St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
ToIimit Convict Labor.
innati Commercial Gazette.

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
A legitimate method of controlling to
a considerable extent the evils Created
by the competition Of convict labor has
been provided by 4 bill introduced i'll
the last session Of coagreSS and favor
ably recommended by the COMMITTEES Oh
labor. A combined and active effort Is
being made by labor organizations,
manufacturers and others Interested, to
have this bill called up at the next SeS-
sion OF congress.
The bill provides that goods, wares
and merchandise. in whole or i'll part
manufactured by convict labor, shall
not be transported beyond the limits OF
The state or territory in Which they are
made. and creates penalty OF line or
Imprisonment for infraction Of the law.
1t further makes it the duty of United
States district attorneys to prosecute all
complaints of violations of this law,
and gives the United States courts Jur-
iSdiction to try the complaints.
At a hearing given by the committee
on labor, which resulted i'll report rec
ommending the passage of this bill, it
there are about $4,000 convicts i'll pris-
ons, ref0rmatolies and houses Of cOrrec-
ton throughout the country engaged Ill
skilled labor, the results of whose work
are sold in the open market in competl-
ton with and to the disadvantage or the
labor OF free wOrkingmen. 1t was fur-
Their shown that in selling such goods
little or no account is taken Of the cost
! of labor entering into their manutact-
ure. Prison authorities are satisfied II
| the sales of pri5on-made articles Do
duce sufficient returns to pay for The
| raw materials used and the wear ana
tear of machinery. they contend that
they are obliged 10 keep the prisoners
at work; that public sentiment and
sound policy require them to teach
F! prisoners useful trades, whereby they
| can support themselves when released
/ from confinement, and that TO accum-
/ plish these objects they are obliged 10
disregard the labor cost in placing Il
market price on the goods sold. The
practical working of this theory was
| shown at the hearing before the COM
mlttee on labor III the testimony of f.
| j. Shpad, of Chicago. who represented
some thirty odd pail factories, located
in seventeen different states, engaging
! from FIVE TO ten millions OF capital, en-
ploying from 5000 to 1000 men, and
! producing about 10,000,000 packages.
After showing that the selling prlce Of
pals is from to II cents, and that the
| labor cost averages about AZ cents, the
balance being made up of the cost of
| timber. wire, iron, rivets. handles and
paint, and that tile margin Of profit Is
very small, he adds:
place in competitor with this article
J upon which the producer pays nothing
/ for labor, or pail which the producer
can sell at ~ cents less than that made
! by the legitimate manufacturer and still
make the same profit that the legitimate
| manufacturer does, and what are the
results? Capital must employ itself at
an annual loss. labor must perform at
| less than starvation wages, and event.
| ually the asSignee,S or receivers sign be
| hung Oh the outer walls.
I This is the channel i'll which these
! thirty pail factories find themselves
drifting today, owing TO the existence
! of pail factory in The peaiteDtiary at
Saltwater, Mimi, and the recent estab-
| lisilment of Il large and perfectly
/ equipped pail factory in the Erie county
| penilentiary at Buffalo, n. Y, the his