New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-25
A BLOW TO CONVICT LA Dor
ING ON THE BILL TO ALLOW THE
PURCHASE OF SCHOOL DESKS
OUTSIDE THE PRISONS.

Albany April "a (SpecIaD-Governor Roosevelt
gave interesting hearing to-day on Senator q.
A Daviss bin authorizing school trustees to buy
school desks and school furniture elsewhere than
in the State prisons
Dauforth T. Ainsworth. Deputy State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction. appeared in support
OF the bill. in company with Assemblyman Hill. of
Buffalo and Martin Murphy, president of the state
Workingmen's Assembly. Upon the other hand the
bill opposed by John MoMackin Commissioner
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Mr.. Ainsworth
stated that owing to the difficulty the State prison
authorities had apparently had in filling the orders
Of the schools for furniture. one-haf of the
school furniture bought in the last year had been
purchased outside of the State prisons. Complaint
had now been made that all the school furniture
should have been bought at the State prisons. In
his opinion. school trustees should he permitted to
buy school furniture where they could buy II the
cheapest.
President Murphy Of the Workngmen's Assembly
said in part in opposition to the bin: The present
law, Governor. requiring the purchase of school
furniture from the State prisons has deprived four
hundred worklngmen formerly employed In fur
niture factory at Buffalo OF their places"
But" interrupted Governor Roosevelt 'if yOu
make exception in the of the manufactu
ers OF school furniture Mr.. Murphy. You will have
to exempt other lines OF manufacture we'll
The National Guard is exempt now" answered
Mr.. Murphy. and he continued. Il mean that the
prisons not permitted to manufacture uniforms
for the National Guard, because the soldiers would
not wear convict made goods. School children |
am sure, feel degraded over being compelled
prison made furniture. There would he such
competition with the school furniture makers IL
the convicts were not permitted to use machinery"
Would you prevent the convicts using
clinery?' asked the Governor.
Il would replied Mr.. Murphy 'and would con-
fine them to the manufacture of handmade goods
what do you think. Mr.. Ainsworth, about limit
ing the convicts to the manufacture of handmade
goods?" said the Governor to Mr., Atnsworth.
Il think it would be a good idea, replied Mr.
Afnsworth. for believe the people OF this State
Whlle desiring the convicts be kept al work. do
wish them to be employed as harm any one
They therefore should be employed in the primitive
forms OF labor
Mr.. McMackin the Commissioner of the Bureau
OF La Dor Statistics. then said:
This bill would be the entering wedge in breaking
GOWN me present system OF labor in prisons which
constttons s1Pg so much to Ftfa by
acture OF school furniture from the prisons this
injury TO their proper administration and confer
40 ma teIia benefit on outside labor it seems the
Is one in Buffalo which l understand. has become
The fact that OF the less considerae of labor
men favor this bin cannot be taken any ndica-
citizens toward it. Ii is fair to assume that if they
were made ma aware Of the conditions under which It
4nhesitatingy condemn it in toto. The United states
prison labor and after taking great deal of testi
mend to Congress and the several States the
NeW-iork system as the MOST satisfactory to work
interested
prison reform.
Esw-YorS has been the pioneer in this great re-
FORM ana II IL to be hoped that no backward step
wiz De TAKEN now out that the managers OF our
the prisons may eventually become self-suDporttng
IN producing useful articles for the different
branches of our Government and State institutions,
and that the convicts may all have employment
The result of this pending law would be TO leave
the State with its expensive machinery idle and
the conyictS idle also. 10 be maint aimed by tax
alton only Soon other industries would the
precedent, which would be made by the proposed
law. and the State would be forced back TO the
old contract system to employ convcts without
profit