The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-01
NO FRIENDS FOR
CONTRACT LABOR
IN.STATE JAILS
Rep. Germans Measure
Would Substitute estate
Use" For It.
Especial to The Farmer.)

Hartford, March Contract labor
In penal institutions of Connecticut
found few friends at the state CAPT.
toll yesterday, when the committee on
penal institutions conducted a public
hearing on the bill introduced by
Representative Martin German Of
Danbury providing for the substitu-
tion Of the Estate use' system for the
labor contracts now in force in the in
stitutions.
Rep. German approached the ques-
ton in a. conciliatory attitude. He
said he did not insist upon all the
provisions Of his bill, nor upon a
speedy enforcement Of the same AS
to the state prison, he believes that
the new prison already in prospect,
which will be situated far. in the coun-
try, with a large acreage, will give
agricultural pursuits to such a large
number of the inmates that the prob
lem will be averted in that institution.
He deprecated a system such as pre-
walls under which the Fairfield coun-
ty Jail prisoners are let out at cents
per, day so that 2S6 prisoners In a
whole year earned only $1,500s and
New Haven county, where the county
pays the contractors 81 900 for work
ing the prisonerSs as an evidence OF
the fact that there must be something
wrong with the system, Mr.. German
cited the relative figures Of Litchf1eld
and Fairfield county. In the former
county with an average population of
Al, the Jail turned in $4,000 from the
fruits of its labor, under a no-con-
tract system, and in the latter the fig
lires were as above quoted.
He characterized contract labor in
the penal institutions as unfair to the
inmates and to the state.
Julius Stremlau, representing the
State Federation OF Labor. John J..
Manning, for the United Garment
workers association, and T. M. Crow
ley Of the Hartford Central Labor I'm
ion endorsed the principle OF the bill
Warden WA. Garner Of the state
prison OPPOSED the bill because he
said the bill did not provide anything
to substitute for the present contract
system,
Senator Salmon, speaking for the
prison commission, opposed the bill,
advocating delay on the matter until
the new prison IL completed. because
he believes the new prison Will offer
a solution OF the problem OF giving the
prisoners employment.
Men who for several decades have
opposed the contract labor system In
the penal institutions declared that
the hearing of yesterday was tho most
harmonious In their memory. None
defended the principle Of contract Ia
Dor, the sole objection being that
there was not tangible work In sight
to supplant it.
Advocates sof this measure found
cooperation from the advocates of the
measure introduced by Rep.AJ. D.
Brown of Milford, calling for an in
vestigs1icn BY committee Of three
into the conditions of the penal inst-
tutions. 80
The German bill calls for the manu-
facture by inmates Of these institu
tons. OF such materials as may be used
by the public institutions Of theAstate-
and is broad enough to allow the in
mates to be worked outside of the
!, prison. on enterprises OF the state. 1t
provides also that the Inmates may be
paid for their work. up to 25 cents
a day, the same to be given to their
dependents or to the inmates at the
expiration OF their terms.