The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-17
DIVIDING THE CONVICTS.
Fifty Per Cent. to Work Outside the
Prison Walls.

A joint conference of the representatives
of the LEGISLATURE. labor organizations and
prison authorities was held at the Denison
last night. those taking part being Gov
ernor Mount, Senators Hawkins and Hugg,
B. Frank Schmid ard Lycurgus p. Nc
Cormack, of the state labor commission,
Cen. r. s Foster and e. II. Nebeker, of
the prison board and Warden Harley ami
Secretary Whitaker, of the prison manage
ment The general subject discussed was
on the lines given in the Journal several
days ago. and consisted of a plan for the
employment of the prisoners at the Michi-
gan City prison. 1t was agreed until the
existing contracts at the prison expire to
work only so per cent. of the prisoners
within the walls, the remaining so per cent.
being worked on the cultivation of an ex-
tensive tract of land adjoining the prison
Warden Harley showed that about so per
cent. of the prisoners were of character
that made it impracticabe to work them
outside the walls, and those would be re-
tanned on the contracts inside.
1t was agreed, however, that during the
life of the present contracts not more than
one hundred convicts shall be worked upon
any one contract, and in any event not more
than 20 per cent. OF the prison population
shall be under contract. All the parties
agreed that it would be impracticable to put
any plan Tor the employment of all the con-
Victs into operation, since it is felt the
Legislature would not appropriate sufficient
money to start 1t properly where the plan
is largely an experiment, as 1T is in this
case Warden Harley estimated that it
would require $780, 900 10 fit the prison up for
operation so as to work all the cOnvicts, and
he had no hope of the Legislature furnish
ing any such sum. From the books OF the
contractors he learns that the lowest esti-
mate of the amount of the capital invested
for each convict in any of the contracts
was 81 ,0G0. so that on contract employing
one hundIe ed coEvicts the investment in ma
chinery, raw material and supervision was
$1O0Oo0. The warden, however figured out a
plan whereby the scheme can be put into
operation with practically no cost to the
State Under the plan of working half the
conVicts on the farm the ready markets OF
Chicago offer q profitable field for the
products in the way of garden truck. There
is no doubt in the mind OF Warden Harley
that from all sources 5000 year can be
deposited with the state treasurer for. ac-
emulation. This at the end of the term of
the existing contracts in 1904 will have been
sWeIled to the total of $i25.0O0. By that time
the feasibility of the New York plan of
manufacturing ION state account" in the
prisons will have been demonstrated or its
failure made certainty. If 1t is a success
the State will then have nearly enough
money earned by the convicts to put in the
machinery and other accessories necessary
to adopt the plan in this State. Just what
industries may be established In 1904 will
not be discussed by the bill which the joint
committee viii present to the Legislature
as by that time conditions may change to
practicable. Ii is expected that Senator
Hugg will draft the BILL but that task is
one which will be more fully decided in the
course OF the next few weeks.