New-York tribune., 1922-10-11
Miller Offers
Sane Prison
Reform Plan
tconssnuod from page ons,

L
ency, thai cannot be done without d..
seroying the first and Fundamental
principle of imprisoning men for crime
AZ the same time have undertaken
ana nave already inaugurated a plan
MhiSh VIII really do more to reclaim
we human material in prisons than ali
W tne efforts backed by maudlin senti-
mentality, at which these men them.
serves laugh" added the Governor, 90
ing on to explain that this scheme. the
placing OF prison industries on an in
austrial basis, had first been suggested
ny special group" the prison asso-
ciation, to whom no attention had been
PAID by Smith, presumably because il
alo not represent large number of
Real Constructive Work
when government is administered
T., please" Mr.. Miller interjected dryly
1T will usually be administered in
tavor OF those who come forward with
some sentimental proposition instead
OF some real constructive work, and SC
Shat recommendation from the prison
association, which had really studied
the problem, fell on deaf ears.
We however look UP their recon-
mendation and We have ALREADY passed
statute. which provides means of
industrial basis. We have put at the
head of that business an expert, and
the work is already going forward
Many things will have to be done. The
prison shops themselves have got to
pc thoroughly reorganized because
they are obsolete. And a survey is
being made to determine what should
be done in this regard. The methods
OF prison labor have got to be entirely
leorganized in order that the value of
each mans work may be determined,
and SO that, production methods, in
stead OF the loose and haphazard meth
DDS heretofore prevailing, may be in
stituted.
eve are proceeding on the basis
that labor in the prisons can be made
profitable as we'll as that outside; that
the men can have comfortable, efficient,
modern shops as we'll as outside, and
that business methods can be installed
in the prison shops as we'll as outside.
When that has been done we propose
to pay these men for what they do, so
that they may have not only an incen-
tive to good conduct and TO regular
habits in the prison, but SO that they
may also have some reward for their
dependents if they have families, or
may be able to accumulate nest egg
to start them on an honest course
upon their release from prison. That
is constructive service"
Governor Is Cheered
Warm applause from the audience Of
1000 in the auditorium greeted the
Governors exposition Of the prison
problem. Auburn is predominantly
Republican and it's citizens have a
strong personal regard for Governor
Miller, as was shown by the Chamber
of Commerce in rendering him a birth
day dinner before the meeting tonight
His views on the prison situation and
his indictment of the Smith admipis-
tration of the penal institutions coi1.-
cided with their own, moreover, with
the result that they showed him sin
cere and spontaneous approval.
Equally we'll received, however, was
the Governors il|ustrat. - Of the main
contention of his speech from New
York's disqualification experiences.
This shows the difference between
government to serve and roeernmory
to please" said tie candidate, ref.r.
ring to the project of puiid4ng state
hospital at Creedmoor for mentally de.
ranged ex-service men.
Against Divided Responsibility
"Mr. Smith, at the request of the
men speaking for 100000 ex-service
men, would have spent $3,OO0,0O0 of
the states money, and after he had
spent it he would have found that It
would have had to be used for some
body else.'
The plan for the Creedmoor Hospi-
tai was unwise, the Governor pointed
out, because it divided the responsible
ity for the institution between the
state and Federal governments.
81 had found we had already con
structed in this stata hospital pecu-