The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-14
Turning Crime Into Money Con,

The problem of convict labor-that
much-vexed question, which has been
SO fruitful cause OF controversy--is
finding q solution at last Before long
the prisons Of this country will cease
to be factories, competing lnduStrially
with citizens. Free labor has won the
fight.
No longer will the ".jailbirds' of
Virginia devote their activities to tine
making of boots and shoes, at Rich
mond, as hitherto, being hired out Mt
80 much day 10 a big company en-
gagged in that branch of industry.
Henceforward they will crush rock.
with the help OF machinery, and build
public highways. Any county III the
state that wants 10 improve its roads
Awill be at liberty to call upon tho state
yto pay half the cost, III convict labor.
Such is the new law.
In Georgia Likewise, in obedience to
recent legislative decree. all convicts
have been withdrawn from competition
with free lahor. and their employment
will be restricted in future to the male-
ing OF roads.
Convicted evil-docrs in the South are
used largely Tor farming, on tracts ac,
CURED for the purpose by the states,
the produce being sold, and the proceeds
turned into the public funds. Thus IN
Georgia, and elsewhere in that section
of the country, the agricultural male
factor has been accustomed To compete
with the citizen farmer, TO the consid-
cradle detriment of the latter From
this time on, however, he will not be
permitted to do so in either OF the
TWO states above mentioned.
Spreading Over the Country.
These are merely steps in move.
ment which Is RAPIDLY spreading all
over the United States Illinois and
Washington have recently adopted the
same radical measure OF reform. and
il is beyond a doubt that a majority
of the other states of the union will
follow their example before very long,
Illinois has been using her conVictS
to make furniture. shoes. brushes. bas
kets, and stove hollow.ware. From This
zxime on. however, they will operate
yfock crushing plants which have been
established at Joliet and Chester. whore
ouarries are located conveniently IN the
neighborhood of the renitcutinrics
Crushed rock Will be given 20 ihc coun-
ties of the state TO be used III accord
ance with certain definite instructions
ANY disnbediencc of the latter dcpriv-
ing the offending county Of supplies for
Ihc ensuing year. The counties pav the
freight; but III many instances the vail
roads haul the stuff for nothing, taking
a percentage Of it for their own use
In the state Of Washington the prn.
cipal employment Of criminal offenders
has been in the manufacture of iute
bags, for wheat; but, under the new
law. their activities VIII be applied
wholly TO solving the "good roads
problem. A big rock crushing plant,
which they onerate, has been estab-
lished al Deception pass. on Puget
soHnd. and q mountain road, which
will he one of the most beautiful in
the world, is being built by convict
labor along the palisades of the Co.
]umbia river, on the north bank of the
stream, from Vancouver TO Mary Hill
q town named, by the way, after
danohtcr Of James J. Hill.
Meanwhile, many other states have
the same problem under serious con-
sideraton-the question at issue being
whether the prisons shall continue to
he operated as factories for the nro.
dnction Of various kinds Of merchan-
disc competing with the output of free
labor
The penitentiares of many states.
within the last few years. have been
equipped with improved machinery
thus converting them into first-class