The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-25

which cause men 20 drift into crime
hut n, does hot hope 10 reach such
results through wooden gun parades
gymnasium exercises, course dinners.
daily vaudeville shows and idleness
In other words IL does not aim 20
make prison life one glad sweet song.
1T does believe that every prisoner
should be required TO do a reasonable
daily task. TO do the work as ell as
/, Ii done In an outside factory. and
70 do the kind of work that the out
side work is doing IN order tha' pris
cner may secure and hold a position
IN the industrial world when released
from prison. II also believes taat the
taxpayers have some rights which
politicians should be compelled 10 re-
spect and that prisons should be made
as nearly self-sustaining as possible.
Unfortunately the tendency. OF MOI
oTn prison reform has been 10 drive
all industrial labor from The wilson's
and shift the burden or their support
Upon the taxpayers.
And now We come 70 the strangest
paradox in economics. During the
past four years millions of dol airs or
the peoples money has been squan-
dered prosecuting trusts because
trusts have a tendency 10 make the
price OF manufactured goods too high,
and millions mere have been squan'
dered in promoting prison idleness be
cause prison labor tends, IL is claimed,
&c make the price or goods too low
And the taxpayer is the patient ana
iong-sufferng goat for the political
prison reformer
or the SIS inmates In lonia prison
when the report Was compiled, Ala
ere employed in the manufacture OF
reed furniture.
The returns from that department
amounted 10 about $4,000 per month,
says Warden Fuller. The contract
ors furnish all foremen and instruct
ors, material and machinery, lieht the
shops al their own expense and pay
the state S2I0 per month for power
and heat. and pay so cents per day
fC- the labor Of each prisoner. In ad-
dition 10 this the contractors are pay
INK the prisoners at the present time
al the rate OF about $4,000 per year
for overtask work and efficiency. Con-
tray 20 n common misapprehension.
the prison authorities have absolute
power I'm fixing tasks and they are so
low that the most efficient and indus.
trious prisoners can do a task in half
n day. and work for themselves the
'ualancc OF the day One Italian earn
cd 1925 for himself in four years.
During the last biennial Period
5Go inmates were received upon
new sentence from the courts,
ranging in ages from 10 TO 90
wears. During the last year OF
he period. which Warden Fuller
says is typical OF the institution dur
Ing recent years. the average ages OF
men received was slightly above %
years. Fuller says SO per cen were
under o. years OF age. while only i've
per cent were over so years OF age.
II have received great many in
uuiries relative 20 the relation OF
LIQUOR 10 crime" says Fuller. and II
appears from our Investigations thai
as per cent of those who violate
paroles are led to do so by the use OF
liquor. or $50 prisoners interviewed
BIZ Chaplain Mendenhal during the
past two years 372 admitted tee use
al LIQUOR and $50 said they were In
huenced by liquor 10 commit the crime
which brought them TO prison.
Warden Fuller pays a fine tribute
TO Dr. Kari b. Brucker, a former
J lansing man, in his review of the
medical department DIR Brucker is
on the job ten hours a day, giving
most careful and skillful attention 10
the sick. says Warden Fuller