The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1906-08-03
PEN|NSULAR
HAPPENINGS
THE FIGHT AGAINST PRISON CON-
TRACT LABOR WILL
CONTINUE.
CONTRACTS STILL HOLD
No More Convicts viii Be Added to
Working Force on Them - There
Are Other Things to Do.
Opinions on the Ruling.

This decision against the broom
contract at Jackson is, says Hal II.
Smith, speaking as attorney for the
Michigan Manufacturers association,
'the first step in the fight that will
be made by the manufacturers of the
state to drive out contract prison labor
from Michigan prisons. 1t does not
mean," said Mr.. Smith, that Michi-
gan convicts will have to remain idle.
There are plenty of trades for manu-
facture which do not come within the
prohibition of the constitution. 1t only
prohibits, as it is constituted by this
case, the manufacture of articles, the
majority of which for Michigan con-
sumption are made in Michigan. We
do not understand that this will pro-
hibit, for instance, the manufacture of
binding Irvine, as suggested by War
den Armstrong The Manufacturers
association is already making an ex-
tensive investigation of the methods
adopted by other states in handling
this question.
Two plans have received consider
able favor; first, the manufacture for
state use as now in practice in New
York, and second, the use of convicts
on the roads as is done in some of the
southern states. Recent investigation
of the New York plan seem TO show
that it is successful"
Existing prison contracts will be
carried out, and men who are now
working on such contracts in the
prisons of the state will continue their
work as long as they may remain in
prison, or as long as the prison boards
desire so to emplay them. This is
the plain inference from the interpre-
tation put upon the recent supreme
court decision by a state official OF
high standing. He points out that the
decision declares it to be in contra
vention of the constitution TO teach
a convict a trade. There will be no
more new men put on contract work,
and no convicts taught a trade" but
those that are now working will con
| tinue their work
LAS | understand the situation"
: said Warden James Russell, of Mar
! quette "the decision cannot have the
immediate effect of putting an end to
broom making at Jackson or the con-
| tinuance Of mechanical trades at that
constitution that the supreme court
! finds has been violated at Jackson,
and a significant feature of the situa-
! ton is the fact that there is no statu-
| tory law in force designed to make
! effective that portion of the constitu-
! ton under which the complainants
moved against the penitentiary Off
Gals In brief, while the court has
| IL 1as,, . hot Il, g., q
| brooms at Jackson is contrary to the
Fundamental laws, the general statutes
of the state provide no penalty for its
continuance at the prison, in fulfill
ment of the contract with the Illinois
Broom Company.
I'm Marquette prison the convict
| population is at present engaged in
the manufacture of cigars and over
alls. 1t is the opinion that under
the ruling of the supreme court the
permanency of the cigar contract, at
least, is threatened"
Save the Potatoes.
| L. r. Taft, horticuturist at the
Michigan experiment station, Agricul-
tural college, has issued an interesting
| bulletin on potato blight as follows:
/ Hundreds of dollars are lost each year
In Michigan by the blighting and rot
ting Of potatoes. Although its destruc-
tiveness is increased by wet, muggy
weather, the disease is really caused
by fungus, and the loss can be large.
ly If not entirely prevented by thor.
oughly spraying the vines with blue
vitrol and lime, commonly called Dor.
deauX mixture.
1t seldom attacks early varieties that
ripen before August /, but If they are
injured by beetles it will often pay to
spray them with Bordeaux miXtuT,
and paris green, which will also con.
troll another fungus known as early
blight"