New-York tribune., 1922-11-12
10 the Editor Of The Tribune.

Tree from emotion, This must lie IN
making it more generally advantageous
TO treat the prisoner well. The doc
trine is not novel. In faet it is hun
dred years since Elizabeth Fry first SET
forth the truth that the lot OF the pris-
oner could be made tolerable only by
giving him productive work to do, and
practically every step Of progress in
improving the lot OF prisoners and
lifting the level of prison administra-
tion has been brought about by apply
ing Elizabeth Fry's doctrine.
Productive employment in prisons is
the only sound basis for their steady
progress toward sound conditions. Fur
thermore, the productive employment
must be organized in such manner that
gradually the prisons will become SELF
supporting AS 2 business man l can
see no necessity for the heavy taxation
supposed on law-abiding citizens in
order to maintain abie-bodied, mentally
sound lawbreakers.
The goal at which all efforts for
ameiioration should aim is that everv
prison shall be workshop for restor-
ing prisoners at the end of their term
10 civil life in condition to be useful
members of the community. Unless the
prison fullills remedial function; un-
less it brings about an actual improve
rnent-physically, mentally and morally
lin those who are subjected to it's
treatment it is, in q very large sense,
a failure.
Happily, progress has been made dur
ing the last ten years toward giving
the prisoners productive labor and en-
sbiing them to recover at least part
of their economic self-respect.
There is still an immense work to be
done in this direction, and little OBJ
servation will show how serious are
the obstacles. The prisoner cannot be
occupied properly at productive labor
unless there is market for what he
produces. Here there have arisen a
great number of obstacles. Where can
such market be found in whic,
prison products will not compete un-
fairly with the products Of free labor?
The logical market for prison prod,
ucts is in the commodity requirements
of state institutions and departments
for only when the state sells its
products to state institutions and dc.
partments is its selling department ad.
equately protected from the naflipula-
tions of the politician.
Unfair competition with the products
Of free labor is also eliminated by gov
erumental consumption of prison prod
ucts. In working TO better the condi-
tion of the prisoner we should not for
get the welfare of the workman out
nide the prison, TO say nothing of the
welfare of the employer.
How can prison labor be directed SO
as to produce what the institutions can
consume when, as too often has been
the case, those institutions are numer-
Gus, heterogeneous and under diverse
management? If you have, as was the
ease in the State of New York until
recently, ffty-eight purchasing agents,
each one exhibiting originality, or at
least variation, in his requirements and
standards, it is clear that the prison
will hardly stand any chance of pro-
ducing goods suitable for such an i'm
mense and unpredictable variety Of
commodities. This has wrecked many
an attempt to employ prison labor on
productive basis, and herein has lain
one OF the great obstacles to prison
reform.
Some years ago efforts were begun to
bring about uniform standards and con.
traiized purchase within the states. 50
es TO obvlate the unreasonable variety
OF demands and multiplicity of npr-
onaslng agents. This movement, so
obviously reasonable and economical
mas made much pros ress. It has been
embodied TO greater or less extent
the legislation of all but eight OF
the states. while twenty-three have the
3uii provision, and there are grounds
Tor nope that it will be pressed to ac.
eeptance and adoption in all the states
or the Union. It is simnly the annli.
cation Of the purchase methods adonted
by Gil successful business corporations
to the purchase methods of govern.
ments.
a mere glance viii show the adj
Fanteges TO be obtained from uniform,
standards ard central purchase. They
make it possible for the entire REQUIRE
ments of state institutions in such a
Simple matter as shirts and shoes 70
De made uniform, and so enable the
production of these necessary articles
oy prison labor in such quantity and
On such sinn'e standards as to make
their production economical.
An adequate market for prison prod-
nets makes possible the payment of
adequate wages to prisoners. If there
IS an established market and demand
FOR the product of the prisoners labor,
and if he can produce the articles re-
quired at reasonable price, he has
already taken his place among the
profitable workers. II follows that he
may--and in justice should-receive
paymeIt for his work. He is lifted
from the level of mere burden on
society, ana in some cases menace
TO its welfare, into the class of the
producer. If this can be recognized in
the only proper manner--bv payment
10 L