The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-04
LABOR SUFFERS Il
+. FROM CONVICT GOODS
Federal Bureau Makes 1nvestiga
ton and Upholds Contention
of Union Labor.
Examinations Include More Than
400 Penal Institutions Where
Prisoners Work.

States and it's effect upon free labor,
and the facts and conclusions developed
by that inquiry have now been given
to the public in an elaborate report.
This Is not the first time the bureau
Of labor has inquired into the convict
labor question. It's first inquiry was in
1885, and another was made In 1896.
The recent inquiry was much more ex-
tensfve than either Of the others. There
were visits to and reports from 296
penal institutions and thirty-nine juve-
r1le reformatories, covering more than
400 separate places where convicts are
located. All institutions where the
value OF convict product is less than
$1,000 year were excluded from con-
sideration.
With this limitation, the bureau OF
labor has ascertained that there are
10000 convicts in the United States, Of
which number ATOP are women, and
10,357 inmates OF juvenile reforma-
tories, 907 Of them girls. Fifty-nine
ployed at productive labor, and are
thus brought. into competition with
free labor.
Value OF Goods.
In 1905 the total value of goods pro-
duced in American prisons was $34,-
276,2o5; that is, the market value, or
the price for which the goods were
sold. Ninety-seven per cent of this
output came from penal institutions,
and the small balance from juvenile
reformatories. The average value OF
the output Of a convict In 1905 was
$3.50, for the SO per cent employed.
SO far as the value of the output is
concerned, boots and shoes is the lead
ing industry. The value of boots and
shoes turned out at prisons last year
was $685. 500, or in round figures one
fourth Of the total of all Industries.
In all, some eighty different industries
are represented in prison life. The
value Of the output OF the chief Of
these, after boots and shoes, is as fol-
lows: Farming, $2.983,S75; clothing,
$2,644,511; chairs, tables, ETC., $2,371,-
1903; brooms and brushes, $1.780,834;
roads and highways, $1,657,17o; coal
mining, $1,631,346; binding twine ST.
513,252; lumber, $1,1o2,o32; building
trades, $1,Os4.S31.
Rank Of the States.
It may be interesting here to notice
the relative Importance Of the several
states, as measured by the value of
the convict product. The state show
ing the largest production of prison
goods Is Missouri, where the value OF
the product last year was $2,451,93s.
Illinois stands second Georgia third,
and Texas fourth. The figures tor
these states are all above the two mil
lion mark Alabama, Indiana, Ken
lucky, Maryland, Massachusetts,, Mich
igan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ten
nessee, Virginia and Wisconsin stand
between 100000 and S2,000,000 each.
The precise figure for Minnesota Is
$1,725,529, Wisconsin $l,022,544, Iowa
$510,5O6, North Dakota $279,951, South
Dakota $4,000.
Every state objects to being made
the market for convict-made goods
produced in other states, and so the
bureau of labor had considerable
trouble In finding out just what pro-
portion of convict goods was disposed
Of outside of the boundaries of states
were produced. The figures as finally
ascertained are reliable. There are
institutions making binding twine,
which is one Of the principal industries
at the saltwater prison In Minnesota,
boots and shoes being the other. The
total output Of binding Irvine last year,
valued at $1,513,252 was all disposed
Of to farmers within state lines. There
are eighty-three institutions manufac-
turing boots and shoes, and 80 per
cent Of the output figured in Interstate
commerce. Fifty-seven per cent Of the
trade in convict brooms and brushes
was Interstate, "a per cent OF the
tables, chairs, ETC., 81 per cent OF the
clothing, Is per cent OF the farming,
Is per cent of the lumber, 81 per cent
Of the coal mining.
AS to the commercial ERECT OF the
competition OF convict-made goods. the
report says:
"Reviewing the general question of
convict labor as competitive factor,
it may be said that manufacturers con-
slider such competition unfair, ruinous,
demoralizing to markets and" business
stability, compelling the reduction of
prices below a fair margin Of profit,
and often even below the cost Of pro-
duction. Wages are forced to the low
est limit in vain effort to lower the
cost Of production to that of the prison
contractor. In some cases deteriora-
ton Of the quality Of material used and
in others an entire Abandonment to the
prisons Of the manufacture Of certain
grades of goods has become necessary.
I'm the boot and shoes industry the
testimony of manufacturers is that the
low cost Of production Of prison made
goods has enabled the prison manu-
facturer to drive the. employer Of free
labor out of the market or force on
him a reduction in the regular prices
Of many lines OF goods.
Prison Made Furniture.
Tn furniture the character of the
work done in prisons has changed en-
tirely in recent years. The high grade
work now being done in prisons, to-
gether with the increased use Of ma
chinery Gin use in six prisons in 1856,
and sixteen in 1900 and the low prison
cost of production. have made it i'm
possible for, the product OF factories
employing free labor to compete with