Dr. J. K. Weaver, Prison Inspector, of Norristown, informed the assembly that nineteen men had been sent to the Poor Farm, whose officials had taken charge of them and had provided them with food and lodging. There had been no difficulty whatever in maintaining discipline. The men had worked well and with enjoyment. A few privileges were allowed, such as swimming in the river when the day’s work was done, and no one had attempted to escape. They were paid 60c. a day for their work, payable at the time of their release. One man earned $52.80. Warden Lemuel Roberts, of the Norristown Prison, informed the meeting that this employment of prisoners in Montgomery County had been initiated by presenting a petition to the Court to parole a few selected men to work on this Farm. The Court consented to parole three men for this purpose, and the experiment was so completely successful that the number thus paroled was gradually increased to nineteen. He was convinced that the payment of 60c. per day had served a double purpose in giving the men an incentive and a reward for good conduct and also in enabling them to go forth with a little cash to pay their expenses while searching for further employment. Without money and without friends, very often released convicts resort to crime for their maintenance. Warden John F. Clower, of West Chester, stated that the County Home had refused to employ prisoners for the reason that they had already an abundant supply of labor from their own inmates. They had bought from the Farm supplies of vegetables at a lower rate than in the open market. For winter use they had canned 400 jars of tomatoes and a large quantity of sauerkraut. Five of the inmates had been paroled to neighboring farmers, for whose labor the prison had received $25.00 per month, the prisoner receiving no large share. In this prison the men are almost all employed constantly at work in making carpets, caning chairs and weaving cloth for their clothing. In 1917 they had sold products amounting to $5,387. A small allowance, about 19c. weekly, is paid to the prisoners. Mr. Thomas J. Fretz, an Inspector of Lehigh County, stated that a number of prisoners had been paroled directly to farmers. It was stipulated that the men should receive the prevailing customary wage for this work and that this sum should be paid to the families of the paroled men, or given to them on their discharge. In some instances wages sufficient to pay certain costs had been deducted from the amount paid to the prisoner.