The galling fire which is kept up against productive labor in penal institutions, is born of a mistaken or partial view of the situation, and is not justified by the whole body of facts in the case. It is estimated that the value of the products of penal institutions does not exceed one tenth of one per cent of the total value of the products of the manufacturing industries of the whole United States. This fact renders it obvious that the economic and competitive effect of convict labor upon free labor is in the aggregate insignificant, and that it wholly fails to justify the persistent warfare which some people take pleasure in waging against prison industry. It would be superfluous to state in a gathering of this kind, that regular and intelligent employment is absolutely essential to the moral and physical welfare of convicts, and the enforced idleness begets sullenness, immorality, sickness, insanity, and retards, if indeed it does not entirely prevent, the improvement of which the prisoners might otherwise be susceptible. In all intelligent efforts to reform convicted criminals, work is an indispensable factor--and only productive labor is reformative labor. Both the practical and the ethical requirements of the situation make for productive labor. ADDRESS BY H. F. HATCH, IONA, MICH. “_A contractor’s view of prison discipline._” JOSEPH F. SCOTT, WARDEN MASSACHUSETTS STATE REFORMATORY, Spoke of “_Civil service in Prison_.” A deplorable evil was the constant changes in prison management for political reasons, it was an evil which had to be eliminated. Mentioned several instances, where prisons were entirely under civil service rule with very satisfactory results. Recreation and privileges as aid to prison discipline was freely and favorably discussed. The food problem in prisons was discussed. This being a wardens’ meeting, the wardens of almost every penitentiary in the country (including our warden of the Eastern Penitentiary) told briefly what food was given to the inmates of their prison. The cost ranged from 7-1/2 cents to 10 cents for each prisoner, average was 9 cents. It was also agreed that a prison orchestra could do much good in a prison. A music hour was also advocated, during which every prisoner should be allowed to play whatever instrument he chose in his cell. * * * * * George Scheidler, warden of Northern Indiana State Prison, said he had found that the improvement of prison food had done much to establish confidence between prisoners and officials. He said Indiana supplied food baked, roasted, stewed, etc., and that the menu is changed every day. MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE CHAPLAIN’S MEETING, 2 P. M.