Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1912 — SAVE THEIR WAGES [ARTICLE]

SAVE THEIR WAGES

Thrifty Convicts of Minnesota Prison Hoarding Earnings.

Some of the Long Term Prisoners at Stillwater Have Balances Ranging From SI,OOO to $1,500 to Their Credit. St Paul, Minn.—While the capitalists of the country have patronizingly advised young persons to “save their pennies and be rich some day,” the prisoners at Stillwater penitentiary have been biding their time, hoarding their small earnings until many of them have sums ranging from SI,OOO to $1,500 to their individual credit according to the report of a visit to the institution made by J. R. Swann, a member, and J. C. Matchltt, secretary of the state board of visitors. The report was submitted to Governor Eberhart. The report does not say how long these particular prisoners have been confined in the penitentiary, but some light is thrown on their saving ability by the following paragraph from the report: “In December, 1911, the 56 men employed in the farm machinery division received an average pay of $4.85 a man; the 205 men in the shoe factory received an average for the month of $4.03 a man; the 114 men in the support division (cooks, waiters, barbers, etc.) received an average of $4.63 each." Taking up the suggestion of Governor Eberhart that some means be provided for state aid to families left in need by prisoners committed to workhousedaffd the state pHsdh. the report, referring only to the latter, says that "but five per cent of the men in state prison have families they have left in need of state aid.” “This is because the prisoners as a whole are men of roving characters, who have no settled home and who, accordingly, have no one dependent upon them. “In this connection,” the report continues, “a law enacted in 1909 is of

special interest It provides for state aid for dependent families of men in the state prison. Families are now being paid as high as sls a month under this humane 1909 law.” Commenting on the recently established prison for the criminal insane at St Peter, the report says there are ten prisoners at Stillwater so advanced in insanity they are unable to do work, while there are thirty others who are able to work part of the time. Then ft adds: “It is doubtless true that there are a sufficient number of criminal insane at Stillwater and other state institutions to fill completely another such building as now houses this class of unfortunates at St Peter.” Conditions, from a sanitary and cleanly standpoint, are excellent at the institution, the report says, adding: “In spite of the fact that the buildings and general plant are old and out of date, the best is made of every disadvantage—a fact that has given Warden Wolfer for many years the reputation of being unexcelled.”