The Washington times., 1904-12-11
CONVICT LABOR
TO DIG CANAL
Senator Dietrich FaVOrS
the Plan.
NOT M0NEY-SAVlNG SCHEME
Would Pay the Men and Transport
Them to and From the
Zone.
NOT M0NEY-SAvlNG SCHEME

The employment Of convict labor. under
certain restrictive conditions. TO cut the
lsthmian Canal, is a project on which
Senator Dietrich of Nebraska has some
very pronounced views. He may use
these as the basis for at least a piece
Of tentative legislation in the coming
session.
'One Of the important problems IN the
construction of the Panama Canal IS the
employment Of labor" he said the other
day 10 a friend. Another is the build
ing of the canal with the least possible
loss of life. Modern sanitary methods
Will undoubtedly solve the latter, and 1
/ telieve the employment Of convict labor
would help TO solve the former.
Army Of LaboreTs.
An army Of $1,000 or 5000 laborers
would not be hard TO raise The diff1cul-
~ would be in its selection. and in the
/ Improvement Of the condition Of the
canal region. Trade unions have me
morialized the Government to build the
canal with union labor, and other or
CARNATIONS have sent 10 Washington
tho more liberal prayer that Only Ameri-
can labor be employed
'Laudable and patriotic as these re-
quests are, 1t is doubtful If ths canal
could be built entirely under .ther plan.
4 In the first place. It is Questionable
whether the trade unions of the United
States can produce enough iaboring
men 10 carry on the work In the sec
ond place, because or the fact that un-
employed labor Of any kind Is today
comparatively scarce quantity in Amer
leo, IL would be difficult, If rot impos-
sible. 10 recruit the entire army in the
I States.
/ while the number OF men necessary
has been variously estimated at from
+ s0,el0 to J0.o-0. it is certain that recent
improvements in machinery will make
T possible the construction or the canal
with one-half or one-third Of the labor
which would have been required when
tie work was first attempted
Convict Labor.
lin the State. Federal. military. and
naval prisons OF the United States are
/ confined approximately 5000 men, of
whom - coo are idle or are employed at
/ contract labor. The others are employed
on Government account at duties Incl
dental TO the care and maintenance of
their places OF confinement Probably
not more than half OF the total number
/ Of prisoners are able-poGied
Drawing the line OF physical disabil-
I ity still farther, probably = per cent
are able 10 Withstand the adverse con
! iti0Hs OF a tropical climate. Ia the
/ Louisiana penitentiary il was found that
/ = per cent OF the prisoners were physic-
+ ally able 10 perform work in the south
/ erum0st swamps OF that State. where
they were successfully employed in
/ building levees under the most adverse
conditions prevailing anywhere in the
/ United States. Taking these figures as
la basis. it il estimated that upward OF
1900 prisoners would be available for
employment on the canal"
Not a Money Making Scheme.
Would your idea be purely the saving
OF money!" the Senator was asked.
/ BY no means" he answered. 1T
would be in the interest Of humanity
quite as much. There always have been
+ and always will be serious objections
To the confinement. without employment.
OF persons who have violated the law.
/ our prison atockades are a safeguard
/ 10 society but they are Of little value
in the way Of improving the morals
Of those confined within them"
Pay for Work.
Would Won pay anything 20 the con
/ victs who consented 10 go TO the 18TH
mus and worl. for the Government
Yes. They would have to be trans
/ ported free 10 and from the zone, and an
allowance should be made for their
services. A fair rate OF compensation
would be. say % cents a day for each
days actual work performed, so PEI
cent Of the sum 20 be paid to the prisoner
I'm cash on landing in the United States
or final discharge, the remaining half TO
be paid in two equal installments at the
expiration Of three and six months. re-
spectvely. after discharge The last two
iustallments might be made conditional
/ on mans not having been arrested or
convicted Of any misdmeauOr betweeo
the time Of discharge and the dates OF
payment. Such a plan would be an in
GucemCnt 20 prisoners TO engage in the
work, and the pay allowed would give
them good cash fund with which TO
begin life anew after their liberation. IL
would enable them TO seek honest en-
ployment, and not resort. as statistics
/ show that many Of them do. 10 crime
Immediately after their discharge.
s1'ilouH oDJtttioiiH Ailsill nc liduc 10
the employment Of cOnvicts in Govern
ment works We're it compulsory. 10
should be expressly provided that only
when volunteered could the services Of
prisoners be accepted. and then only
after an examination as TO physical
ability. Under military supervision
prisoners could be- well cared for on the
lsthmus, and the percentage Of escapes
would be 40 larger than now
TAFT AND PARTY TO
hpDIUC uEDC mEnMEcRAKJ