The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-10

Large Amount of Good WOrk-PrisOn
Contract system AboIished.

The labor interests were better taken
care of by this Assembly than by any of its
predecessors in the history of the State, and
this is regarded as somewhat remarkable
by the labor leaders in view OF the fact
that they had no regularly accredited rep
resentatives of organized labor elected as
such upon the floor OF either house. 1t is
difficult to tell which of three leading Ia
Dor laws passed is the most important-the
arbitration law, the child labor law or the
law abolishing the prison contract systems.
The prison labor law provides:
That the contract prison labor in the
State prisons and reformatorles be abol-
isned. and that the board of directors of
the state penal anu reIormatory institutions
are hereby authorized TO establish as soon
as practicable the pubic accounts system,
To institute IN SAID prisons an Industrial ana
labor system by which the convlcts shall
be employed at such trades and vocatlons
Will be required TO supply the institution
as nearly as possible with all necessary
articles OF prison consumption, or as WILL III
the Judgment of the directors, be eNpedient
and wise. The regular hours Tor cay work
in said prison shan not exceed eight hours,
subject TO temporary change under neces-
sity or to fit special cases 10 be sanctioned
by the directors.
In the event of more articles being pro-
| duced than are needed to supply the said
State penal and reformatory Institutions,
such surplus shall be furnished to such
other State institutions may need the
same at the usual market price for which
such articles sold in the locality where
| such other Institutions may be located.
| The superintendent shall be a competent
and skillful person, 10 nave general super
vision over all the buildings and work in
various Industrial departments, snail recon-
/ mend TO the warden. or board Of directors
| for the appointment of some competent per-
/ son TO act foreman in any all of the
departments. He shall prescribe such rules
| and regulations Tor proper discipline and or
/ der lie will assign the convIcts to such
|
adapted to, and shall recommend 10 the
1 warden or board of directors from time to
time such necessary material tools, ap-
paratuS or accommodations needful for the
| purpose of carrying on and conducting such
/ industries as may be authorized under the
provisions of this act He shall make quar-
| terly detailed statements of all materials
| or other property procured and the cost
| thereof, and of the expenditures made dur
! ing the last preceding quarter for manu-
featuring purposes, together with a state
| ment of all materials then in hand to be
| manufactured or in process of manufacture
| ing. and the amount of all kinds of work
done, and the earnings realized during said
| quarter, and file the same with the auditor
| of state.
| 1T shall be unlawful from and after the
| passage of this act to hire out under con-
| tract any of the convicts confined i'm the
State penal and reformatory Institutions
| and the State prison authorities are hereby
! forbidden to hereafter allow said conVicts
to perform any service whatever, under
contract or otherwise. for any one other
than the State, under penalty of fine not to
| exceed one thousand dollars $1,000 and the
| forfeiture of office. to which may be added
| imprisonment in the county jail not to ex-
coed one hundred QoO) days. Provided, that
the operations Of this act shall not affect
any contracts of convict Ia Dor made
| previous to the passage of this act and
which contracts have not yet expired
1t is the intent and purpose of this act
that all work done by inmates of any of the
state penal or reformatOry institutions shall
be hand work and that machinery shall
be employed in work which be done BY
! hand labor.
ANY state institution in need of any of
| the products which may be manufactured
| i'm any of the State penal or reformatory
institutions shall give at least three months
notice of SUI demand. and no State insti-
| tuition SHAH purchase in the open market
| any product which can be furnished bv the
| State penal or reformatory institutions
| Provided. that nothing in this act shall be
so construed as TO compel the State insti-
tutions to forego the purchase of goods in
the open market where such cannot be fur
! nished within reasonable time by the
State penal or reformatory institutions
| 1T shall be the duty of the board of d.
rectors of the State penal and reformatory
institutions 10 institute such instructions of
an educational and technical character as
in their Judgment is to the best interests
of the inmates