The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-05
CONVICT LABOR
ACTION ON PENITENTIARY
BY CHARITIES AID.
Essez Members of State Body Reco1i-
mend Handkerchief Industry and
-Criticise Women's Ward.

Conditions In the county p~enitentiary,
and more particularly the proposed estab-
lishment of a handkerchief factory at that
institution. ware discussed at a meeting of
the Essex County committee Of the State
Charities Aid. held late yesterday afternoon
in the Fred Public Library.
A committee consisting of the Rev.
Francis A. Foy, chairman: Robert NJ.
Boyd, of Montclair; Edwin G. Adams, and
Mrs. Frederick NJ. jacobson, OF this city,
/ and Decatur M. Sawyer, of Montclair. had
been appointed to inspect the penitentiary
and to report as to the existing conditions
in that institution at the present time, as
well as to determine the feasibility of es-
tablishing the proposed factory. This
report was read yesterday by Father Foy,
| who stated that the committee had found
that the physical condition of the institu-
tion was excellent; the entire building was
kept In a satisfactory state of cleanliness,
but that the majority of men, with the e=-
ception of the stone workers, were kept
in idleness and that there was no classihca-
ton among the prisoners. He considered
that the work would be timely for ele-
waiting the moral condition Of the In
mates, and aside, from this viewpoint
would prove q practical undertaking.,
netting the county not less than $50 per day
when 100 men were employed. He stated
that certain contractors were willing to
iilStdli tiS nOtCGcdA mdCiiiDGS kEdLl8, dnQ
that the erection of a one-story frame
building would only cost a few thousand
dollars. Someone has stated said he,
that a factory would cost about $4,000,
but 1t is no such thing. We strongly recon-
mend the experiment of trying the plan
with 100 inmates to start. We a Sc
lected the handkerchief industry because
we know 1t to be one with which the labor
unions will not conflict, inasmuch as that
industry has never been organized, and Ia
not likely to be-"
The existing conditions in the women's
ward of the penitentiary were criticised
by the committee, in that only one woman,
who is the wife OF the warden, has charge
Of all of the women prisoners, Of whom
there are sometimes as many as fifty.
The committee thinks that there should
be a day matron and a night matron
for each group of women, some of
whom are in the new building and some
in the old. 1t considers that the wife of
the warden has other duties which take
up much of her time, and its report
states that at present the women prisoners
are almost entirely in the care OF men
keepers.
The committee reported that striped suits
are still in use, and thai while the present
warden is in favor of the recent recon-
~endation made by the Grand Jury he
has not been able to CARRY them out, as he
has not had the cooperation Of the Board
of Freeholders. 1t was reported that con-
ditions remain as they were when the
Grand Jury made it's recommendations,
with the exception that the lighting appa-
ratus has been installed.
A committee consisting Of Father Foy.
Mrs. jacobson and Wilson A. Farrand
Iareeholders and confer with the member
IN regard 10 the handkerchief industry