St. Paul daily globe., 1894-06-19
1.-THE PRISON. MADE GOODS
SHOULD NOT CONE W70 c0KPEII71OI
NTH FREE LxB0R.
A CONGnEssloNAL INQUIn1
Is Now Going On Which Will Re-
suit in the Preparation Of, d
Bill Of Much benefit TO tho
American Workingman- The
Result of Machinery Upon
Labor aud Production.

WA sHINdToN. June 18.-An effort to
compile statistics regarding convict
labor in the United States has been inr
stituted by the house committee OH
labor as preliminary to drawing bill
to prevent competition between prison.
made goods and the products Of free
labor. No accurate information upon
this subject. SO far as the United States
is concerned. is to be found later than
report Of the commissioner of labor
made in 1856. The changes that have
taken place in the last eight years make
the figures of 1856 unreliable as to the
present situation. Convict labor goods
can be manufactured so much cheaper
than under other circumstances that it
is said they drive the goods of free labor
OUT OF THE FIELD,
and throw workingmen out of employ
ment when put on the market in com
petition. An able instance of this has
been furnished by the matmaking
trade. A president of the BROOKLYN
Matmakers' union, who recently adj
dressed the committee on the subject,
pointed ont that the door mats used In
the capitol were made in pennsylvania
penitentiary.
The committee has requested the
commissioner of labor to investigate the
subject. Letters have also been ad-
dressed To the officials of the states and
territories for information. Some of
the points to be inquired into are: The
number of congicts employed. the class
of work in which they are engaged, the
channels through which these goods are
placed on the market, and the prices at
which sold. The effects of convict
cheap labor was used as an argument to
refule the scheme of Mr.. Swift. of the
Fitzgerald industrial army, for govern
ment factories for the unemployed.
Swift is Une of the most able socialists.
and will talk again Monday, believing
that he can convince the Legislators.
Another Interesting line of inquiry, set
on foot by Chairman McGann, of the
committee. through the labor commits
SlOner concerns the
RESULTS OF MACHINERY
upon labor and production. Mr.. Nc
Cam believes this country is suffering
from oyerproductiOn, largely caused by
the introduction of labor.saving ma
CuluSl WuiCil ulSpluCOo WOLh WaiIc
it increases the output. Typesetting
machines, which do the work each of
three men. he considered good example
of this tendency. When they are intro
duced in printing Office two-thirds of
the men are displaced; they drift into
other Offices, find it difficult to secure
work. are willing to work cheaply for
the sake of a living, and reduce the gen.
eral rate of wages. An example of the
same kind he finds in the history of
labor-saviDg machinery in brickmaking.
The remedy tor this he finds i'll
shorter hours OF labor, arguing that a
system of shorter hours will give en-
ployment to more hands. and at the
Same time increase consumption i'll
proportion. perhaps, to the production.
"When the hours of work are short
ened," says Mr.. McCann, ''the laborer
goes home with long evening on his
hands. He must have another suit of
clothes to put on, aud pair of boots, and
hat, must have books and popers to
read, or he must go for walk, take his
wife and buy cigar for himself and
candy for his wife, thus increasing the
consumption of products" g3
The commissioner of labor is collect
ing statistics upon tine effect of machin-
cry OH prices, labor and production in
different lines which he hopes to be able
to utilize in recommending legislation.