The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-30
PRISON LABOR
DR.. WIGHT'S
THEME
ID Report Suggests lis
Elimination or Proper
Regulation.
Especial to the Evening start

RFNRioA " e~ fNAAA stall
TRENTON. Jan. So-Featured by he
recommendation that convict labor should
be done away with entirely, or that every
article turned out by this labor be labeled
prison made the report of the Rev. DIR.
George n. Wight, Commissioner of Chart
ties and Corrections. treats this subject in
an extensive and comprehensive manner.
He suggests the appointment Of a joint
legislative committee to consider the sub
ject, and believes u revision of the laws
would be OF much advantage 10 not only
the State bur the convicts, thelr families
and to organized labor.
In reviewing tho work of the year., Or.
Wight says:
The management in every instance has
been intelligent ana honest, ana tne best
interests or inc State nave been carefully
guarded by all OF tnem. 1 say this auVls-
euIy, tor | nave uIosely and careIully
watched the operations OF eacn institution
by vISitations. during which / observed tne
character or business oone ny the i
ayers. 1 do not claim tnat no errors were
made, or that The best was done I'D every
instance, but considering the approprla-
IONS, facilities and crowded conuItiohs, 1
claim that the State has received the taiIh-
full service OF the managers OF its eorrec-
ti0nal and charitable institutions"
The commissioner speaks of the Invests
cation OF the Hahn investigating commit
tee, and in this connection says: Portions
Of the press III advance OF the investigation
announced that revelations OF the most as
founding and, awful character would be
made, and amazing business mismanage-
ment by which the State lost thousands OF
dollars, laid bare to the public. Nothing OF
the sort occurred, because II did not exist.
1t speaks well for the institutions that out
of the lumber investigated but two have
been criticised by the public press, and the
critiCiSmH in those cases. 1 take II, were I'M
warranted by the facts. There sas been
no loss to the State by incompetent ousl-
ness infringement, and no cruelty 10 pr.
tlents and prisoners proven by competent
testimony Or developed i'll my personal IN
vestigatiofs. | think, however, the inyes-
tigation was 2 benefit, aud suggest that
future investigations by joint committees OF
the Legislature be made at intervals, not
for partisan purposes, but 80 improve the
service"
DR.. Wight cougratulates Warden George
o. Osborne for his humane methods and
ufidualifedly says "the prison is IN the
fStefr3ltt e the, great penal institutions OF
prison be built becaitse she present faclil-
ties for caring for the ferriale %conviets are
inadequate. The present wing MS .thlrty-
to be housed in it. 1T is not only pref.
udicial to good morals and discipline
says DR.. Wight In this connection, for
more than one prisoner to occupy a single
cell, but clearly contrary to law. "All OF
the women prisoners eat. sleep and work
In the same room.
g~estion. A women 8 r~eformlatory at SOM
place outside Of the large cities, easy of
access, where ample grounds can be Sc
cured at reasonable cost ana erect dan SUIT SUIT
be employed and required to earn their
| board III. such way outside Of contract work
as may be deemed best. As an alternative,
1 suggest d new wing on the grounds be-
longing 10. the state opposite the state
prison, and Under the general management
6f the prison inspectors and warden, with
q chief patron and a number oil female
III discussing convict labor, Or, Wight
says; ,.aoa - s.,so,, ~ cor,lct labor
continues to attract the attention of in
terested parties-contractors, to secure the
largest return for their venture; prison
prison; and organized labor, to prevent I'M
fair competition with free labor. While /
sympathiZe with organized labor, ! cannot
deny the right of the State to demand that
every prisoner shall be required to work
as many hours upon remunerative labor
as the ordinary ~wage-earner does outside.
his work, reimburse the State for the cost
his I" board. After this Is lone the balance,
II any, OF his earnings may be paid to his
family, or to himself upon his discharge.
"The complaint of organized labor that
the prisdn-Iitade goods compete unfairly
WIN Tree LABOR i pfilcNb W DC wen
gr6iinded to h certain ~cfttent. The products
81 prisons Of other states are sold In New
Jersey tfatkets Yitho1t h~indrnnce. and
while this is so, the State does itself in
jury by restricting It's own productions.
/ believe prison-made goods from this or
any other State, when placed upon the
market, should have plainly marked upon
them the words prison made and not
upon tho bale OF parcel only, but upon
"aTheree is another proposition which has
Interested tic public. and which some
States have adopted1ho, contract labor ut
to. make It's own prison articles needed by
all its institutions, such as furniture. wear-
ing apparel. etc. ! have mentioned this
in former reports and believe It worthy
The report also says that It Is too easy
Tor alcoholic patients to gain admission to
asylums. He says that habitual drunk.
ards have no right In insane asyluna. but
that ne is powerless to do anything ex,
cept to give the matter publicity and
that ~ Jblicity is a better deterrent than
law, in cases like this