New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-31
had chance to do so without depriving the
rest OF the 1,3i9,974 Of good Governor.
CONVICT LABOR IN NEW-YORK.

The Assembly Committee on Convict Labor
has been making m inspection of the prisons
| TO determine how far the present labor system
under which the convlcts are employed in manu-
| featuring articles for the use Of the State and
divisions thereof operates to the disadvantage
OF outside Industries and free wOrkmen. In
their report they say: eve have asked the labor
representatives and manufacturers In each
place we visited whether they would cite
single instance Of man losing job. OF wages
being reduced, or factory being shut down.
or the hours Of labor reduced because OF the
competition Of prison work or OF prison made
goods. Not a single instance has been given.
but in all cases the reply has been that no such
cases had come to the knowledge Of the labor
men or employers questioned"
That ought once for all to shut the mouths
OF the demagogues who never can sec convict
employed ut any useful work without raising
an cutlery against the wrong done TO honest Ia
bor The State Of New York has done awny with
the old contract system which, II wns said. en-
abled few manufacturers to drive outside
workers from their particular line Of business.
We have always thought there WINS some exag-
geration in this vicw and believed that the
damage TO employers AMI employed from prison
competition was more matter Of Imagination
than reality and that as between that slight
competition and driving convlcts crazy by idle
ness the competition was highly desirable.
Nevertheless, there were evils In the convict
system, and the State Is TO be congratulated
II it has succeeded in providing suitable labor
for the prisoners in shops doing only public
work. The committee. and the State Prison
Commission regard the present plan rs n Sue
cess. and recommend its continuance and extern
sion. We hope this means that the prisoners
really have adequate employment. but even II
II does not we do not see how any other report
could be made The Constitution fOrbds n re-
turn TO contracts. and the cOnvcts must be en-
ployed in the main rs they are now employed
or be idle. OF course, the system must be
continued. The question of interest Is, How COM
pletely are the prisoners, not merely in the State
prisons. but in the pcnitentlares, employed, and
what extensions are possible to give those now
idle work?
Inasmuch as only forecasts Of the report have
been published. It Is impossible yet to know
hoy exhaustvcly this question has been exam
ySsed. The recent outbreak of insanity In the
Kings County Pententlary suggests that the
work problem IS by no means solved, and from
time TO time mutterngs are heard against the
law which puts convict-made desks In our
schools for our innocent little children to work
Mt as IN outrage on the children, Il wrong to
free labor and an Inconvenience to the State
Such things give rise to the suspicion that the
convict-labor problem Is by no means solved.
and we hope that our officials are giving due
weight to the necessity that every convict
should have a chance to work The evidence
discovered by them that free labor no longer
even pretends to be injured by the present
prison Industries should give them courage to
push ahead and not fear that every bit Of labor
they find for the cOnvicts will be at the expense
Of their political fences