The Portland daily press., 1886-12-28
Competition OF the Convict Laborers
Of Maine.
TO he Editor of The Press:

notice an article In your paper Of the 20th
inst, regarding the protest Of the Bangor
Harness and Carriage manufacturers against
the employment by the State Of their prison
ers and conyicts for manufacturing purposes
in competition with the honest labor Of me-
ehanics throughout the State. IL Is not the
manufacturers Of Bangor alone who enter
this protest. but 1t Is the manufacturers
Throughout the whole State, and especially
those Of the larger places as there are found
the best markets for the sale Of the prison
manufactures. The agitation Of this subject
IS no new one. 1t has been thorn In the
flesh for many years, and at one time 50
strong pressure was brought to bear that
a concession was obtained and nearly all the
prison goods were sent out OF the state and
sold. Not only to our own State Is this sub
ject an important one to the laboring men,
but in many Of the States so strong a pres
sure has been brought against 1t that 1t has
been abolished entirely 1t is well known
theory in business that honest competition
Is healthy. and in fact necessary, to business
prosperity, that we are all ready 10 meet
and expect II and welcome 1t. But wnen il
comes to State entering the field with its
convlcts and engaging in an Industry upon
which many Of its citizens depend for the
support OF their families, selling convict
manufactured goods In their markets, and
advertising that the reason it Is enabled to
undersell all other manufacturers In It's own
State, Is that its labor costs II but 40c per
day" and that 1t has raised money enough
ehanies and laboring men 10 build the State
factory forts criminals TO work In, com
Portable building for them 10 sleep In and to
feed them in, and where they can be found
handy In the morning to produce this won
Of money to buy all the stock
for sharp cash. which again adds to
its ability to undersell all others
that this makes strong competition for
honest labor none can deny But there are
manufacturers In this State who buy as
largely as does the State and pay much
more promptly, and who, with their facilities
Tor producing work aided by modern appli-
ances and willing and skilled labor do man.
ufacture. goods vastly superior In quality.
style and finish to any OF their sO-called pris-
ON productions, and yet have 10 sell them al
unremunerative prices in consequence of
this very competition. The money spent by
the prison for nearly all the goods. used In
ITS workshop goes out Of the State, hence no
one is benefited by its purchases in this
way. Again, its two hundred or more la
boring men add nothing to the wealth OF a
community or to the strength OF welfare OF
its citizens. But take the same number Of
mechanics employed outside Of its prison
walls and see what would be represented
Taking the basis Of some manufacturer who
employs so men, nearly all Of whom have
families, making some 200 persons who OBJ
tam a living from this one industry alone,
you can readily see of how much more ad-
vantage one such establishment Is 10 a COM
munity than all the advantage gained by the
State with its prison productions. The prin-
ciple IS all wrong. and Is not only working
great injury 10 the industries Of the State,
but also to the morale Of its mechanics.
How can II be otherwise? l trust our citi-
zens will give this matter serious thought,
ard help us TO right IT,
Respectfully,
T. THOMPSON. Jr.