The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-21
SANDERS WANTS WORK
Fort Madison Warden Would Begin
At Once to Get Something for
Men to do He Tells
the Board.

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he utilized or. Is It best to maintain
several hundred men in idleness III
timately to become parts OF society
with nothing learned as to the art OF
earning a living. With contract con-
Wet labor practically ended. what can
the state do to find substitutes
In another way. the problem Is one
of deciding between action and re-ac-
ton, between progress and Old fogey-
ism
At Fort Madison there are now
but 100 employed on contract labor
now and this will be reduced to 1so
Feb. /, and later other reductions I'M
til all contract labor is ended. A SINH
Lar situation exists at Anamosa-
At the last previous conference, the
question OF what to do was q promi
nent one for discussion. Informally
only was It again discussed recently.
Reports on what can be done In road
work were encouraging. Reports on
field work of convicts were satisfac-
tory. But only small number OF
convtcts can e used In either road
or farm work and then only for part
OF the year. For the majority OF all
the conricts some industries must be
established within prison walls and
conditions must approximate those
of the familiar contract labor sys-
tenn.
The other day the board OF con-
troll received letter from man In
small town in northern Iowa
which fairly illustrated the mental
attitude Of the reactionaries in prison
work. The writer protested against
establishing Industries In the prison,
protestd against any and all propos-
ais for working anything there, and
said the only thing to do was to use
the men In farming. He argued that
any other industry than farming
meant competition with free labor.
lor possible Interference with some
industry which might be established,
but as for the farm he was not In
position to complain. OF course the
state officials understand perfectly
that no Industry Of any kind can be
established using prison labor. but
free labor. somewhere or at some
time.
For Prison industries.
Warden, ]. c. Sanders, recognized
now all over the country as one OF
the most progressive OF American
students OF the prison problem, has
long been urging that action be taken
quickly to start something in the way
of prison industries. More than that.
he has gone ahead and established
industries, by tolerance. as 1t We're
That is the way he established the
basket making industry at Fort Madf-
son and now he is prepared to make
baskets for all the institutions on
state account
A suggestion from a prominent
road builder of the state came to
the board last week. It was that the
state begin the manufacture OF gal
yanized iron culverts and things OF
that sort, for road USE The demand
for them IL immense and growing. SO
Il was stated. Another suggestion
has been that stoves be made. which
is an industry easily organized.
Have Economic Value.
II believe we ought 10 make
start and make fight now in the d.
rection Of furnishing something FOR
nv men to do" said Warden Sanders
while attending the quarterly confer
ence. "In fact they are, 80 TO speak,
champing at the bit in their eager
ness to get busy on some industry.
These are men OF Iowa. They have
been members OF society, many OF
them useful members; they Will.
nearly all, be returned to society IN
due time. They have an economic
value now that ought to be utilized.
Give them something to do We must
keen them busy. We have shown
what can be done with them. Let us
go on with the work.
The greatest obstacle today In 90
ing what little we are trying to do
ia to f3nd room for the work we
have no place for the work. Why, mol
| long ago, one OF the other state In
/ etitutions sent me an order to make
49, v~