New-York tribune., 1898-01-29
STATE PRISON FINANCES.
LOSSES INCURRED BY THE OPERATION
OF THE BRANDING ACT"

THE NEW SYSTEM LIKELY TO BE sE1T-suPPoRT-
ING AND GENERALLY BENEFICIAL IF LET
ALONE SAYS SUPERINTENDENT IATHROP.
Albany, JAN 2s.-The annual report of Austin
Lathrop Superintendent OF State Prisons 's IN part
follows:
State prisons in tho last two years. prior to 1871
were not satisfactory. Those Of the last year are
even moro unfavorable They are shown In the
following table. to wit;
Sing Sing deficiency. 1So ~
Clinton deficiency o
AT the opening Of the fiscal year. October l.
1895 779 prisoners in the State prisons were en-
ployed in active. well-established and thoroughly
equipped Industries. These men were trained III
their work and had acquired skill. and were manu-
featuring products for the market either on the
piece-price system on the State account lhls
productive occupation OF convicts might well nave
been continued until January l. 1897. when inc
Constitutional amendment took erect OUT ior an
act Of the Legislature. which closed proh'a"'e
market for the products of the prisons This law
known as the branding act required all prison
made goods and merchandise to be prhilueu'
marked or tagged so as to show where the goods
were made. The act took effect November l. lo'''.
For this reason. at the beginning or the seconu
month Of the fiscal year November. ls") 'h'Se
established Industries we're restricted III 'Ho ~
ration and In some cases they were discontinued
Thus the profitable prosecution OF estabhshen IN
dustres for that portion Of the year that they were
permitted to be carried on was destroyed ana
material loss was met by the prisons where proh'
should have accrued. The State might easily nave
heen saved from this loss had the branding ACT
in so far as It applied to State prison indusu'ee
not taken effect until January !. 1877
.The new system has been in use but re"
months 1t has not yet passed beyond the eAperi-
mental stage Some conclusions. however. can DO
deemed we'll settled. Tho reQuisitions Of the state
and its political divisions. which are regulated oF
low Will be enough TO afford productive employ
ment FOR all the available convicts In the PRISONS
nrovided that new laws shall not modify the COM
merce between the prisons and the State insutu-
tions and restrict the demand for the prison proo-
ucts II the new system is upheld and given the
greatest efficiency in the manufacture which is
pernittod 1t now altogether probable that
certain results Will be achieved. Some OF them are
these viz.
'F1rst-That the revenue from the prison indus
tries will nearly quite meet tho expenditures
for care and maintenance. ., ...,
"Second-That the State and its pontical dVlsioiis
will be furnished required supplies OF superior quar-
ity at less cost than II purchased IN inc open
.Third-That opportunity Will be furnished for
giving the highest effect TO the educational ana
reformatory aims OF the law, "hich WIS ho' PoSSi
In 1885 there Was diminution Of the population
IN the prisons This continued in 1891 Whie there
was a small increase in the number OF prisoners AZ
The close OF the year, there material decrease
in the daily average ot popuiaton, WhIcn "as ls'
less in 1897 than 1896 and 592 less than the aver
1he superintendent recommends a special prison
for executions.