The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-12-07
SENATOR URGES USE
OF CONVICT LABOR
(Continued from Page ~

CONTINUED from Page y
and providing for the control,
management and expense of
same.
"Be it enacted by the legisla-
ture of the state of Minnesota:
"Section 1. Whenever there
are male persons confined in the
state penitentiary at Saltwater,
or in the state reformatory in
Sherburne county, able to per-
Inform manual labor upon the pub
? lie highways, and who shall not
be engaged in other work re-
quired by the state board of
control, the same may be en-
ployed upon the construction
and improvement of public
highways within this state.
''Section 2. The. board of
control shall monthly certify to
the state highway commission
the number of persons in the in
situations named who may be
used for the work authorized
under this act; and the state
highway commission shall,
whenever possible, use such per-
sons in crushing stone, building
or repairing public highways.
section 3. The work done as
in this act provided, shall be
under the direction and super
vision of the state highway COM
mission, but the control and
management of all the persons
taken from said penitentiary or
said reformatory shall be under
the supervision of the state board
Of control.
Section 4. The expense of
the care, maintenance and trans
portation of all persons so taken
from said institutions to work
upon the highways, shall be paid
out of the fund or funds auth
orized to be used upon the par
ticular highway upon which
such work is being done; pro-
vided, that a part of such ex-
pense equalizing twenty-five
(25) cents per day per person
so employed shall be paid out
/, of the appropriation for the
! maintenance of the particular
Institution from which such
persons are taken; and provided
further, that all convicts while
working upon public highways
shall receive the same cOmpenSa-
ton for their labor that they
would have received had they
remained in the institutions from
which they were taken and en-
gagged in other work required
by law.
This act shall be in force
from and after it's passage"
Only Use Unemployed.
"You will notice that this measur
rovides for the use of the unem
loyed at Saltwater and at the re
5rmatory at st. Cloud. 1t is not M
urpOse to interfere with the manu-
lcture of Irvine and farm machiner,
Saltwater, as l have been informe
lat there are a surplus of me-
lere."
Senator Baldwin pointed out tina
the state prison on Sept. 1, 1916
lere were 996 inmates, of which
SO were engaged in the manufac
Ire of Irvine, 273 machinery, IL
Inside and 313 other employments
e stated that of this number tn
ra two, Irvine and machinery, ar
ecessarily required in those depart
tents but that it would seem tina
he others, or at least a good numbe
them might be used on public high
avs.
At the reformatory in St. Cloud
ccording to Senator Baldwin, tn
,tal population Nov. 27, 1916, wa
81.
35 Take Music Lessons.
These inmates are employed as fol
WIS: al quarrying, II crushing
one, IS cutting stone, IA repairing
4 power house, III construction
ork, 40 farm, Sc tailoring depart
lent and shoe shop, IS taking les
,ns under music instructor, sc il
itchen and laundry, 7 book binding
nd printing office, 27 cell house,
arbers, 6 clerks in offices, hos
ital, 6 administration building an
Ulcers dormitory, IA miscellaneous
sick, 16 idle.
1.-THE question Of building roads il
and especially in the Jesse
eveloped portions of the state i
ne most important question befor
ur people," said Senator Baldwin
Guild a good, nice road in an I'm
eNloped country and you don't hav
ny trouble in introducing settler
D come in, settle and develop tn
land. At the reformation,
here is a large crew of men engage
4 crushing stone to be used in til
of roads. The same machine