driven
mad by mans inhumanity to man."
Better far to execute than to consign
Objections have been raised particu>
larry against the manufacture of shoes
in this prison. 1t is claimed that the
working of 200 prisoners at this in
duStry causes a competition ruinously
heavy. AS a matter of fact there are
about 5000 makers in the state of Min
nesota. If the competition as gagged
by the comparative numbers as indi-
Gated above is fair showing, the per-
centage even under this condition
would be small. But it is not a fair
showing, as indicating the competition
between convict and free labor in the
state of Minnesota.
The house committee of fifteen to
examine the report of the expert ar
chitects on the capitol plans had a
| meeting yesterday, and will call on the
| commission this afternoon, either in
a body or through a subcommittee, and
formulate a report to be submitted to
| the house. 1t is expected that this will
end the captious opposition of the Hen
nepin delegation and the two or three
outsiders who have been fighting the
| bill.