The record-union., 1895-11-16
CONVICT LABOR IN STATE PRISONS
A Letter of Inquiry From Pennsylvania
Answered.
President De Pue of the State Prison
Directors Explains Its
Workings.

plains itself:
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 13, 1895.
Governor James H. Budd, Sacra-
mento, Cal.-My Dear Sir: Herewith
1 hand you copy Of the letter written IN
reply to the one you handed me on the
train. The letter seems long, but there
is so much to be said on the subject
that it is difficult to stop when the mat
ter is once taken up.
I hone some of the worst of the exist
Ing laws relating to the prisons may be
corrected by the Code Commissioners
recommendations. Hoping you are
well, I remain very truly yours,
EDGAR J. DE PUE.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 6, 1895.
Alexander K Pedrick, Secretary
Pennsylvania Legislative Commission,
Philadelphia, Penn.-Dear Sir: Your
letter to Governor Budd has been re-
ferred to me with the request that the
extent of manufacturing with convict
labor and the condition of California in
this regard be stated.
We have two penitentiarieS-one at
Folsom, Sacramento County, with
about $50 prisoners, and the other at
San Quentin, Marin County, with
about 1850.
At the former the men were from
1888 to 1894 employed on a dam and
canal, but have since been and are now
and building granite additions to the
prison buildings, and have quite re-
Gently commenced work opening
quarry of blue trap rock, to work which
contracts have just been let for
crushing plant of a capacity of LOCO
tons of road metal per day, which it is
expected will be used through the Bu-
reau of Highways in the Improvement
of roads, and for which the State Will
obtain a small advance over the cost
Of operating the plant. Transporta-
tion by rail has been arranged for at
about three-quarter cents per ton per
mile, and a great improvement in the
highways is expected will result.
Although the tests of the granite
from the Folsom Prison have shown it
TO be of particular excellence, we have
been unable to sell any great quantity,
owing to the objections raised by the
Federated Trades to the handling of
however, placed some crossings and
curbstones.
In addition to the foregoing work at
Folsom, farming is carried on, but this
requires but few men.
The Constitution of California pro-
yideS as follows:
After the first day of January, 1882
the labor of convicts shall not be let out
by contract to any person, copartner-
ship, company, or corporation, and the
Legislature shall by law provide for the
working of convictS for the benefit Of
the State"
Until the adoption of the present Con-
stitutiop the labor of the prisoners was
contracted for by the day to various
manufacturers, and the change from
day to work gradually closed the
different shops, the last being sash
and door factory, which employed about
125 men for whose labor the State re-
ceived about $3.50, 600 annually. This
sash and door work was stopped by an
Act of the Legislature of 1889.
To provide work for the prisoners in
accordance with the constitutional pro
vision, a large jute mill was built and
equipped at San Quentin in 1882, and
aside from a force of twenty men en-
ployed on county road work, and The
necessary shops in connection with the
jute mill, the men are employed in the
mill and number about 900
This industry, however, is unsuited to
prisoners, as it is of a nature that can
easily be sighted and requires skilled
labor instead of a constant large per
centage of green hands, which we are
compelled to use owing to eXpirations
OF sentences, etc. Then, too, but few
men have fingers that are nimble enough
to enable them if so inclined, to become
expert spinners.
The working of jute is also IN
healthful to any one with weak or
diseased lungs, and among the pODul2-
ton at San Quentin there is a large
number so affected from the use of
cigarettes and opium and other causes.
The financial feature of the jute busi-
ness has also been unsatisfactory
since the duty was taken off the manu-
featured articles, as we are competing
with the cheap skilled labor of India,
whose wages are less than the cost Of
feeding and guarding our convlc5s.
With us fuel is an important factor
and also handicaps US in meeting our
competitors, but the chief objection 10
this industry is the fact that the men
learn nothing in the mill that is Of ad-
vantage to them when discharged, and
Il is probab bic that for this reason many
return, and some are sent back several
times.
The manufacture of grain bags by
the State has, however, been the means
Of saving large sums of money to the
wheat farmers by preventing combina-
tions in prices by the few importers.
The output Of the mill is annually
about 100000 bags. The consumption
Of the State about 10000, 600. An Act Of
the Legislature OF 1889 PROVIDES that
no industry shall be engaged in at San
Quentin except the manufacture Of
iute fabrics Another Act, passed in
1898, provides that jute goods shall be
sold only to consumers. and limits the
quantities This law seriously inter
fered with the sale of bags.
At recent sessions of the Legislature
bills have been introduced for the es-
4ablishment at Folsom of cOrdage
works and an ice plant, but both were
Withdrawn or beaten for the reason
that neither properly combined "a use
of labor and power, but were essentially
power propositions, which are undeslr-
able as prison industries.
The following is an extract from
recent supplementary report by the
writer TO the Governor:
II believe that the Legislature should
make an appropriation for the erection
Of a proper building, and the purchase
Of the necessary machinery, and that
articles such as clothing. blankets, hats
and shoes be made for all inmates OF the
prisons asylums and other state insti-
tutions." sAt the prices now paid for
such articles the institutions would be
self-supporting or nearly so, ana
would teach the inmates trades that
would assist them when liberated:
As the plan would not include the sale
of such articles TO the trade, II would
be free from the objection raised to
nearly every other Industry viz, COM
petition with free labor; and hnd by
investigation that some who are now
engaged in the manufacture of articles
Under contract with the State heartily
approve Of this plan"
The above and other recommenda-
tions were commended on favorably by
Governor Budd in his message to the
last Legislature. but nothing further
was done regarding them
In our market, from other States, may
be found clothing Of all kinds, furniture
and chairs. stoves. harness, harness
hardware, rugs and carpets and other
articles numbering IN all thirty-two or