The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-28
PRISON LABOR BILLS
DRAW CRITICISM
Continued From First Page

as much OF the net earnings of the
prison tor the previous fiscal wear as
may De necessary to carry out the pro-
VISIONS OF the Dill, so long as 1t does
not exceed 90 per cent of such earn
ings. eoi II
warden Wolfer, vice president of the
Northwest Thresher Machine company.
owning practically the only accessibie
property 10 the state prison for extern
SION purposes. appeared before a Joint
committee of the house of representa-
tiNes ana the board of control and
stated tnat plant of the nature con-
tempiated by the proposed legislation
couIo De started with about $4,000.
Wnile Is VIII be observed by a careful
readlnS or the proceedings of the legis-
iature that the first proposals for ex-
teholns the manufacturing plant OF
the state prison was based entirely on
enmity to the harvester trust snhsa-
quent developments have practically
eliminated that factor from the pro-
ceedlngS. and the manufacture of
mowers and rakes is all that is imme-
diately contemplated, according to the
plan outlined before the joint commit
tee by Warden Wolfer.
In the resolution introduced by Rem
resentative Teigen asking for the es
tablishment of a farm implement man.
ufactory ii was stated that outside the
So-called harvester trust there was
hardly manufacturing establishment
inside the United States and none
within the state competing for the
business. Well known implement men,
when seen by L h e clio b e yesterday,
stated that there were harvester con-
Germs land 15 or 20 mower and rake
factories doing business in Minnesota.
What Bills Would Do
The logical result of the passage of
bills for the building and maintenance
OF plant for the manufacture of farm
implements by prison labor would
mean, according to well informed men
of affairs:
First-That if the manufacturing
plant of the prison should be extended
In accordance with the provisions Of
the proposed bill. the land directly
across the street must be secured.
Second-That this land and plant
thereon Is owned by the Northwest
Thresher Machine company of which
Warden Wolfer is vice president.
Third-That the law relating to pris-
on labor, which states that but 10 per
cent of the number of laborers engaged
i'm a similar occupation in the state
shall be employed at similar work at
the state prison must be amended to
exclude those engaged in the manufac-
ture of farm implements.
The object of the proposed bills. if
they should become laws. is not only
OF concern to the manufacturers and
jobbers, but also to the 1900 retailers
throughout the state. The numerous
reports of the board OF control anent
the financial status of the binding
twine plant, which is subject to anal
ysis, has had the intended effect of in
culcating into the people the thought
that prison labor results in a great
saving in taxes to the people. Conse-
quently resulting legislation for the
extension of such manufactures to COW
er other fields of endeavor are, from a
cursory examination. we'll founded.
Supporting their contention that the
monopolistic tendency of certain cor
porations should be met by state COM
petition. backed up by convict labor, the
full extent of which is palpable to some
and unnecessarily remote TO others,
certain legislators supporting the above
measures have no other argument than
the apparent fine showing of the binder
twine factory. While ii may be con-
tended by the partisans OF the pro-
posed measure that the manufacture OF
farm implements may take place within
the present prison quarters. and that
the clause for the providing of addi-
tional territory is simply incorporated
pending unforeseen contingencies, the
report or tne state DOdrd or control IN
dicates otherwise. In its report may be
found the following sentence:
The present location of the prison
precludes its enlargement to any ex-
tent"
Inferentially, then. claim the oppo-
nents of the proposed new industries.
any extension of prison manufactures
must indicate the purchase of other
ground. and the bill before the legisla-
ture provides that il shall be secured
''as near the present site of the state
prison at Saltwater as is practicable"
Record of Failures
An examination of the records of the
prisons of the United States show that
only twice have states attempted to use
convict labor for the manufacture of
farm machinery. In both OF these in
stances the state was not directly in
terested, but farmed out the convict
labor. The result in both cases was the
same. The Seymour Sabin company at
Saltwater, which was organized with
the purpose of utilizing convict labor.
failed. G. W. Mosher, who attempted
a similar enterprise in Nebraska. failed
and was sent to the penitentiary.
Statistical information regarding the
necessary equipment for the manufac-
ture of farm machinery indicates that
no company ever succeeded without a
working capital of $5,000,000 The pat
dit1nct IN the man