New-York tribune., 1897-07-29
OFFICIALS LACK NERVE.
EMPLOYMENT FOR IDLE CoNNiCio
WAITING FOR HANDS

THE INITIATIVE. WHILE THEY A"HHH 0'>
REMEDY FOR EXISTING EVILS
No,hine now stands in the way OF usins 'he
nrisoners Of the K!nge County Pcniten''atS III
beau,ifying the unsightly East s'de iahos IL
BROOKLYN except the unwillingness OF Guy oi''ceiS
.o take the initiative. They agree tha' '''s
would be an easy and happy SOLUTION oi nv
mentous question. yet the Dusapoo oi 'ne o.
-, ,,,a,,.s cs Oh of then! unwilling to make hm-
self the responsible person In the movement
Ch.r,,,es Commissioner Burtis has informaiiy
ocorad pary, Commissioner Dettmer the use oi
.,.,.oros for this or any other work on the parks
or no,,,.varis but both Mcssrs. Dettmer an"
Purtis Yesterday suggested legal dil!lcu'"S vac"
they would like 10 have passed upon y! ~
poration Counsel Burr before acton Is '""e"
As dr. Burr never sires opini'h7 i"' ."'
unless formally asked 10 do So eoi''e'''' .
take the responsibility even al Ee''Ihe al Op"
ION on these questions of law from MI '"'''
Mr. Det,mer raised two points yeS'etu"'' o.0
that the law forbids that any one s"d' w
rloyed In the Park Department ""o ,,ar
nasscd y Civil Service examinations 'he ''"'''
that the law does not permit inc "s' y.
NJ Stale prisons on the highways OF CIV"
,.,,,,na has already discussed the latter
-, ona noted that this law does h0'
,,ooi,ar,,a,ies BY name, although 1t may
,ov. heen intended to cover penitentiaFies "'
-, 49, c,a,e prisons However that may De-
,,,s law prohibits the use Of prisoners on '"e
,,.,~.,r.ovs" of cities and hence can have no
annljcabty as far as parks are
The East side lands are not a hish"a9'
NOT A,IENABI.E TO CIVIL SERVICE hOhI'
The Charities Commissioners 90 no' 'n
,,,,,ch Of Mr. Dettmers contention thd' '"e
Ssuice rules prevent the use OF p!'so"
fore receiving an appointment as d" e'f
of the Park Department. laporer 10 iedu
=. orswor q few personal questions ana pe
placed upon an eligible list Inc VIC" VI
Chor;,i.s Danartment is that if prisoners worheu
on the Fast Side lands they wouiu nov w
,1oyss of the Park Department. and that De-
,.o,, u,on,d rat nav anything for their SER
,,tnos They would remain the wards OF the
r,,~,.,o. ron,,tment 1t is highly improbable
,bot apv one would raise any OF these points.
- 49, nr;sopers we're set to work, and IL
,ba work had to be discontinued no harn' "0O,u
be done, because no hiaH''
have been incurred
D,rvERr%CEs IN COMMITMENTS.
Another point that has been raised Is u ''''
effect that the commitments comPei 'ie 'o"
fning of prisoners in the penl'eh'iais ms D',.
day during the term Of the sentence
me reporter looked at several Oh ."ese N0
,nitments yesteday One OF the Chi'eu
,.n,roi,r,ants read: He shall be committed for
FIVE years to the Kings County fei''e.'''s'
h,,, saia nothing about his being confined there
IN Another read: he shall be imprisoheo a'
hard labor in the Kings County Penitenuary iof
tea % eve wears" This would seem to re-
oure the Warden TO keep this man al "oiA "'
.hara a
mjtments that require hard LABOR A"o."e.
.or, recuires imprisonment in the 'penlteh'iaiS
ana ,xorkhouse" and has puzzled the Commis-
siorers as they have workshops, Dut 10 "oih-
house. =, a l., ,,ricon law
a., &c, eo,isNed ba said to Commissioner Burtls
.astnrdav that If | were ordered to take the
prisoners out of the penitentiary lot tne pui
pose of working them Gou1a ro ronnrtnr ~ later:
"as far as this point goes it is my OPINION
that when the prisoners are ouv a. az ivst as as
charge of guards or keepers tne' ara ar in the
much in confinement as IL 'i''' "
penitentiary proper
AN oLD-TIME PRACTICE
uooaaant is all on the side of working the
,r,eon4rs outside of the penitentiary. 1t has
hoan the practice for thirty years or more 10
work the convicts on the grounds ana roauS
around the penitentiiary. Commissioner heh's
said Yesterday that number OF years af7o
County Judge Moore formally decided that lne
law allowed the use Of prisoners IN work @ ANU.
the hospital and almshouse For more W .ldn hno, q
vear mast about seventy-fve conVlcls nav ~ -,
sant daily TO these institutions to renoVate .he
buildings, fix up the yards and aid the nlasohs. s.
Fifty more are now sent daily to dg down
mi in front of the penitentiary DuhoihS' A.
Jain ,nrauine az some unsightly hills around the
,,oni,antiarv and in building six hundred leel
Of walk the prisoners have shown their capaom- o,
e., Tor inst the kind Of work required III iiiio
A.! ~ Sost side lands AS most of the prison.
~ are now short time men. it is not necessary
,o chain Them while at work outside Wl@lnih @ 'is &c
70, ~ - = only two men have escaped. ohe % Oi
!aS. 'as q man who was allowed TO go at WILL
and be hetrayed the confidence imposed IN hii'''
%mt was CAPTURED after several days c,,,s-
park Commissioner Dettmer u"iu .o,,d siadiv
sioner Burtis yesterday that ne "ouia sau1s ao AZ
ya hin, orders for such goods as can he Taue ma ,
XIV E III m %nanitentiary and are needed by the FarN
Department
MO WEE