The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-19
FARM WORK FOR THE
\ MINOR PRISONERS
Address of L. A. Halbert OF
Kansas City Before Aneri-
can Prison Congress.
WORK NOT PUNISHMENT
Should Be Done Under
|, Healthful Conditions and
No Improper Strain.
WORK NOT PUNISHMENT

g omaha. Oct IS. = Expressing the
ln;n,on that farm work for prisoners
VIC have been found guilty of mlsde-
meanors should be permitted IN every
ktate. L. A. Halbcrt of Kansas City ad-
messed the American prison congress
ifoday. He was followed b. James
Naval of New Zealand. whose views
orcceived sympathetic attention,
~ s'Society," said Mr.. lIalbert. ''has
Sno right to deprive any man OF the op,
,,portuuity to engage in wholesome and
interesting labor, even thaugh he be a
'lprisoncr If we have any human sym
,nathy for, or interest in. prisoners, we
xviii see to ii that they have chance
Ito work. If any iailcr is indifferent TO
whether his prisoners have. work or
mot, he is not a fit person to be Jailer'
Should Stand the Test.
''The labor Of prisoners should stand
Tho same tests as that of any other per
sons not prisoners. Any factory labor
'or mining or any other kind of labor
carried on In prisons must be done uu-
der healthful conditions, and with rea-
tsonablo hours and no improper strain.
III do not believe we should use the idea
Tor give the idea TO prisoners that work
lis punishment. We do not want TO
teach them to hate, work, Io. try to
make their work distastcful is cruel
and senseless.
Breaking rock or making little ones
out Of big ones, as prisoners refer TO
That form Of prison labor, the speaker
,decried as undesirable and uneconomic-
Ial This method he described as an
ltiquated.
Mr.. Halborf attacked contract prison
'labor and. he said Judging from ex-
perience. he had found outdoor work
the best kind for prisoners,
GA prison farm might he Just about
as bad an institution as any prison II
il were not properly managed, said
Mr.. Halbert. 81 say this merely to
suggest that the establishment of
farm for misdemcaDants docs not do
away with the usual problem OF prison
management.
Advantages of Farm Labor.
tit" There are, however. certain advan-
tages OF farm labor over other kinds
of labor for prisoners. In the first
place the nature OF farm work does
AWAY with all problems OF light and
Ventilation. Second, there is great
variety Of motions and some locomo
ton required in all farm work and thus
all the sets Of muscles IN man s body
get some exercise.
[r'Eln the third place. farm work can
be done with less previous knowledge
and skill than almost any other form
of productive labor. 1t is especially
Necessary 10 have work suited 10 un-
skilled labor where YOU employ mIsde
fueanants because the police cannot be
|depended upon to furnish workers
'trained IN any particular industries YOU
may establish and because the sen
fences of misdemeanants are too short
for them TO learn any trade while they
,are in custody.
81 am quite well aware Of tho fact
that it requires considerable amount
of skill and knowledge to be a good
|agriculturst, but 1T does not take long
TO teach a man the difference between
an onion and a sunfiowcr or any other
weed. When vou have taught him
that, he is qualified to weed the onion
patch.