The evening times., 1898-05-17
MADE By CONVICT LABOR.


UniforMs for the New Yofk Troops
Ordered Fron the Prisoners.
New Fork, May 1.-THE fact that new
uniforms for the troops of New York
now being mustered into the service OF
| the United States and hurried southward
are being manufactured in the prisons at
Sing Sing and Auburn has aroused indig-
nation in the ranks Of organized labor.
Twelve thousand suil1 M been orr
dered. Adjt Gen. TillinghAA Ays Ne has
placed as much of the big order with the
superintendent of the prisons as the prison
shops can handle within very limieed
time.
'I did this he said because State
law requires it."
This the garment workers question.
The uniforms are practically for the
United States troops. inasmUch as the
| troops are mustered in by United States
officers as soon as equipped with the
uniforms.
| The United Garment Workers have de-
cided to go to the next legislature and
demand the passage Of a law that VIII
exempt their trade from this prison COM
petition. They have engaged a lawyer to
draft a suitable bill, and will then secure
the cooperation Of the other labor or
ganizations of the State.
Every candidate for the legislature this
Fall will be asked to pledge himself to
support their measure. If he wishes the
votes of workingmen.
The garment workers feel that Adjt.
Gen. Tillinghast's present action is strain
ing a point in favor of the Prison Com
mission because. they contend, he should
have considered these supplies as Tor the
United States Government
As II was impossible for the prison tall
or shops to manufacture all OF the clofh~
ing required within the specified time,
part of the contract was placed Win IN
dividuals and firms. --r,
II the tailor shops at Sing Sing and A.
burn are not able to turn out within the
time limit the uniforms they have under
taken to make. the contract Will be WIN
drawn from the superintendent of prisons
and awarded to private persons
Abou. forty convicts In the Sing Sing
prison are employed making the uniforms.
and every effort Is being made there TO
have the fact concealed.
The order for the work was given to
Warden Sage by C. v. Codins, State SUI
perintendent of prisons, who also gave in
structions that no Information on the
subject should be given out
"Yes, we are making soldier clothes
here" Warden Sage stated, "'but have
ter / cannot tell you how many convicts
are employed on the work or the number
We are expected to turn out That In
formation will have TO come from the
superintendent OF prisons at Albany" ="
In the two tailoring shops In what Is
known as the old prison building. con-
victs were seen working on soldier clothes.
In each OF the shops there were about
sixty prisoners. though only about one
third of this number were engaged on mil
tary uniform work. The capacity c1
both shops could be doubled In an hour.
OF the 1900 prisoners about two hundred
have been employed in the tailoring ousi-
ness at some period of their lives.
1t was stated at the prison that Adtt.
Gen Tillinghast's call for 3,coo suits with
in ten days could not possibly be nlied
there The superintendent of prisons has
placed no time limit on the work now be-
ing done by the convicts. The orders from
him did not intimate in amy way that any
particular haste should be observed, and
as a result the work is being done very
slowly. The prisoners are working but
four hours day.