Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-08-20
CONVICT LABOR.
Commissioner Carroll D. Wright
Makes a Report on the Subject.
A NEW POSTAL EXPERIMENT
A Wagon to BE Used to Collect Mall from
the Boxes at Westinghouse Sue
cesBful to Be Tried Elsewhere
Information Wanted.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. Accumulation
er of Labor Carroll D. Wright issued
bulletin yesterday which contains
some interesting statistics and general
information about convict labor in the
United States. The total number of
convicts in penal institutions in the
various states in 1885 was 41,ss7. In
1895 the number rose to 54,244. OF the
number imprisoned in 1885, 1867 were
females. The number of females inn
prisoned in 1895 was 1888, an increase
of only 81. In 1885 the number en-
gagged in productive labor was 30,S53,
being 1917 per cent of the total number
of convicts at that time, while in 1904
the number engaged in productive la
Dor was 3s, AIS, or 20 8 per cent. of the
total number of convicts.
The total value of goods produced or
work done in the United States for the
various states and territories, in all the
state prisons and penitentiaries, for
1895 was SIS, O42, 472.93. This sum rep
resents the value of the goods after
the materials have been manipulated
by the convicts. 1t does not represent
the value which has been added to
them, but represents the value of the
materials on which work has been be-
slowed and the work itself.
In 1885 the total wages paid by con-
tractors and lessees to the states and
counties for the labor of convicts from
which resulted a product of the value
of S2S, 1853, 900 was only $3,512. 97O, or 81
of convict labor to IS. 10 of finished
product of convict labor There is
reason to believe that the ratio at the
present time is less than that for 1885.
At the present time in all probability
the total value of the labor expended
by the convicts in the state peniten-
tiaries and prisons of the country does
not exceed S., 500, 600
A New Postal Experiment.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 49, Gen. Nelson,
second assistant postmaster-general
has scheme which he will put into
practice within the next 60 days, add
ing very materially TO Washington's
postal facilities. 1t is new kind of
wagon collection, intended to obviate
delays and to meet the occasional diff
ficulties that now present themselves
at the city post Office. If the expert
ment works satisfactorily, as it is be-
lieved it will, the department will in
troduce it elsewhere. A wagon es-
pecially constructed for the purpose is
now being built at Hartford, Conn. 1t
will be large enough to accommodate
a carrier, without an assistant, who will
do the driving and take the mail from
the street boxes. This wagon will be
put on at an early hour in the morning
and kept on its rounds until after
midnight. Every box in the business
centers and other populous districts
will be visited one after the other, the
territory assigned to the wagon being
gone over constantly, new trip being
commenced as soon as the original
starting point is reached. The carrier
in charge will sort the mail making
up distributions for all trains. He has
great hopes for the future of this con-
tinuous collection and will watch its
development in Washington with care
tul attention.
Many Requests for Information.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-Not in the
memory of the oldest employee of the
treasury department has the demand
for information on financial matters
been so great as at present. The di-
rector of the mint and the principal
officials of the department receive an
average of 200 letters daily, making all
kinds of inquiries on subjects of
finance and coinage. In order to fur
nish the information demanded by the
public, the director of the mint
has detailed clerk whose duty it is to
mail the circulars prepared. Great
care is taken to express no opinion in
these replies and only the cold facts
are given. The inquiries for informa-
tion on financial questions come from
all parts of the country Earlier in
the campaign they were received
chiefly from Ohio, Indiana, Kansas and
Nebraska, but during the last few
weeks the letters are confined to no
particular locality.