New Britain herald., 1914-07-22
CONDEMS CONTRACT LABOR IN PRISONS National Committee on Prison LsblT
 Meets at Short Beach.

New Haven, July 22.-A gathering of over 100 persons, consisting large l ly of club women and D. A. R. mem- bers from New Haven and nearby towns was stirred to an enthusiastic endorsement of the movement for prison reform, at the meeting held under the auspices of the National committee on Prison Labor at the home of Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox at Short Beach yesterday afternoon. The speakers included Thomas Mott Osborne, whose voluntary confine- ment in Auburn prison caused such a sensation recently: Miss Helen Varick Boswell, chairman of the po- litical science department of the Fed eration of Womens clubs, and John G. Manning of the American Fedora tion of Labor
 Asked about the conditions in tho local jail Mr. Manning said he had paid a short visit to the jail yesterday morning and as far as he could judge by a quick glance about the place, the conditions were in general as we'll as in most such institutions. Two or three things, however, he said he noticed which he had to condemn. Did you visit the Grand avenue lockup?" he was asked. MT. Man ming stated that he had not Tt is not so much my intention to inves- tigate conditions in this city myself. as to make you see why you ought to look into such matters. Every one of you I would urge to learn what the conditions are in your city, and to visit these places and see just what they actually are.'' Several ladies mi nf best methods of finding out the true situation and it seems probable that some of them will visit the various places of confinement for criminals, in the city. No committee was ap- pointed for that purpose, however.
 Relates His Experience.
 MT. Osborne related his exper- fences in prison, and pointed out the need of the reforms which his close study of prison life had convinced him were necessary. Miss Boswell in a short talk condemned the con- tract labor system. MT. Manning spoke from the standpoint of the la Dor unions. He declared that con- tract labor was unjust in competition with free labor, but particularly em- phasized the point of view of the
  any system which made for the de- stroying of the self respect of men only furnished more material to be exploited in use against fighting the labor unions.
 "The contract system of employ ing prisoners is unjustifable from every standpoint" said Miss Boswell. | You good citizens of Connecticut should tolerate it no longer. It has been claimed that this system is nec- essary to provide work for prisoners. One man, William H. Whitaker, a prison official of 20 years standing, used to take this standpoint, but has changed because of the success he has had in providing work for the prisoners of the District of Columbia under the state-use sys- tenn; every state can do as well as the District of Columbia, according to MT. Whitaker. Also the Ohio board of administration finds it not only possible but profitable for the state to work it's prisoners under the state-use system Furthermore, in New York state where they say that the system has failed, William Church Osborne found, after investigation, that the convicts couldn't, if they aE worked their hardest, manufacture more than one-tenth of the goods needed in the state institutions and departments.
 Advocates Fair Labor.
 You people in Connecticut care 10 we'll for your prisoners physicaIlx hat you should give them a chance o labor fairly-not at shirt-mak- ng, which is a woman's trade but at making supplies for the state and, | whenever possible out of doors, on