Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-09
BUSINESS Methods Which Prevail
at the House Of Cor
rection.
WHAT THE CONVIC7S Do
srpcrirter dent Morgan Explains Bus-
iness Systcm-How and Where
Marble IL Bought md Product
Sold-A W~ell-Conducted
Manufacturing Plant.

HOn at TINS city, naNlllS Sollc lnlO pIO-
ninence through campaign statements as
0 the management of the marble work.
ng industry In which tho convlcts are
Employed. a Free Press representative
made n visit to the institution and was
ihown through the marble shop. In
'esponse to questions asked, the super
nterdent explained the entire working
IF tho industry, the purchase of the mar
bic stock, the manner in which 1t is
worked, the disposition o. the finished
product and finally the method employ
ii in auditing accounts.
At the present time the stock is being
purchased for the most part from three
domestic and three foreign companies.
The domestic companies are the YER
mont Marble company of Proctor, the
Rutland Florence company of Fowler and
the Columbian Marble Quarrying COM
pany of his city while the foreign COM
panies are Taber company, c. D. jack
son company and Pisina Brothers all of
New York. The marble purchased for the
work house shop Is that specified by
architects and others who draw the plans
for the contracts to be filed. 10 YER
mont Marble company at Proctor is the
largest marble producing firm in the
world and the consequence is that more
orders received Mt tho House Of Correc-
ion call COR their stock. than for the
itock Of other domestic concerns.
II was further stated that as tho Yer
mont Marble company Is located right
It hand. economical bua,Elcss methods
would demand the purchase of stock t
such places as would lessen freight rates
md obviate delay in transportation. Hhere
VAS no evidence of any connection be-
:voen the House of Correction and the
Vermont marble company except rs
buyers and sellers and the amount the
past years Is almost too trivial to men
ton. An examination OF { accounts at
The work house showed that from July
1905 10 June 80. 1906 products amount
rg to Sl73.03 haG beer purchased from
he Institution by tho Vermont Marble
!ompany.
The foreign marbles are bought in
he block and sawed after transport
alton to Vermont. The domestic stock
s bought already sawed. The stock
lsed in the course of n year embraces
practically all of the different grades
ri marble which can be worked into
The products turned out from the shop
such as interior work, including vain
soothing, marble base boards. lavatory
slabs, furniture tops. s%nelves, electric
slabs for switchboards. candy slabs.
interiors for receiving vaults and
mausoleums and a small proportion of
tombstone work. There is quite Il
foreign trade for furniture tops In
Cuba, Mexico and the South American
countries. while IN the last five years,
considerable plumbers marble has
been sent to Honolulu.
In disposing of the product from the
House Of Correction no attempt is
made TO undersell other manufacture
ers. Prices are kent not only as near
as possible to those prevailing IN this
section. but to those in New York,
Baltimore. Cincinnati and tho other
manufacturing points.
Referring to the selling department
superintendent Morgan said: W
mean always TO get the market price
md the only claim we make and upon
which we sometimes secure work Is
that we turn out a better product than
the outside shop"
A visit was made through the shop
and marble yards and l2i prisoners
were at work In the different depart
ments, there being no outsiders except
a foreman for each of the DEPART
ments where the coping. sand rubbing
and polishing Is done. The foreman
of the rubbing beS also acts as en-
gineer. The superintendent said he
was somewhat handicapped by having
too much help and expressed the hope
that something would be done to de-
crease tho number Of commitments
as with present facilities 1t Is impos-
sible to keep all of the men con-
stantly employed 10 hours daily.
The system of accounting was ex-
planned in detail. Goods are pur-
chased in the open market at the low
est prices obtainable. All bills are
examined by the superintendent and
the resident Grccto.. Mr..
Woodiin, before m is
made, All checks are countersienod nv
Mr.. Woodfln. At the end Of every three
months these bills with the check and
voucher for the check are passed upon
by the full board of directors and then
sent to the State auditor. Previous to the
enactment of the law OF 1904, tho bills
were audited In exactly the same way ex-
cept that they were not sent to the State
auditor. no provision therefor having been
made in the statute.
All goods sent out from the shop are
nNoiced to the party purchasing them.
The invoices all pass through the hands
IF the superintendent and are audited
~ him. The money received for such
goods Is turned over to the superintend-
INT Of the House OF Correction, Mr.. Nor
gan, who sends It to the State treasurer,
receiving from that official a receipt in
duplicate, The duplicate Is at once for
Narded to the State auditor, The banking
business Of tho House OF Correction is
transacted with the Clement National
bank of Rutland.
That the House of Correction r. self
supporting Is a matter OF pride to Super
u tendent Morgan and he believes It
,hould be a source or satisfaction to the