Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-09-09


arrived at along this line will he
taken up with the organized labor OF
the state before an attempt is made
to put it in practice.
One proposition is that it would
be better for the state, for the CON
victs and even for the free labor, to
concentrate all the convict labor at
the state prison on one industry. The
prison accommodates 1900 inmates,
not more than 500 of whom, on an
average, are able or capable of work
ing at mechanical labor. Under
present methods, even if the prison
shops would accommodate all, these
800 workmen would have to be divid-
among at least eight industries.
Thus the prison manufacturing
must constantly be maintained on a
small scale so that large contractors
will not take hold of it. 1t is argued
that if 500 men could be employed
on one industry, large contractors
would be attracted and the state
would receive an increased income,
a portion of which could be turned
over to the families of the %convicts.
All goods manufactured at the
New Jersey state prison must, under
the law, be stamped "prison made"
This law is supposed to benefit the
honest artisan of the state by pre-
venting too large a competition be-
tween him and the convict laborer.
But it is a well-known fact that
thousands of dollars worth of pris-
that have no law requiring a stamp,
are sold in New Jersey every year.
This being true, it is claimed that if,
in conference with the State Fedora
ton Of Labor, the state authorities
should be permitted to select one
industry and the 500 convicts work
ed at that, it would cause no greater
hardship for the honest workmen Of
the state than now c%onfronts them.
1t is likely that Commissioner
Wight's report will suggest that this
question be taken up with the State
Federation of Labor.
The commissioner has found that
this is the plan in operation at tho
Iowa ~penitentiary, where the only
manufactured by the prison
ers is binder Irvine. This is made
on a scale so large that the prison
is self-sustaining, yet the industry
Is one that comes in no direct com
petition with the free labor of the
state.
Aid For Families.
Another proposition to which Com
missioner Wight is giving special at
is the n presented by him
in his address before the recent ses-
sion if the State Federation, involv-
ing the payment to the families Of
he convicts of the sums earned by
them while laboring in the prison.
Commissioner Wight says this idea
Is not a new one, but that its SER
ious consideration by organized bod
les of labor is. The commissioner
hopes to reach some satisfactory
ground along this line.
Since speaking to the labor unions
on this subject, the Rev. Dr.. Wight
states that he has found that the
number of families of convicts in
absolute restitution and dependent
upon the public authorities for sup
port is much larger than was sup
In connection with this question
Commissioner Wight maintains that
he state hires out it's convicts in the
prison to contractors at a less rate
han it should This, he believes, is
due to the present method of
Uniting the number of convicts en-
Dloyed in any n industry.
Surprising the other plan of con-
.,entratlon was adopted, it is claimed
he larger contractors who would be
attracted would be able to pay high
er for their labor. The state could
therefore, stiffen its rates and the
contractors would meet the raise.