The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-11
IDLENESS OF CoNyICTS
A LABOR COMMITTEE TO INvESTI-
GATE AT THE STATE PRISON.
Something Must he Done to Employ
the Men-The Farm Sys-
tenn Favored.

President Edgar a. Perkins Of the State
Federation Of Labor, Philip K. Reinbold of
Terre Haute, Joseph Shellhouse Of Marion,
George Derrick of Muncie, John c. Padden
of indianapolis and State Labor Commits
sloner L. f. Mccormack, acting as a COM
mittee for the State Federation of Labor,
left for Michigan City last night to visit
the State Prison, at the invitation of War
den Charles Harley. The prime object Of
the visit of the labor representatives will
be to arrive, if possible, at some solution
of the convict labor problem. which is wor-
rying the prison officials and the public
generally.
All the men were chosen for their broad
views on labor questions, in the hope that
they could suggest some way by which the
convicts could be employed and at the same
time not come into competition with free
labor One of the committee, in speaking
to reporter yesterday, said that it was his
firm conviction that some step should be
taken by the Legislature to employ the
convicts. as ito keep them in idleness was
at once barbarous and degenerating, and
was relic of the dark ages. Said he: 1.-THE
State owes something to the convict as we'll
as to the free man, and q way must be
found to employ the convicts which will
not work a hardship on organized labor
and even If it does in q measure come into
conflict with organized labor 1t must be
borne, for IL organized labor seeks to con-
denim convicts to idleness and misery be-
cause their work might affect free labor
remotely, organized labor must fall, because
II will then have taken an untenabe posi-
ton. Our purpose now is to better the po-
Sition of the cOnVicts as much as possible
with consistency, by investigating their con-
d1tion and recommending reforms, even II
they are somewhat at our own expense. We
are first of all citizens of Indiana, and our
duty is to see that men who are placed in
laws. They are not placed there to be driven
insane nor TO be punished, but first OF all
to prevent them being a prey on society,
and then, If possible, to reform them. Work
will make them Industrious if anything Will,
and l think all of us are willing to indorse
any feasible plan for putting them back at
work"
In the forthcoming report of the State
Board of Charities, the plan of Warden
Harley, by which the convicts will be
worked on the cultivation of land adjoin-
ing the prison, will be recommended to the
Legislature for adoption. 1t will be shown
that by outdoor work the convicts will not
broken down and their features chalk-lilxe
with the prison pallor so universally seen in
released convicts. Outdoor work will make
them healthy and will save the State many
dollars now spent in the purchase of vege-
tables and meat used in the prison. Last
year, under unfavorable conditions, the con-
VictS raised $1,000 heads of cabbage and
nearly as many bushels of potatoes, and it
is thought that if suitable arrangements
are made by the Legislature the expense of
maintaining the institution can be reduced
to a minimum.