The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-21
CURRENT COMMENT.
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Employing County Prisoners.

II Is very evident that the county
;ail labor is not working very satisfae.
| torily in most of the counties. State
Auditor II. +. Graham has sent out Is
tie chairmen Of the various prison boards
in the different counties blanks to I've
returned showing the receipts and ex-
penditures In this department and while
4 few have returned the same properly
made out, not all of the counties By any
means have responded, although the time
for returning the same has long since
transpired. Some time ago the Journal
attempted to get information relative
to the result OF the working OF the law
and but very few Of the counties
acknowledged the letters. 1t was very
evident from the replies that were re-
ceived that the receipts were not large
in any OF the counties which had done
anything at all.
Washington county recently turned
into the auditors Office its account,
which showed a net gain TO the state
Of about $500 for the year, but there is
little doubt that this Il the banner
county. Conditions were unusually good
here this summer for prison work on
account of the labor required by the
water department in laying mains and
as the superintendent could not get Ia
Dor after advertising for it he resorted
to the prisoners in Jail. Since that time
II has been difficult for The prison board
to find work for the men and as a final
resort the members individually bought
some tirHber on local farm in order
to furnish the necessary employment.
All over the state The prison boards have
been up against serious problem in
finding work for the prisoners. In the
smaller counties there are sometimes az
few Is one or two men in the jails, and
while these are earning fifty cents or
81 a day, the states expense is 81 for
guard.
There seems TO be general demand
for some additional legislation on the
question at the session of the legislature
next fall. Ii second ofFense prisoners
are to Be confined III the jails and made
TO work. fhera should be some provision
whereby employment can be furnished,
either jail yards or county farms Sher
If Tracy has used an honor system with
his men. in order To stimulate the men
to good honest work. he has reserved
a certain sum for the men to have for
themselves at the end of sentence. He
has also taken this action so that the
men would not feel like running away
If a guard was not placed over them
all tile time This has resulted, as some
think, in attracting the men to the jail
Of their own accord. as they can work
ana gct their board and at the same
time earn more than they could if they
we're not committed.
Jailers who are responsible for the
body Of their prisoners do not feel az
liberty to set their prisoners at work
without guard and in most cases they
cannot find work anyway Sheriff Tracy
realizing this condition, has done what
he thought was best and saved a little
money I'll this county, but he has been
overstoeked with second offeHse prison
ars for several months. The question
which the state must confront is this:
Il the prisoners are to work, what pro.
vision can be made to furnish this en-
oioyment without laying the jailers open
% too hazardous risks Il can be said
that the operation OF the law as i
stands has not been successful this
year.
Another thing to be taken into consid.
sration is whether or not the employ
ment Of prison labor affects honest d
Dor. In this county, Tie journal is Of
he opinion that 1t has not to any alarn'
ny degret, although there may have
leen one or two cases since The haFA
lines came up III which work Which,
vent to q prisoner might have gone te
'urnish bread and butter for an homes
aboriug mans family. Alontpehef
Journal.