New-York tribune., 1899-07-31
CONVICT LABOR.

The prison labor problem threatens once more
10 become troublesome. With much difficulty
after a protracted struggle the State prison au-
thorities have succeeded in devising an indus
trial system which at once complies with the
Constitution and keeps the convcts from idle
ness and insanity That might be thought an
easy task but IL is not The plan Of protecting
free labor from possible competition Of prison
labor was carried to such absurd lengths in re-
sponse 10 the demands of professional agitatorS
that almost 10 work was open to prisoners pend
ING the perfection of machinery for creating
demand for prison products in the States own
institutions And now. when that demand has
at last been made equal TO the labor supply to
be consumed the authorities are confronted
with the threat of q shrinking market They
are able to supply prison made goods of the
kind required much faster than the state and
the municipalities are able TO use them. More
over some hospitals for the insane and charlta-
bic institutions carry on Industries of their own
to occupy their wards. The result is glutted
market and the prospect Of forced deness in
the prisons.
In such an emergency the State Prison Com
mission will find itself embarrassed TO provide
new occupations for convcts. Already it has
gone over the field of industry with finetooth
comb. and much ingenuity will be required to
discover any, new articles that the customers
designated by the Constitution will consume In
such considerable quantities as TO make their
production in prison advisable. 1t may yet be-
come necessary TO adopt the frequently dis
cussed plan of setting the cOnvcts to work on
Highways within a reasonable distance OF the
prisons There are doubtless weighty obiec-
tons to this plan. TO make any large progress
i'll road Improvement would require the camping
of prisoners away from the prisons or their
transportation daily by railroad Besides there
is Il strong dis!nclination here 10 expose convcts
10 public view. But none Of these objections
are weighty enough TO be entertained II the al
tcrnaIive to employment on the roads is idleness.
Certainly cur highways need attention, and
even If the work of conyicts should be confined
within rather narrow radius from prison and
90 10 benefit only a few neghborhoods. instead
of the people of ;lIe state at large. there would
bc no reason for fault finding. True, the labor
of the convicis belongs to the whole State. but
if ;hc State Is not prepared to employ that labor
and leaves its servants at their wits end simply
10 keep the prisoners active regardless Of the
profit from their activity, then its claim must be
an outlet for the labor let who will benefit from
IT, Any attempt 10 use the cOnvlcts al road
making would inevitably provoke protests from
dcmagogues who would say the State should
hire free laborcrs for such work, but they are
entitled to no consideration. Everybody knows
that the State is not going 10 start public works
merely TO furnish employment and pay wages
to the poor. and il is better for everybody that
the roads he made by convicts than not he made
at all If with labor AZ hand costing nothing the
public can get great improvements cheaply. the
poor are the gamers as well as the rich They
help pay the expenses of the convcts In taxes.
and might as well get some return
Even If road making should be adopted as a
convict occupation II would take time to find In
II an adequate outlet for the supply Of prison
labor which would be NJ hand In case Of any
large falling off in the demand for the present
prison products. In that case a ready refuge
might be found In labor for beautifyipg prison
grounds and neighborng lands. Owing to the
exertions OF The Tribune when the inmates Of
the Kings County Penitentiary were going mad
for want of employment the authorities were
induced reluctantly to set them to work on the
East Side Lands, a waste tract of the park pre-.
serves OF Brooklyn. The scheme worked per.
fectly until indoor occupation was devised
which made II no longer necessary. If II had
been persevered In Brooklyn might now be
richer by an attractive addition to lls parks.
We hope that If there 10 hereafter any over.