Year: 1879

tanned employment. He was of opinion that the
convict labor system was wrong in all points OF view
rm ,ns mrs. place. no man should be allowed 70 make
enues should go to the State; secondly.
the system is an outrage on the indus
trial classes OF the community. 1t not only.
tnterferes with the value of goods manufactured.
but has most injurious tendency to hood the mar
ket. The contractors manufactured largely in order
to keep men employed all the time, and in conse-
quence the value OF the articles made correspond
ingly lessened. In the thisd place, he thought
injury to the convicis to make them work like ma
chimes, without having any time in which to i'm
prove themselves mentally. physically or morally.
Prisoners should be kept at mpoyment, but IN such
a manner and under such system as would not
terially affect Industrial and commercial interests
outside OF prison walls. Inc state should not carry
He thought that the chief reason why the convict
labor system was employed to such an extent lay in
the efforts of prison officials to make themselves
popular by saving money to the State. The prisons
might be made self-sustaining; that would be all
well enough. but there was no need in the world to


Mr.. Cornell was then asked several questions
about his knowledge OF the system OF convict labor
as practised in New York's prisons. He thought it
would be relief in q certain measure il there were
more trades taught IN the PRISONS That would d.
vide up the men, and would diversity the labor SO
that the injury would not fall upon any or two
interests. The difficulty to be found in this. how
ever, was in the contractors themselves. They
would be very likely to refuse to contract to employ
so or 100 men. What they wanted were 500 or 900
convicts or even greater number il they could be
obtained. Il the State had control Of the matter
there would be greater chance to distribute the
labor among the different trades. In Clinton Prison
only single branch of industry was being car


would you abolish machinery asked Mr..
Tweedy.


"As far as practicable would" was the reply. "I
think as much hand work possible should be done
III the prisons and only enough OF that to clear
jails from debt and mako them sef-supporting. AS
it Is ut present each convict gets only twenty five
cents day from the contractor-iust about enough
to support himself If the State took the business in
hand it would get a revenue Of about dollar day
for exch convict which would not only supply him
but leave handsome surplus.


In closing Mr.. Cornell read some statistical tables
to the committee showing the relation borne by
the convict labor in different States to the entire
trades of the country.


Mr.. George j. Ferry, u manufacturer OF Orange
N. j., then addressed the assemblage. He claimed
that the contract prison system of benefit
neither to the manufacturer nor to the consumer
1t vicious system, and he believed it would not
be allowed to exist to any extent in Europe. The
State had no right to come IN and compete with an
honest and industrious portion OF its own people.
The effect OF the convict labor on the hat trade
would sufficiently attest Its perncious influence.
While all business was Frightening this industry
constantly failing, and all because many con-
victs were employed ut forty cents day doing
what those outside could otherwise get a dollar for
Taking q notebook from his pocket. the speaker
then, at length detailed specific instances in which
tho system had injured him financially. making him
lose thousands OF dollars. He asked by the
chairman to suggest q remedy for the present state
of affairs and replied that he would put the convicts





Mr.. Yocum. a manufacturer, doing business in
Newark, N j., and in this city, said that he thought
the State should remember that there were people
outside of prisons deserving of sympathy. All that
had been said by 1.-THE pious and humane people" in
the morning in favor OF the convict was all bosh
and humbug. There huger fraud on
the working people than contained in the
prison contract system. Viewing prisons places
OF punishment he thought the convicts should be
employed ed in doing nothing but repairing the jails
and providing all necessares for their support
The gentleman, after giving some comparative state
ments of the methods practised i'll French prisons
foot to obtain monopoly OF all the convict labor
in this country as to obtain corner" in certain
lines of goods. He could not give any further in
formation, "a the matter was told to him privately


Captain julius Ellendorf. of South Norwalk, Conn.,,
read long statement. in which he gave very
interesting statistics to the various industries Of
the country and the relation borne to them by the
convict labor in prisons. He created great laughor
when he proposed that the State il IL wanted to ele-
vate the prisoners, should make doctors lawyers
of them In the document read by Mr. Ellendorf
the following remedies were proposed


!. Abolition Of present contract system in prisons


2. Removal Of machinery SO far as possible


Prisoners. IL employed to work BY hand, and the
State TO have entire supervision OF work,


The instruction of the convicts in the


s. Removal Of partisan politics from prison manage.
ment.


Mr.. Phillips, q workngman from Brooklyn then
gave his views on the subjects under investigation
He followed by Mr. Thetford. who indorsed
what had been said by the other representative
tradesmen.


This closed tho meeting. and the chairman Mr.
Demng, announced that the committee would pro-
sent the facts they had gathered to their several
legislatures to the end that the existing evils should
be remejied. The committee were in consultation
until late at night.


Mr.. Louis d. Pilsbury. prison manager. had ex-
pected to be present ut the meeting, but excused
himself the ground Of his inability to leave Al
bauy this week.