The act of 1911 abolishing the contract labor system created a Prison Labor Commission composed of the Commissioner of Charities and Corrections, the warden of the State prison, the superintendent of the Rahway Reformatory and two other persons to be appointed by the Governor. President Wilson was then Governor and his appointments made the Commission Democratic. It has been claimed that if the original commission had been let alone something would have been accomplished ere this. In 1912 the Legislature was Republican. A bill was introduced changing the Prison Labor Commission so that it would be composed of six men, three Republicans and three Democrats. This was passed and Governor Wilson promptly vetoed it as also were many other bills sent to him by the Republican law makers. This bill was passed over his veto, together with a lot of others, thus revolutionizing the Commission. This is the Commission which has just been legislated out of office. Prison Keeper Madden does not think the “State use” will employ nearly all the convicts. For instance, less than ten prisoners now do all the tailoring work for the 1,400 men in the prison, so that, in his opinion, all the industrial needs of the various State institutions will be met without using the labor of anything like all the convicts in the prison. It has been suggested that more convicts be employed outside the prison, and that then some of the others be employed in remodeling the old and unsanitary sections of the prison. This plan will likely be discussed by the Commissioners next Tuesday. Only about 65 prisoners are now employed on the roads of the State, and it is proposed that this be increased to 300. The suggestion is that at least 150 convicts be sent to the Prison Farm in Cumberland county, where only 87 are now at work. There is a law permitting the State to acquire a prison to mine and crush stone for good road work, and it is urged that this would be put in operation and 100 convicts employed in this way. An average of fifteen per cent. of the convicts are employed in the prison as domestics and general helpers, or are in ill health and cannot work. This leaves in round numbers, 600 convicts to be utilized in the prison industrial system. It would take from six months to a year, however, to put all these plans into operation. Meanwhile the pressing problem is what to do at once. An appropriation of $25,000 is available in the supplemental bill for immediate use for the establishment of the new prison labor system, but although the money has been ready since April 15, nothing has been done about utilizing it to meet the need. * * * * *