New-York tribune., 1899-07-15
PRISON MADE PRODUCTS.
STATE BOARD OF CLASSIFICATION MEETS
TO CONFER WITH CITY OFFICIALS.

TO CONFER WITH CITY OFFlClAbo'
An important meeting Of the state Board OF
classification was held yesterday In the ofhces OF
the Manhattan State Hospital, at NO Maoisoh-
ave. This Commission Is authorized oy the pr'So"
laws of 1896 and It's function Is to regulate tne
manufacture and disposition of prison made prod
ucts In the penal institutions OF the state.
The Commission In session yesterday was com"
posed of General George Sanford. of the state
Lunacy Commission. who Is chairman George W.
Hops from the State Controllers office; r. H.
Mills Superintendent of Prisons, and George Nc
Laughlin. secretary OF the State Prison COMMITTEE
The State and municipal institutions purchase
products from the prisons and the conference ~
for the purpose of giving to the state Boarn oi
Classification some idea OF what Is needed py the
public institutions of the State and to have the
products conform to the requirements. The Boaro
held a session recently In Buffalo
Mr.. Dickerson. speaking for the Charities De-
partment Of the Borough Of Manhattan dwelt on
the kind of cloth needed in the institutions In this
borough. The Commission after listening 10 the
suggestions of Mr.. Dickerson, adopted resolution
making the standard of cashmere cloth, black
cotton warp with So per cent new wool clips, 30
per cent xxx Ohio fleece. twelve ounces ana not
less to the yard and "a inches wide between the
sevages. This costs 90 cents in the market Super
ntendent Mills had sample made in Auburn
prison 1t of purplish blue color. and he said
that 1t could be made for $ cents yard.
Mr.. Dickerson went through the illustrated cata-
logues published by the Board Of articles manufact-
ured by the Stale prisons. Chairs and other ike
articles Of furniture discussed and the add-
ton of rung a brace here and there In the
discussion 1t brought out that the handsome
oak chairs and tables in the made in the
prisons Mr.. Dlckerson also said he thought 1t
would be a good thing If the Board would establish
a depot In New-York where small articles of prison
manufacture could be had on short notice by the
fngtE IfzI thaf cttoh
depot was contemplated and would be feasible as
soon as the amount Of such goods used here in
lnstiutions was large enough 10 make II pay.
The stable brushes used in the Fire Department
are made In the State prisons. Mr.. Reilly. repre-
The hearing OF the representatives of the city
partment of Corrections OF the city was not repre-
local prisons the articles it needs
w, L.. Craig; chief clerk of the Health Depart
sented the Health Board. Mr. Craig said he had
no especial complaint to make against any of the
by h H II nf 10 ssy pl that h
its opinion that the Board OF Health should not
The Health Depari%ent TIM % @ said Mr. Mr. craig sG ss an
emergency department. We have some regular
especially that in the reception hospitals where
we use the articles made in the prisons is entirely
vance just what we are going to require
that every precaution be taken when an epidemic
breaks out. After the treatment OF patient much
of the material must be burned. So you see IL
compels us to purchase lot of material on an
emergency.
II am instructed by the Health Board to say that
In case of an epidemic II would be compelled TO
disregard the law requiring us to buy all these
materials from the prisons. 1t would be impossi-
bic to get them on the short notice we would re-
quire. The Board of Health works on small ap-
preparation. and we cannot afford to take up a
big stock OF materials TO be used. We have TO buy
as the emergency compels US
Mr.. Mills said that his Department would not
press the law in the OF epidemics Il think
Mr. Craig will sgree that this Department has
never shown any disposition 20 interfere In any
way with the quick work of his Department. We
will always be ready cooperate with the Health
Board in these cases and will furnish certificates
of exemption when we cannot furnish materials
on the moment required by the emergency
F. c. Cheney, representing the Building Depart
ment OF the Board OF Education, was before the
Commission after Mr.. Craig. Mr. Cheney thought
that the price charged for the desks by the Prison
ings cOmpa MES were going below II.
Mr.. Mills said that school furniture trust had
lately been formed. and. for reasons best known
to themselves the companies put In low blds Tor
school desks bringing down the market price. al
though the price had never been so low when these
companies were actually selling TO the city.