New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
TO, RESTRICT PRISON LABOR.
AK AMENDMENT TO THAT EFFECT SENT
TO A THIRD READING.
r,,r CONGREGATIONAL CONVENTION DEvoTEs
THE DAY TO THE CONSIDERATION VIZ
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST
THE PROPOSITION.
,rr.Au CORRESPONDENT or Inn rRIl

THE PROPOSITION
sHow THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT Or III" ,S ,,S
Albany Aug 25-The Convention sur'ehueIs'
s,antiaily us entire day 10 cohside'" ANN u
following prison labor amendment " '"e
stitution: ,aad
nv adding another section. az fo.!ows - rov,ds
section g. The Leg.s.ature shah by aw pros.Ie
Tor the occupation and employment OF prisoners sen
fenced to the several state prisons, PsnS m AID
after January l. in the year 1897. no per.on ~ bsi
prisons peniten,ares. jais or fetorma as rfSnce
thereto at any trade industry or occupation "ns re ~
or whereby his work or the produc! or prom OF ma
10 any person firm, association or corporation. a.
This section shall not be construed 70 prevent III
for' and that the products of their :abor may be
dossd OF TO- the sS'e eu Or any ownsd or
managed and control!ed by The State. or any po-
.,cal division thereon
John T. McDonough. OF Albany. one Of the Re-
pub.ican deiegates-atarge. who introduced the
amendment earnestly supported II. He argued that
convict competition with free labor greatly '"Jufu
the latter Then he read extracts from the nnanua:
shnwsd mat the piece price system run at
.oss to the State. Hatmakins had been aboiished
makers The same statement was true OF maze ,de
mouders and shoemakers Now the convlc's Iaqs
upon these goods H. did not propose TO pu, a
a. ThsTs d Wet sy we're "g d Not
as X Was argued they would be II they had no work
I'm, he proposed 20 Keep them a. WoIh dl
ne.i.lve trades as was done In france, Eng
AMI Massachusetts =. ,., .,,o..od
the Mellon ough Amendment. as he said, IN DenaiI
OF liO0 collar girls OF Troy. There were ~ girls
iIe In Troy owing to the competitions VI tic eo"
ylcts In the Albany Penitentiary' -
John A. GriswoId presented an amendment ex,
emntIng reforma; cries from the provisions OF the
amendment and argued that IL was 10 inc interest
of the state to have the convicts employed. .,.
Mr. Pratt opposed the amendment az iaoo.
bngbear'' The total number Of convicts employed
g., tho Tinted States was g. i9, one CONVEY
iahorer 10 $40 free aborcrs. The total product OF
frae ,abo-ers-o 732 595 In nunher-amounted yearly
To g. $50 $40 1871 The criminals in state prisons pro-
duced goods worth only SOS .9o The prison PROD
uct was "a per cent OF the who.e product. ms
was an ina pprecable competition with free .aptt
Mr. Pratt ended his speech by declaring tnat 'ne ne
amendment would Interfere with the emergency Vi
the reformato . III ., ,,a
Louis Marshall moved to strike out az OF tue
Amendment except that portion directing tne Lesi.
Iature e provide for the employment OF tne con-
ylcts He stated that all penoiogists adm,t'eu tn'
necessity OF employment for convlcts Mr' Ma.o
shau also moved that the amendment nave Claus
inserted in II providing that 80 far as possible ne
convlcis shall be employed in work Tor state IN
stitutions. ,... .rs ,rcred
thar the competition OF convicts with the free
laborers harmful . - - 49,,
AR Choate opposed the amendment as an IN
warranted Interference with the states ahalrS;
All the amendments to the original proposition
wore voted down. and at 40 y. M. the Amendment
was ordered TO a third reading by vote OF % 10 81