The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-02-06
'(Q|I[G HEARST q IS :.
CONVICT labor
PuNcTlJREs coNvIcT, LABOR
>RiLL BEFoHEac oNeREss.
-
7ilI Designed sto. Prevent Govern.
=nent From atuyins Prison Made
Goods easing Of conviets in
atabs 81 Georglsis Subject Of Con-
siderable. Critieism. Convict M ade
Goods Against.Free Made Goods.


laboring men OF Til. country as against
convict Dor were sustained on. the
floor ST thesH House yesterday by Rep
entative:. IAN Duzer of Nevada and
before imIpo ortant meeting. of the
com1mitt tee Sos, Inboir'zz Inbso,i'zb by Representative
Hearsiit sof New s.York and Hughes Of
NeWsSJerAey,.sb both sSInembers Of that
1n#thes House the. Republicans ap-
plied#8ag law resolution by Mr.. Van
Du1er, the #=Obdeet.O9@Which was to re-
veal #tke#v0l 0luneSS q prison goods used
by the War Depafthnent and: the Post
office DepaE tnsen s1dr. Van Duzers;will
follow up his resolutions, and within
ten days they WI is become privileged
and he will he. able.sto obtain a vote
in the House on this important ques-
ton. &.}3, -.5s#s..}:,.. -
The hearing before the committee
was the Housed bill to prevent the
government from buying prison-made
goods There was. large attendance
of the resentatives Of the labor. of
the country. ..*..
One question byRepresentative Will
liam Randolph Hearst addressed to
convict lessee of fs@Georgia, before the
labor Committee, pMnctured the oppo-
sition to- the measure that is now be-
tee on Labor To- prevent government
officials from contraeting for convict-
made goods e
WilliamM. Tumor,5 former men,
Der Of theSsLeg gislatures Georgia, and
now .1essee%oi fiYe hundred .convicts
whom he $Workssin tie pine forests of
the southern partsSsin his>>state, was
|. opposing tle. measure, On. the ground
| that to have the federal government
say that prison goods shall not
enter into..competttipn with the pro-
duct OF .1ree5l 5la Dor would be to deprive
the school system the State of Geor-
gia Of aYast sum of money.
The Profits state from leasing
the convicts, Il ssbmor said, would
average He said that
for five years hehs q. contract for
five hundred 1Hands that he had
renewed years more. He
inferred athaf the Sconpyicts for
the reas Tor the
school fapd 81.
fivey<ars llsl5 was about
+ $Ss a year. 4. |s$:5
What is the price now?'' asked MI
I Hearst.
Mr.. Tumor blurted out: 1925 a piece
q year."
That was. enough for the labor men
| present, and Representative: Hearst
and Representative Hughes, who are
championing the cause of organizes,
labor on the question. The admission
of the witness showed that the busi-
ness of leasing convict labor was a
| most profitable one, so profitable tina,
I the lessees were willing to pay a. iaise
OF over a hundred per cent in the price
for convict in five years.
| 1t showed plainly that the leasing
I of convicts was profitable This too
I In view of: the fact that the lessee had
to clothe and feed the prisoners.
| Mr.. Tumor was the only one who an
peared against the measure. Presi:
/ dent Gompers and E. ]. Roche Of T. {
Central Labor Union of this city were
heard. President Gompers, owing tt
shortness of time. did not go into the
subject thoroughly, and will appea,
before the committee on Tuesday
when the matter will again be taker
| UP.
| President Gompers said that wha
organized labor desired of Congres:
was legislation that would. prohibit
prison labor from coming into conflict
with free labor. He pointed out thai
the prisoners on Blackwen's Island
New York, numbering 10000 men anc
women, had constant employment, but
that their work was upon the grounds
of the institution and in making wear:
ing appeared for the, inmates.