Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-27
TRADE BODIES FOR
.PEN|7ENT|ARY PLAN
Realize Necessity for Change
in Present Conditions.
READY TO PUSH PROJECT
Views of Presidents of Commercial
Organizations.
REF0RMATORY IS ADVOCATED
Former Recommendations Of Head OF
Chamber of Commerce-Board
of Trade Proposition.
READY TO PUSH PROJECT
REFORMATORY Is ADVOCATED

ashingtons two trade or
CARNATIONS. the Board OF Trade
and the Chamber OF Commerce
and that means practically the en-
tire business communicative
Joined in no uncertain way the
movement to secure the establish
ment OF a modern reformatory
system, together with the con-
struction of a new Jail or peni-
tertiary, or both, for the District
OF Columbia. The moving spirits
in both trade bodies are agreed
that one OF the greatest needs OF
the capital is all improvement over
the old building on the shore OF
the Eastern branch.
President Cuno H. Rudolph spoke today
for the Board of Trade, and said the
support of the entire organization would
undoubtedly be behind any proposition
looking to a betterment of existing con-
should be contained in bill introduced
before Congress and providing for the
construction of a new Jail penitentiary.
For the Chamber of Commerce, Presi
dent Robert n. Harper gave voice to
similar sentiments. and he said the cham
Der was practically unit when it came
to the consideration and recommended
tion of more careful and liberal treat
ment of the unfortunate classes of the
community.
Cuno III. Rudolph, who became president
of the Board of Trade upon the termina-
tioE of the term of Brig. Gen. John NJ
Wilson, L. S. A, retired has devoted
much of his time to matters of public
interest, and he has also found OppOr-
tunity to make "a close study of the
methods of treatment of offenders against
the law in various jurisdio tons He is a
particularly strong advocate of the al
most vital necessity of providing some
forms CO employment for the inmates of
jails and penitentiaries
Our greatest problem in the District
of Columbia said Mr.. Rudolph, lis the
handling of the negro criminals. Under
the present system a strong. able bodied
laborer may be sentenced to a term OF
eleven months and twenty-nine days or
less in the Jail, and once in our only
Jail. with little opportunity for exercise
and absolutely no requirement. for labor,
he rolls himself in a blanket and stretches
out for what is practically year Of sleep
with only the necessary intervals of wake
fulness incident to eating his two or three
square meals a day. The trouble is likely
TO be that the habit OF being lazy grows
upon him. He becomes welded to a life
of absolute case. and perhaps for no other
reason than that he wants to get back
he commits another crime and the routine
begins all over again.
1T is conceded on all sides that the
conditions in our Jail. with all its over
crowding and insanitary arrangements,
are little short of disgraceful for the cap
ital of the nation. and the time has come
when Washington must make an improve
ment there. just as improvements have
been made in other parts of the body pol
itic, SO that the needs of the present day
may be met"
Location of Prison.
As a solution to the difficulties which
btsiese the District of Columbia in re-
spect of the care of it's criminal classes
NJ. Rudolph expressed himself as strong
ly in favor of the purchase of a large
pla: of ground in the outskirts of the
city. or in the contiguous territory of
Maryland VirSnia-;lle site to be high
and healthy-and containing a suffician,
area of ground to accommodate increases
in the imprisoned population incident TO
the expansion of the city. He also en-
phasized the need for some system where
by the merely accused and indicted, but
not convicted, might be effectually seq
rcgated from the prisoners of known and
proved guilt.
Mr. Rudolph said the whole Board of
Trade would rally to the support of n
suitable bill introduced in Congress which
would provide for any Improvement over
the old Jail. While lie did not wish to
erter into extended discussion of the
problem of convic. labor, the preside nj
of the Board of Trade said he felt sure
some satisfactory solution could be found
and. assuming that workshops should be
provided. he had no doubt that lies of
employment could be found for the prison.
ers which would not only be helpful to
them but would he entirely free from
objection and criticism at the hands of
the trades unions.
In conclusion Mr. Rudolph smoke of
model prison which he visited on
recent tour of MeXico-a great peni
tertiary constructed with a central tower
and radiating wings. in which the number
az supervisors and watchmen was re
duced to a minimum and the locking and
urlocking of all cells, and all matters OF
illumination were controlled from the CEN
ira. tower Such prison as this. Mr..
Rudolph thought. would i'm the long run
be an economical proposition for the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Mr.. Harper's Recommendation.
Even before he became president of the
Chamber of Commerce. Mr.. Robert n
Harper had given much of his energy IN
Investigations into criminology and he
has prepared probably no better summary
of the whole subject than that laid be-
fore the Chamber of Commerce in connec-
ton with his first annual report as its
chlef ofncer Mr.. Harper pointed TO this
summary today and recalled the fact that
the conclusions and recommendations
therein contained had been unanimously
received by the organization at the an
nual meeting. The recommendations on
the care of criminals were as follows:
LAS civilization throughout the country
has advanced to SO marked a degree, the
question as TO the manner of treating our
criminal class should keep up with the