The Detroit times., 1908-01-22
INTERESTS DEFEAT
AhT|-CONv|CT
LABOR PLAN
coN-coN DELEGATES WHO WEAR
CORPORATIONS LIVERY DE-
eide THAT PRISON WORK MUST
COMPETE WITH FREE LABOR.
(rrOm a Special correspondent.)


LANSING, Mich, Jan. 22.-Labor in
terests again met defeat at the hands
OF the constitutional convention, as
after somewhat exciting contest, the
entire proposal. so earnestly advocas-
ed by the free labor OF the state, pro
hibiting the use OF convict labor under
contracts, was killed.
Black opened the conflict with q
strong appeal to guard free labor
from competition with the products
OF convicts and, from a mass OF data,
proved great loss to the state under
the contract system with demonstra-
ton OF how convict products under
mined the prices of free labor.
Burt followed with an amendment
to strike out that part OF the section
relating to contracts, then submitted
that this should be left TO the legis-
lature for regulation.
Conditions change. he maintained.
and to Ak this for years TO come would
work evils 10 the state. The 1900
convicts now in our prisons, he said.
must be employed, and added that 1t
was a grave problem. needing read
justment from time to time. Road
work would not solve IL in the win
ter months. when convicts would have
TO be shut up. and when insanity
would follow.
Black Objects.
Black objected that this would kill
the intent OF the measure. when Tossy
came TO his support with a rousiug
labor and that Detroit without this
tots xvff
good profit for the city. Then why,
he asked, couldn't the state do the
same?
Powell said he could see no way to
use convict labor without coming III
conflict with free labor. This brought
Tossy to his feet again. with scath-
ing rebuke to the graft and frauds per-
petrated under the contract system,
insisting that profits now going ID
contractors should go TO the state.
Holmes opposed on the ground that 1t
was best under legislative control.
Would Prove Expensive.
Sutherland contended that II would
take a million dollars TO establish
plants under this system. and would
take only q short time for convicts TO
supply the state, when they and the
plants would be idle; but, interjected
Black, the state now furnishes the
plants. which demolishes your argu-
ment.
Then the vote was reached, and
Burt's amendment carried by AZ yeas
to 29 nays. but in regular session they
refused TO concur by % TO 60,when
Burt moved to kill the entire proposi-
ton and succeeded by the close vote
% AZ yeas to Al nays.
Following is the recorded vote AMI
those voting yes oppose the PROPOSE
ton. while the nay votes favored this
labor reform measure:
YEAS-Acker. Atwood, Baird. c.
e. Baldwin, r. J. Baldwin. Burt, Bur
ton, Calverley, G. X. Campbell, Cavan-
augh. Chandler. Cook. Cranor. Dawson,
DeLand, FairIIe, Ffetschhauer, Foster,
Freeman, Hall, Head. Hemans,
Holmes, Houk, Fitzpatrick. Knowles.
Manchester, Mines, Monfort, @. w.
Moore, Morgan, Oberdorffer, Powell,
Sawyer, Shaw, o. III. Smith, Suther-
land, Van Kleck, Walton, Wicksali,
Woodruff and Wykes-42.
NAYS-Adams. Babcock. Barbour,
Black. Boynton, Broomfeld. ]. G..
Brown. I. II. Brown, II. NJ. Campbell,
Coomer, Fall, Flanagan, Fyfe. Hally,
Heckert, Ingram, Jones. Lille, Loui'
sell, Mead, Merrell, A. L. Moore, Os-
nun. Pratt, Rockwell. Rowe, Russell,
Salliotte, Sharpe, Simons, j. M. C. Smith,
Snow, Stewart, Taylor, Thew, Thomp-
son. Tossy, Townsend, Turnbull. Wat
SON and President Carton-41. Thir-
teen not voting. This is supposed to
settle the matter, yet Black has ii
mind reconsideration should the con-
ditions nut on a more favorable look.