The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-27
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH
PRISON LABOR.

State Prison and Reformatory will end
and cannot be renewed in any form with
out legislation. This means that, aside
from the work about these two institu-
tons, at least 1,5OO men will be without
employment. From an economic point of
view the ending Of these contracts is to be
regretted, since the taxpayers will be COM
PEELED to assume the entire expense of the
two penal institutions, the labor of which
has been bringing into the state treasury
about 100000 a year. But the evil of the
idleness of the men cannot be measured by
any ordinary amount of money. Idleness
for any human being is nothing less than
calamity. DR.. Watts the writer of hymns,
was not a poet, but years ago he an
nouneed a truth as old as the race when
he declared in one of his hymns Satan
finds some mischief still for idle hands to
do" The Journal does not find it neces-
sary to bring DR.. Watts's fabulous person
into the discussion, but idleness and the
shiftlessness and aimlessness which come
from it are responsible for large part of
human ills. Contract labor is to cease if
the law continues to stand as it is now
written. and the question arises: How
shall employment be found for the penal
labor?
Those who have given the problem any
considerable attention do Lot see the OBJ
iections to selling penal labor to contrac-
tors. The goods made by the 100 d 500
men whose labor is sold to contractors
constitute the smallest fraction of the
product of the country All of the goods
made in the two institutions are not equal
in value to one-half the cost of the products
of factory and shop which are purchased
every year for the public institutions. In
deed. after a little considera ton. it is very
doubtful if the value of goods turned out
by penal labor is equal to more than one
fourth or one-third of the amount which
all of the States institutions pay for cloth
ing, buildings, equipment and other factory
products. Considered from this practical
point of view. it does not seem that free
labor and outside manufacturers should
object TO judicious system of contract
labor. But suppose the general sentiment
tract labor the question recurs: How
are the men to be employed? Some answer,
offhand. that the State must enter into the
simpler kinds of manufacturing and sell
the products. Even if it were practicable
such an expedient does not remove the OBJ
lection which is now made to contract
labor, namely, that such labor completes
with free labor. and the goods it would
produce would come into competition with
those produced by free labor 1t is quite
probable that the State could not make
itself whole by making goods with con-
tract labor and selling them in the open
market. At the outset the State would be
Obliged to expend large amounts in estab-
fishing plants. The advanced officers of
reformatories would put into such institu-
tions trades-schools, where the young men
would be instructed in the elementary
branches half the day and in some indus
trial schools the remainder of the time,
so that each man on leaving the institution
would have some knowledge of a trade
This is the plan enthusiastically advocated
by Superintendent Hert. of the Indiana
RefOrmatory. 1t has been tried in Massa-
chusetts and is said to be successful but
what constitutes success in the estimation
of those who are managing the institution
is not made clear. One thing is known
and that is that the plant cost 100000
The problem is one that must be studied
and a solution found by the next Legisla-
ture. unless the people are Indifferent to so
great an evil as the idleness of 1900
men in the two penal institutions II is a
subject that should be considered outside
of partisanship, because il has both a
moral and economic bearing. The plan
which Governor Durbin and a committee
representing organized labor may be said
to have adopted is to have the whole sub
ject considered by a nonpartisan commits
| sion composed of two representatives of
| organized labor, two manufacturers, two
/ representatives of the penal institutions
! and two members of the legislature 1t
/ is believed that such an association of in
\ terests may be able TO devise a practical
| plan for the employment of the labor of
\ the two penal institutions.