Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-06-14
PRISON-MADE GOODS.
CARLISLE IGNORES THE LAW
ON THE SUBJECT.


American Wage Farmers Are Eli.
titled to Know Why Goods Made
Abroad by Convicts Are Imported
to This Country,C Contrary to Law.
A very interesting debate took
place in the House of Commons few
months ago upon the importation of
prison made goods into the United
Kingdom. The protection sentiment
existing among members of Parlia-
ment was very marked, and the Gov
ernment endeavored to terminate the
debate by counting out the House, but
the effort failed. 1t was long time
before Mr.. Brice, the President of the
British Board of Trade, responded to
tho taunts of those who desired pro.
lection for English labor. The sub.
ject of his remarks was that it was i'm
possible to check the importation of
prison made goods. because there was
no method of proving what goods had
or had not been made by prison labor,
and the Board of Trade had not
framed any regulations upon the sub
ject. Referring to our own law to
check the importation of foreign
prison made goods into the United
States Mr.. Bryce said:
"de had taken steps to ascertain
what regulations the Secretary of the
Treasury had made, and he was in
formed that lie had made none"
daughter
For the information of our Secre-
tary of the Treasury, Hon. John G.
Carlisle, we quote Section 24 of the
German tariff as follows:
"That all goods, wares, articles and
merchandise manufactured wholly or
in part in any foreign country by
convict labor shall not be entitled to
entry at any of the ports of the United
States. and the importation thereof is
hereby prohibited, and the Secretary
of the Treasury is authorized to pre-
scribe such regulations as may be
necessary for the enforcement of this
provision"
American labor would like to know
what regulations our Secretary of the
Treasury has prescribed to enforce
this provision. We are not aware,
and we do not suppose Mr.. Carlisle is
aware, to what extent foreign prison
made goods are imported and sold in
our markets. The law, however, is
mandatory that they "shall not be
entitled to entry at any of the ports
of the United States
During the debate in Parliament it
was stated that the prison labor was
hired out to manufacturers and that
goods were made to which English
marks and labels were attached, the
goods then being shipped to England
and sold in the English markets. I'm
doubtedly this is being done in our
own markets in the case of dry goods,
brushes, buttons, coir mattings, etc.
AS an instance, we draw the atten-
tion of Secretary Carlisle to the fact
that, from the beginning of Septem-
ber. 1894, up to the end of February.
1895, during the first six months
operation of the German tariff, our
imports of foreign brushes amounted
to $264, 260.
Will Secretary Carlisle kindly ex-
plain to what extent these brushes
were prison made? Will he also ex-
plain what regulations hs has pres
cribed under the authority given him
by Congress to enforce Section "a OF
the present tariff law. In case the
Secretary of the Treasury has failed
"to prescribe such regulations as may
be necessary for the enforcement Of
this provision" will Mr.. Carlisle be
good enough to explain, for the in
formation of American wage earners,
why he has failed to prescribe any
such regulations?