The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-09-24
HOW THE
LAW WORKS
w. H. Sprague Reports on
Jail Labor
IN ORANGE COUNTY
ORANGE COUNTY
Has Received s12o.e6 For Labor Since
Law Went Into Effect-Believes
the Law Good
One.

Chelsea, Sept. 24--Since the law re-
quiring prisoners to labor, who are
committed to the county iails, ali tramps
OF for intoxication, or for breach OF the
peace, has become operative, eighteen
prisoners have been committed to
Orange county Jail who have been ELI
gible to labor under the now statute,
and have been required to do SO.
The sentences of several men have
ranged from ten to thirty days, and in
two instances fines have been paid af-
ter commitment, so that only two and
one half days labor were received from
these two commitments.
The aggregate of the whole number
Of days TO be served by these eighteen
men, figuring these two commitments
at the time actually served, is 3421a
days, and these, the prisoners, have
worked 216ia days; the balance, 1876
days being accounted for by Sundays,
sickness, stormy days and days that
labor could not be procured for them.
With the exception of saving wood,
which has been done for fifty cents per
cord, prisoners have been hired out at
from so to S1.25 per day, and when
the latter prices has been received, the
prisoner has been paid 25 cents and the
state has received $iJ0o, and the best
general results have been obtained when
the latter price has been received for
prison labor, since it gives q prisoner
better courage, and more of an impetus
to do an honest days labor when ne
feels that he is getting some remunera-
tion, though ii be slight, for his labor.
The total amount received for the
2l6A days labor Is S120.96, or an
average Of So cents per day. Wnila
the majority OF the prisoners have been
hired out at So cents per day, and tae
minority for from SO cents to s100 ire
ceived by. the state), those who have
sawed wood have not made so cents per
day, which accounts for the general
average being but slightly above the so
cent mark
The best months work from fnan-
cial standpoint, were July and August,
when the highest wages were obtained,
and with the smallest outlay for tools
and expense incurred in working the
prisoners.
OF the money received for prison
labor, s72.11 has been paid for officers
MAlW navy AHAA AAl4EE vi AktG NAtERAAtAa
while at work, and also necessary clotn-
ing, tools, and keeping the same in
repair the necessary expenses entailei
BY the meetings of the prison board,
which under the rulings Of the state
auditor, are to be paid out of the earn
ings OF the prisoners, provided the re
ceipts for such labor are sufficient 20
meet these, besides the other necessary
demands, have not been paid, but there
is every reason to believe that they will
be presented and paid before the close
OF the fiscal year. at which time indica
tions are, that there viii be a balance
to turn over to the state treasurer.
While the number Of commitments to
Jail ia Orange county, Of prisoners, who
By the new statute are required to labor
Is small, and the opportunities for se-
curing labor for them are not as good
as in the larger counties, yet up to the
present time, the experiment in this
county has proved successful, and
though the receipts have been small, the
balance shows on the right side Of the
account, and as a member of the prison
board, judging from the results of the
experiment in this county, / feel that
this law, requiring prisoners to labor,
who are committed to tie county iaih
throughout the state, to serve sentences
for minor offences, is one of the best Of
our penal statutes not alone from tne
standpoint Of revenue to the state, but
for the best interest Of the men them
selves, the majority Of whom are work
ing men, and under the old law, which
did not require them to labor, when
they emerged from The jail after a va
cation Of from ten to thirty days, they
were not in a physical condition to re-
sumo labor at once, ard the devil al
way finds sonsething for an idle hand
10 do; but under the present law, which
requires them TO labor from eight 10
ten hours per day, when they have
completed heir term of service, they
find themselves with meacle3 hard, AMI
in the pink of condition to resume their
former positions Of labor, which fact
alone establishes one of the resulting
Benefits OF the present law, which reacn
os beyond the individual laborer himself
who is worthy Of his hire, and Is felt
by the employer, who il entitled to, and
deserves nonest labor for lis honest
dollar
ANl NEdiN ~ lluhN ifHit@aNAAlY uhAt
deterrent effect upon the class Of men
for whose benefit It was enacted
Those who are inclined to follow toe
bappy.go lucky life Of tramp, are men
WHO have a natural antipathy against
work, and they steer clear of the clut
chcs Of a law that oompels them TO
work nine or ten nours day, and for
hieh labor they receive no rec9upense
and the same reasoning holds true with
mon who are slaves to the drink habit
or who unfortunately commit a breach
Of the public peace. which is ordinarily
only the result Of a drunken brawl.
And while the law Is working fine,
and the rccords IN this county show that
no man has returned for second Of.
fence. yet we see vita regret, IN some
Of the other counties, instances whore
men are returned for q second and even
q third term but we find such ercum-
stances confined almost entirely TO
counties, where innate personal weak
ness Is made the victim of unfortunate
opportunity made possible, and yet
/ legal by the open saloon.
Sec and Treas. Of the Prison
w n, spfagne see. and treas Of the
prison board