The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-10
PRISON LAD|)R system
MEANS oF UTILIZING CONVICT La
NAT WILL BEST CON-
SERVE sFATE INTERESTS
LIMBS LETTER 70 eoMM1ss1oN
discusses Methods Whereby Prison
ers' Industrial Trimming and Edu-
cation Maybe aGained-Former
system Was Defective.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IOT LH0
uellzatlon OF the comy1et's time at Still
water through method that will both
conserve commercial and industrial con-
dielons' as well as be satisfactory In the
reformation of couvicts
GOV. John Lind yesterday appointed
commission consisting Of DR.. w. w. Fol-
we'll, of the state university Senator c.
o. Baldwin. Of Duluth, and Senator
George semervilles of Sleepy Eye, to in
Vssdgate the system of prison labor en-
pIoyed in this state. and report to the
legislature their observations.
Gov. Lind letter to the members of
the commission appointed best explains
itself. and is as follows:
Aug. 9th, 1S00.-Hon. c. O.. Baldwin.
pudutn, dlnn-zspearr Sir: As you are
probably aware, three methods of en-
ploy1ng convict labor have prevailed in
this state at different times. For many
years our statutes authorized, and it was
the custom of the managers of the state
prison to contract the prison labor at
stputa ted price per day. 1t was under
this legislation and practice that the
Ihreshing Machine Company of Shlt-
water and other concerns had contracts
with the state for the employment of
conviets. t,nlIe this system probably
had some advantages when the state
was new and It's institutions indfner-
emily organized and equipped, 1t on the
whole proved very unsa tfsfactory and
demoral1zing both as to the prisoners and
the civilians employed within the prison,
It was certainly not conductive to good
discipline and the reformation of the
conylets, which ought to be one of the
aims of any method of employing and
caring for prisoners This practice has
been discontinued and in lieu of it two
other methods, known as the piece-priee
system and production for state account,
are now in vogue. IS
On the Goth day of0September, 1876, the
then prison managers entered into con-
tract with Air. u. B. oTarbox, of this city.
for the employment of cOnvictS at Still
water In the manufacture of shoes under
the pieoe-priee system at the following
rates; For unIined shoes, cents per
pair; for lined shoes, 10 cents per pair;
for welt shoes u cents per pair; for
boots. II cents Per pair for the first three
years of the contraGt. and an increase of
l cent per pair pair during the second
two years, and of an additional cent per
pair during the last three years of the
contract Mr.. Tarbox guaranteeing that
the prisoners actually employed at labor
for nine and one-third hours per day
should earn not less than 30 cents at the
lower rate of eoE1pensa ton and GO cents
at the higher this contract to continue
for eight years. Some time subsequent
ly Mr.. FarboX assumed to assign this
contract to the Union Shoe and Leather
company. a corporation in which he was
Interested This assis nrnent the prison
managers refused to agree to or recog-
nize, evidently on, the ground that the
d. II
non-assignable. However, the board has
permitted the Union Shoe and Leather
company to employ the inmates Of the
state prison in varying numbers in the
manufacture Of shoes, according to the
terms of the contract, from the time of
the assignment Until the financial eInbar-
+ Iassnlent OF that. corporation some
months ago -. 10
At. that time the contract. by action
of the board, was formally terminated
and for good and sufficient reasons, indie
40 Of Homo Ili1
contract. Subsequently the Union Shoe
and Leather company, IN the course of
adjusting It's financial difficulties, sold its
stock, and business Interests to the firm
or Jordan Brothers, and these gentlemen
made an application to the board to con-
firm to them the7 assignment of the Tar
box contract referred to- This the board
refused to- doc hut, ,aats the same time it
assured these gentlemen that without in
any manner assuming to find themselves
or the state as to any future policy with
reference to the employment Of the priS-
onerS or continuing the Tarbox contract,
they would permit the new firm to en-
ploy portion of the prison labor in the
manufacture of shoes. as in the past. I'M
til some time as other provision was
made for their employment and training
by legislative action. This seemed neces-
sary to the board in order that the
manages 1ent should not1be suddenly con-
fronted with proposition to maintain
of course, would be as Subversive of dis
cipline as 1t would be inhuman to the
inmates
1t is hardly necessary for me to call
your attention to the fact that the en-
ployment of eonyiets in industrial COM
petition with free labor and free produe-
ton IS, as a rule, not only a disturbing
element in trade. but a menace to free
production and sto the best interests of
free labor. Thef only legitimate exception
that 1 know of in this regard is the man
ufacture of binding Irvine as now carried
ON in the state prison on state account
This is an industry which did not exist
in the Northwest at the time of its adop-
ton in the state prison. Besides, it is a
we'll known fact that the fiber trade was
and is controlled by one of the most
vicious trusts expressing the people. The
is indispensibleAto the carrying on of the
greatest industry of the state and any
gain resulting therefrom Is distributed
among the people who carry the burden
Of society.
I have recited these facts thus fully
TO indicate to you that the way is now
open for such action by the next legisla-
ture as may seem wise and prudent to
forever remove from the field of com
petitive industrial production the labor
employed In our penal and reformatory
binding Irvine, which to my mind does
not seem Objectionable on principle and
a continuance of which is demanded to
safeguard the greatest industry of the
state. without assuming to indicate at
this time just how the problem may be
best solved, 1t may be pardonable for
INC To suggest certain lines upon which
it may be investigated and studied with
g. view of arriving at the best solution In
the states in which the create progress
mas nils.+ been made in the solution of this
sachusetts, both the contract system and
the plece-price system have been wholly
abandoned, and in lieu thereof the plan
of producing solely for state account has
Deen adopted and this is carried on I'M
der system designed to divide the time
OF the inmates between productive in
N fI0n Islr1 n0lrS,
the supply OF the wants of the state in
situations, and on the other, the indus
trial training and education Of the pris-
oners, to the end that they may be equip
ped for leading a law-abiding life at the
expiration Of their confinement.
Our present situation Is such that a
system looking to a solution Of this ques-
ton on similar lines could well be intro
duced into the penal and reformatory IN
situations in this state without embar-
rassment and without burden to the tax
payers. To carry out the objects of the
law. which are punishment, discipline and
reformation, it4s essential that all pris-
oners should have employment and be
made to work. With the binding twina
industry permanently established in cur
state prison, as 1 hope, we can accom-
plish this by employing all Of the prison
ers who are able to work in that pro-
ductive industry part of the time and
son of age or for other cause, are not
capable of industrial training all of the
time the time not employed in product
I've labor to beffdeYQted to industrial ed
ueation; and 1t seems to me that society
is not doing its full duty to the unfor-
tunates who are capable of reformation
If 1t does not AFFORD opportunities for in
dustrial training tosithose who are ca
pable of it, SO that they may be self-sup-
porting and better equipped for leading
a law-abiding life after the expiration of
their confinement Such training is not
now afforded either in our state prison
or the reformatory at ST. Cloud. At the
latter place this question is even more
inmates of the refnrnatorY have hereta-