The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-25
PENAL LABOR PROBLEM
OPPOSED IN MISSOURI
Political Grafters are Only ones
Benefited by Present Un-
just System.
St. Louis Man Urges that Farm
ing Out of State Prisoners
Is Dangerous.

The LABOR news or ST. Louis mas
started a crusade against the leasing
Of convict labor by the state of Mis-
souri, to be used In competition with
manufacturers who employ free labor.
A series Of articles by Mr.. Geo. e.
Vogle Is making it very plain that the
taxpayers Of the state are being
mulcted to support the convicts while
few political grafters and a handful
of manufacturers are waxing fat on
the profits Of convict labor. He urges
that convicts be employed in construct
ing and maintaining public roads that
will be passable at all seasons Of the
year, thereby making it possible for
farmers to reach the markets In win
ter, and thus preventing many farm
products from reaching abnormally
high prices when roads are impossible
and reaction caused by an over
glutted market with a return Of dry
weather. This feature of the good
roads, movement would be beneficial
to the residents of towns and cities
as we'll as to the farmers, for each de-
pends upon the other and mutually
they must depend very largely upon
the condition Of the country roads.
If good roads were generally MAIN
tanned throughout the states, sMr. Vo-
gle asserts, an impetus would be given
to the sale of automobiles, bicycles,
carriages and horses, for travel by all
these methods of conveyance would
increase with an extension of passable
roads to points now generally inacces-
sible. But the greatest benefit would
lie in the fact that the markets would
be more steady because the marketing
period would be extended throughout
the winter instead Of being confined
to two or three months in the fall,
thus preventing business stagnation in
many industries during the winter
season.
For years labor organizations have
tried to prevent the employment of
convict labor in direct competition
with free labor, because the fair en-
ployer is placed at a great disadvan-
tage when the state supplies his COM
petitors with labor at one fifth or one
sixth the wages he must pay, and as
an extra inducement furnishes light
and power free to the employer OF
prison labor, while at the same time
taxing the very citizens who are direct
ly hurt by this unfair practice for the
support of the convicts during their
periods of incarcera tion
The convict labor problem has long
been a vexing one for the friends Of
free labor to solve, and It's solution
concerns the non-union man equally
as much as the man who affiliates
with a labor union, for the employer
Of free labor, whether union or non-
union, must reckon with his competitor
who deals in prison-made goods, and
he cannot successfully maintain prices
far above the market figures set by
the employers of convicts at wages
made ridiculously low by grating po-
liticians who get their rake off from
the agents Of the prison goods combine
while the states loss is charged up to
the taxpayers.
The best solution yet offered for
the convict labor problem is in the
suggestion that it be utilized in the
building of state roads. In that event
the state and the citizens who consti-
tute and support the state would get
the benefit Of every particle of pro-
ductive energy put forth by the con-
victs, and no one would be hurt by
their competition. Every industry in
the state would be benefited by such
use Of convict labor and every business
firm would share the benefit except
those directly concerned in the pur-
chase of prison labor and the sale
of prison made goods