Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-19
USE OF CONVICT
LABOR IN OHIO
BUSINESS METHODS USED BY
STATE OFFICIALS IN OPERA
TON OF CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTIONS.
HELPED TO KEEP DOWN COST
ing for the States Thousands of In
mates-Was One of the Grave Prob
lens Left for the Present Admin
istration to Solve.


lens Left for the Present Admin
istration to Solve.
By Claude c. Waltermire.
correspondent of the Ohio Republican /
Editorial Association.
Columbus, O.-Few people give seri- |
.us thought to the thousands of in
mates of Ohio's great correctional and |
humanitarian institutions, yet the care
Of these unfortunates consumes a.
-arger percentage of taxes than any
ether requirement and occasions much
worry to those engaged in looking aft
sc their welfare. The ever increasing
multitude of dependents and lack of
tacilit1es for their proper care was one
ot the problems inherited by Governor
Willis and the State Board of Admin
stration, which has direct charge of
the institutions and their inmates.
A preceding administration, with the
aid of press agents with vivid imagina-
tions, and legislature that appropri-
ated the peoples money with reckless
| abandon, regardless Of business meth
DDS, has sought to make political capi-
tai out of the fact that Governor Will
! lis has refused to be stampeded into
! TASTY action and has taken the neces-
AIRY time to Investigate the various
leeds Of the state institutions, alert
| in guarding the taxpayers money but
| with heart full of human sympathy
for those in trouble and distress.
While, unlike some of his critics, the
| hoC ham o1z 1zrorticinC hiC
thoughts, his mind has been busy with
the problem of the states wards and
comprehensive plan of procedure has
been evolved which will meet the ap-
proval of the taxpayers and afford
needed relief to those requiring it.
Cooperation Is Big Help.
President C. c. Philbrick and the
other members of the State Board of
Administration understand the wishes
of Governor Willis and are working
with him harmoniously to hasten to
fruition the plans for many improve
ments. It is the intention to use the
labor of the states wards wherever
possible, and a careful investigation
has revealed not only many idle men
whose forced keeping can be made a
source of profit instead of expense to
the state, but ways are rapidly being
devised to use the labor of these peo-
pie in many ways not attempted here
tofore. The penitentiary of course will
furnish much labor, but other institu-
tions, such as the Mansfield Reforma-
tory, the Boys Industrial School, the
Marysville Reformatory and the Insti
tuition for Predetermined will all be
called upon to assist in contributing to
their maintenance.
Under the operation of the indeter-
, inmate sentence law which prevents
a Judge from sentencing any one for
! a definite term, the population of the
, penitentiary has increased rapidly and
is now the largest in its history, mum
bering in round numbers about 1,90(
inmates. OF this number experience
and experiments have demonstrated tC
the Board of Administration that only
( about 80 per cent can safely be USED
under the so-called honor system
! which permits the working of prison
4 ers away from the penitentiary prac
u
q this class of prisoners are now work
] ing in different parts of the state
Forty are employed in the cultivation
d of 4G0 acres of ground owned by the
state in Pickaway county, about 2:
; miles from Columbus. Last year these
convicts raised farm and garden pro
|. duce of a value in excess of $4,000
g and it is confidently expected that
e much better showing will be made thi
= year. At Junction City a brick plan
operated by convict labor has been il
+ operation for about two years, but diff
q Guilty has been experienced in securin!
an outside market for the product
: which up to the present time has con
sisted mainly of paving brick. Witt
). extensive improvements involving tn
building of many new cottages AM
!: other structures at various state inst
tutions the board has determined t.
: change the product at the brick plan
from paving to building brick TO
3 which the state will have use in 1arg
quantities, and which will permit tn
use of larger force of men than
now employed at the brick plant.
Replace Paid Workers.
Gangs of men that the board consiC
= ers trustworthy are being sent to tn
. Mount Vernon, Dayton, Delaware
:. Maryville and other institutions, fror
:, the prison. These men do genera
work that would otherwise and here
- tofore has been done by free paid labo
= while the state was supporting in idle
= ness the men who are now performin
= this work.
= With the practical completion of tn
Lima Hospital for the Criminal Insan
and the Marysville Reformatory fC
:, Women, the greatest activity is no
= centered at the site for the new pen
. tentiary in Madison county. A fore
of about 100 convicts is now workin
at this point and AS soon as livin
quarters now in course of constru
ton are completed the board of a.
ID ministration will send 100 more pri
or opars to This farm. which consists
- -~~O~-~~oo~-~-~~~~~O--~~~~-
- Homemade Spreads.
10 Every woman likes to own a ham
u made bedspread, but the majority {
,a spreads call for such expensive M
~ terials that few can afford to indulg
~ in such luxury. Within any won
%. ans reach, however, is the sprea
T made of unbleached muslin. All owe
IN its surface conventional scrolls al
7 outlined by means of huge Frenc
90 knots done in heavy white cotton. I'll
bt edge of the spread is finished wit
IA cotton fringe.
III The sham that matches the sprea
- &c lnnnor nR 4l,n s,n11c1;rn q 1iffl