New-York tribune., 1897-01-18
PO4D-UiKING BY CONVICTS.

The question OF the employment OF the con-
vcts IN the State prisons In the making ana
repairing Of roads Is attracting considerable AT
tentiOn at present, particularly because nhder
the operation Of section Of the revised Con-
stiution which went into effect at the begin
ming Of this year. the opportunities FOR supply
ing work TO the inmates Of the prisons have
been seriously restricted. BY common consent
idleness Is the worst possible thing for these
people They must be kept AT work II they
are not to become sullcn and mOrose ana III
clined to make an end Of themselves, as has al
ready happened in two or three cases. Pub
lie sentiment in the State does not stand be-
hind any plan for keeping the prisoners idle
albeit the Constitution was ratified with this
provision in IT, 1t was felt. however, that II
might be amended. and If the Legislature OF
1895 and that Of 1896 had acted favOrably on
such a proposed amendment II could have been
submitted to the people last November. and
become effective on January I. at the same time
as the obnoxious part OF the Constitution. AS
matters now are no amendment can be made
to take effect before the beginning Of 1900. and
so for three years TO come the problem OF ind
ing work for the cOnvicts Will be pressing
one.
In support of the plan of using them on the
roads some strong arguments are presented in
another column by men who have made spe-
cial study of prison questions. In their minds
there is no grave objection to such employment
of the prisoners although they recognize the
force of the sentimental objection arising from
the feeling of repnlson likely TO be experienced
bv some people at the sight Of men in striped
clothes AT work in public places under the SUI
,f ri obipctlOn
the opinion of others is not well grounded.
however. and should not be allowed to stand
in the way of the opportunity now presented to
the State of securing many miles OF good high-
ways at a low cost. The work would first be
undertaken naturally. in the immediate vicin-
ty of the prisons. Even when carried on al
a distance of several miles the convcts could
daily return TO their regular quarters. At
greater distances convict camps would become
necessary, but they could be so conducted as
10 be neither n nuisance FOR n DANCE! 10 the
communities in which they might be situated
The success Of the plan would require carefui
organization. While the maintenance Of pris
oners in camps, with the Necessary guards
would he more costly than their maintenance
in the prisons. n large amount OF work would
be secured for moderate outlay. The employ
ment or tnr men ou'-ol uooiS "o"i" IN 'N''"'" "'
as respects their own health, and such employ
ment could easily be continued during more than
half of each year.
The bill proposed in the last Legislature for
the construction of roads 10y convicls on Il
small scale had merit The friends of the
good-roads movement hope that that bill. or
one providing for the employment of convic's
in this way more extensively will meet with
favor at the present session. The prejudice
against convict labor in sight OF the public is
not based. they claim. on reason. and now. when
the need of providing work for the prisoners
IS 50 great. is the time for making an expert
ment that will do good in two distinct ways.