The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-24
Our LAW-CRtATtD
LEISURE CLASS
Compulsory Idleness the
Reward for Minor Of
fenses-Prison Labor AS
Solution for Conservation
Problem Work Done In
Many States.


american Prison Association.
tExclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau.)
The American people have been
wasteful and prodigalS in the use OF
the things which nature has so boun-
TRULY provided. This is seen in the
destruction of our forests, the decrease
OF our water power, the waste of ma
tural gas, the lack of intelligent reg
ulation of our streams, the slaughter of
beneficial birds, the loss Of fertility
to our farms. Conservation has be-
come great ISSUE
We are coming to learn that the i'm
provement of our natural resources Is
also conservation. This includes re-
claiming and improving land, dra n
ing sWamps, damming streams, dig
ging canals and preparing road mater
ial OF stone, BRICK and tile. Establish
Ing and maintaining ideal farms typ
ical wood lots and model forest re-
serves are valuable efforts in conser-
walton. In the thinly settled portions
and the mountain district of much
of the United States an unlimited
amount of work can be done.
For this work we have in this coun-
try large leisure class, class that
is compelled to live in ildeness. while
the rest Of the population supports
them. Practically all the inmates of
our country jails are idle. That is the
reward given those who, often inten-
ttonally violate our laws. The system
is bad and condition are often worse.
Altogether there is no more foul blot
upon our civilization than this.
Productive labor is essential to the
proper treatment of the prisoner. 1t
is necessary for his betterment. Do we
in faint way estimate the POSSIBLE
ties of the employment Of certain pri-
soners in many lines of conservation
Of the water, the land and the forests?
How great the result may be in drain
ing swamps, improving our land, in
creasing our crops. preserving or re-
placing our forests or making and pre-
pairing road material. we cannot COM
prehend. In many parts Of the coun-
try such work could be done by Sc
lected convicts living in open camps.
or they could be employed upon large
farms and the public exhibition of con-
victs avoided where public sentiment
requires.
In this we should not have to work
in the dark. In one State after an
other practical experience has been
gained. Convicts crush stone for roads
in Illinois. California, Nevada and
Utah build roads in California, Geor-
gia, Virginia. Louisiana and Washing
ton. In Washington they cut away the
heavy forests; in Massachusetts, they
are engaged in retaining the land;
in New Jersey in clearing the soil; in
Rhode Island in removing boulders
and Louisiana in draining the land;
in Ohio, Kansas and California in i'm
proving their farms. At Michigan
City, Indiana, the prisoners reclaimed
a tract of swamp land among the
sand dunes. The Southern States have
taken the lead, as their favorable CHI
mate makes possible. in the employ
ms AMI nf mi
of whom are colored, both upon publ c
roads and State farms. Some Of the
latter contain twelve and thirteen
thousand acres.
The working of convicts upon the
public highways in the northern States
Is not advocated. There it has not
proven practicable. The longer win
ters, different conditions, the expense
of transporting, supporting and guard
ing prisoners VIII CHI would aggregate
as much or more than the value of
their work arc all AGAINST it. Our peo-
pie are not accustomed to the sight
Of working convicts and armed guards;
they would not approve of the pub
lie punishment of prisoners along the
highways.
There is scarcely a prison in this
country that has not reclaimed or i'm
proved land and some OF it has been
made a marvel of richness and beauty,
the fertile, irrigated fields at Salt Lake
City speak just as eloquently Of the
use of prison labor out OF doors as do
the gardens Of the women at Sher-
born and Bedford or the farms at Ho-
boken and Mansfield. The orchards at
Leavenworth testify as truly of the
efficiency of open-air work as do the
fields Of Louisiana.
We have, too, the experience Of 9TH
er lands. In England, at Dartmoor,
the prisoners have been engaged in re-
claiming the moorland. working even
in winter. Agricultural prisons have
South Wales, Prussia, Austria, Hun
gary, Switzerland, France, Russia. and
Belgium. At such a prison at Park
hurst, England, one hundred weak
minded convicts were employed in
gardening and growing flowers. In
Hungary convicts have been engaged
in the Improvement of marshy lands,
bikes and in agriculture.
The breakwater at Portland Harb6r in
England was constructed by prison
ers and the dockyards at Portsmouth
and Catham enlarged in the same way.
In Prussia cow cts were successfully
in digging the Nordhorn.Al-
melo canal, in draining the Gross
tivating marshy lands, caring for the
forests at Seigburg. raising vines. etc.
In Austria much has been done in the
of streams, removing ra.
pids retaining inundated lands, ana
works of defense.
The proper conservation of our ma
tural resources and the proper employ
ment of convicts are two great prob
lens that must be solved by our peo-
pie and solved right. Conservation
must be partly the work of the gem
aral government, partly of the States,
and partly of both cooperating. In
many ways the general government |
IAN take the lead in others the States
,an co so. WHY cannot these two
problems be related? No present plan |
Of employing convict labor is wholly |
satisfactory.
Why, since prisoners make again ha-
,itable the abandoned farms of Mas |
'achusetts and remove the boulders |
rom the rich soil Of Rhode Island. |
IAN they not reclaim the tide flats of |
New Jersey and the everglades of |
Florida? Think of the reclaimable !
and along the coasts of the United |
states, If prisoners build bikes in |
Europe and levees in Louisianan, why |
,ot in other States? In Europe the
courses of streams have been changed,
tunneled and canals built |
w prisoners Why not adopt Mr.. Pet |
ierov.'s suggestion and build the |
Cane Cod canal with prison labor?
Since prisoners have been used in re-
oresting the heaths IN Denmark and !,
n practical forestry in Prussia, New
Zealand and Switzerland. may these |
lot be so used here where there is