Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-09-06
NEWSY STATE NOTES.

Secretary w E. Upton of the state
board of charities and corrections of
Mitchell has completed the biennial
report of the board TO the governor and
public. Some important information
is given regarding the shirt factory in
the penitentiary, concerning which the
report says: The plan of operation is
simple and safe, The state put in the
plant at an expense of about $1,000 A
FIVE year contract was made with firm
labor of 100 men, the firm TO take the
finished product at the factory and pay
the state so much per dozen for the
goods. The state controls its own labor
and has no money invested in the
operation of the plant. About two
thousand shirts are now being made
every working day during the year, the
most of which product is shipped to the
Pacific coast. Plans have been made
whereby all shirts used in the other
institutions of the state will be mana
featured at this plant, which will mean
considerable saving to the state in
this line. Continuing the report says:
sit is noteworthy fact that the
increase in the penitentiary population
is not keeping pace with the increase in
the state There is about one in $500
of our population wearing'prison clothes
which is an exceedingly low ratio.
This fact has handicapped us in the
operation of our shirt factory, so much
SO that the factory has not been brought
up to its full capacity. About seventy
men are constantly required as helpers
about the penitentiary as cooks. walters
gardeners, teamsters, farmers, stock men
and the like, and from ten to twenty
are off duty by reason of sickness. This
leaves only l01 men of the l89 in the
prison on Aug. Is, 1906 with which to
operate the shirt factory. The factory
is great benefactor in the influence
upon the health and discipline of the
convicts. 1t is regular, easy, constant
employment that occupies both mind
and muscle of the prisoners and makes
for their welfare mentally and physi-
caily. A system of rewards has been
established for the men in the factory
Each man is given days task. The
completion of this task earns for him
the unused balance of the day which he
may occupy for himself by continu ing
at the machine, and for all the work
that is turned out during such time, he
is credited on the books of the prison at
the same rate the state receives, less a
fair percentage for operating the plant
1t is gratifying to know that already a
large percentage of the men in the shop
are earning something for themselves.
The accumulated amount earned is
paid to each man when he is discharged
from prison, and usually they will have
a goodly sum of money when they
leave the prison walls.
Some space writer has filed the
minds of eastern school mans with
very rosey idea of requirements and
possibilities of the eastern school
teacher in South Dakota and Superin-
tendent Ramer has received many let
tiers of inquiry as consequence. Many
have the notion that any old thing can
teach in South Dakota, and that there
is rich farmer just waiting for a
chance to marry the first teacher
imported. Teachers are no doubt in
demand but we believe that the quality
must be as high as in any other state.