Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-20
LABOR OF CONNECTS.
Important Question Soon to Come
Before Iowa Legislature.

IDEAS OF The BOARD OF CONTROL
II IL In Favor of Contract Labor system
-Orsanized Labor is Much Against
N-Provisions OF the Titus.
Theunen Measure.
Des Moines. Feb. IT, Especial Cor
respondence. 1.-The general assembly
Will soon be called upon to dispose of
one OF the most important, and most
agltated questions connected with
state affairs-the question of convict
labor. Convict labor bills have been
introduced in both branches; in the
house by Representative Theunen, of
Scott. and in the senate by Senator IL
tus, of Muscatine. The committees on
labor had intended to hear arguments
for and against the bills yesterday af-
ternoon. but have postponed the hear
ing until next Tuesday, when it will
be taken up at a joint meeting. The
opponents and advocates of the bills
have been doing considerab ole lobbying
ever since the session began, but it is
impossible at this time to foretel what
action the legislature will take on this
IsubJect. Opinion seems 10 be about
equally divided in both houses. The
labor organizations of the state gem
ierally are against contract convict la
Dor. The state board of control favors
the present contract system. The la
Dor people Thursday took a new turn
in their proceedings, and one which
4 they claim will do a great deal towards
bringing about their desires. They
have prepared in pamphlet form the
article written by Hon. Judge Kline
to Senators Titus and Hubbard, to-
gether with an answer to the article
by John L. McDonough, secretary of
the state of New York, and extracts
from the New York prison commits
!sioners' reports, which are claimed as
proof of the New York plan.
] The Mtus-Theunen bill prohibits the
LETTING by contract of the convict labor
of state penitentiaries, and provides
for the employment of convicts for the
state and counties therein, i'll the
manufacture of supplies for state and
county institutions The bills provide
that the convicts shall be divided into
three classes, according to their con-
duct and efficiency. The first class
shall the prisoners of the best conduct,
who shall be put at work
upon such things and in such manner
as to best fit him for an honest, up
fright vocation and life after he is dis
charged from the penitentiary. The
iY, h Ill -, Ill I ,.ix, =
EDUCATIONAL instruction and labor, even
tho no useful or salabIe articles shall
result from their labor The bill
further provides that next to the in
ldustrial consideration the prisoners OF
this class shall be put at labor which
Twill produce the greatest amount Of
useful articles, products and supplies
needed and used in state institutions,
and in the buildings and offices of the
state or any county therein.
The prisoners of the second grade
shall be those whose conduct is not
as good as those of the first, but are
mot the worst class of those confined.
Their labor shall be directed primarily
Ito labor for the state or any county
|therein, or to the production or manu-
Ifacture of any useful supplies, or arti-
|cles for use in statelor county institu-
ltions.
The bill provides that prisoners Of
1.-THE third class, the worst inmates OF
the penitentiaries, shall be directed
primarily to exercise or employment
THAT will tend to the preservation OF
health, or they also may be employed
| in labor for the state or counties in
the manufacture and production of ar
al nd ,ba
Dor bills prohibit the purchase for use
Iin any state institution of any article
contained in the price list of manu-
features by the state penitentiaries,
Except the purchase be permitted by
the board of control.
Under the provisions of the Titus
and Theunen bills, every prisoner who
lshall become entitled to diminution
lof his term by reason of good conduct,
may, at the discretion of the warder,
receive compensation from the earn
,Iings of the penitentiary in which he
lgraded by the warden for the time the
Iprisoner may work. In no case shall
the earnings of a prisoner exceed 10
lper cent of the earnings of the PEN
Iitentiary wherein he is confined. All
money standing to the credit of any
lprisoner may, at the discretion of the
board of control, be used for the sup
port of the prisoners family.
Il Judge Kline does not believe the
proposed plan is any improvement over
the present system. He considers that
the pending bills merely shift the mat
ter of competition with outside labor,
without lessening it. A few of his OBJ
Il iectiOnS are:
i The proposed plan necessitates the
erection of more buildings at large
expense. After the present contract
expires to keep the prisoners busy It
would require the establishment of ten
or dozen Industries in each peniten-
tiary, necessitating the purchase of a
large amount of new machinery. 1t
would be necessary to appropriate suf-
ficient money to purchase all needed
machinery and also an operating
i fund to carry on the business until
the products could be turned into mon
ey. If the state enters into the man.
ufacturing business it must provide
salaried persons of experience to carry
on the business, and pay them from