El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-02
CONVICT MADE GOODS IN NEW YORK
While the Law Restricts the Sale of New York Prison
Products to State Institutions, Goods Made by Con
victs of Other States Flood the Market The
Department of State Seeks to Stop These
Inroads in Justice to Free Labor
Member Executive Committee National Com
mittee Pri Labor.


" HEgreat markets of New York
HE great markets of New York
manufactured by convicts in the
penal institutions. While the system
of selling goods made by convicts IN
New York prisons only TO state insti-
tutions prevails in New York state,
thus keeping these goods from the open
market the influx of wares from pris
ons outside the state amounts yearly
to millions of dollars worth of goods
with which the produces CT free labor
cannot compete.
The department of labor of New York
state. Of which John Williams is COM
missioner, strived to stop these inroads
by the enforcement of the state Ii
censing laws, but has been restrained
by a decision of the court to the effect
that these laws are unconstitutional.
Important Decision.
The court Of appeals of New York
has before it at the present time the
constitutionality OF this license law
This opinion will be watched for with
interest in every state. where prison
goods are manufactured. Should the
law prove constitutional It will be Wig
orously enforced by the state authori-
ties, thus practically prohibiting the
sale OF these goods. If it proves I'M
constitutional. further legislation Will
probably be resorted to-
The bearing of this decision upon
the markets of New York state and
incidentally the whole country. was
brought out at a hearing before the
labor committee of the house OF repre-
sentatives, when it was shown that in
certain large industries there have
.-4c 80
prison contractors. who control the
markets in these commodities because
of their ability, derived from the Oh zap
ness of the labor to undersell the goods
made from free factories
Besides affecting the great markets
of the country and making idle the
working people in many communities.
the conditions of manufacture of these
goods in many states were shown to
be not only unfair TO the prisoners,
but demoraIizing to the prison authori-
ties
To Solve Labor Problem.
The difficulty of regulating manu-
facture by convicts Is apparent and
many attempts have been made in the
legislatures of the different states TO
satisfy first the labor unions. then the
manufacturers and then the prison au-
thorities, who are anxious to make
their prisons self supporting. To get
these several interested parties to
agree upon a plan of constructive re-
form a national committee on prison
labor has been organized in New York
city. with Thomas r. Slicer as chair
man.
1t numbers among its members Prof.
Charles r. Henderson, president of the
II
Holt. of the Independent; DR.. Charles
P NeiI, United States commissioner
of labor; Warren s Stone. grand chief
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers: Clarence J. Shearn, of the New
York American: John S. Huyler and
congressman William S. Bennett. This
committee is organized to bring about
in every state such solution of the
problem that the manufacture of con-
Wet goods may be continued so as to
provide developmental work for the
convict, which will be profitable to the
state and at the same time do away
with the unfair competition and all
the demoralizing effects incident to It.
Foreign Systems.
The search for more satisfactory
method of employing convicts viii,
probably cause this subject to be
matter Of discussion before the Inter-
national Prison conference at Wash
ington in October, and the attitude of
FRANCE, Germany and England 20 tsis
subject will be sure to attract the at
tenrion of the American public Tt IS
not generally realized here that for
over 100 years France has recognized
under law the right of prisoners 70
the wages they earn over and above
the amount needed for maintenance.
She also protects them urGer the gem
sral LABOR laws and scrLres for tnem
lust compe ls1tica for a,c5ent under
the employers liability law.
The German and English systems.
anon which che ..meriCtn has been
based. denies this right of the prisoner
TO wage or any other protection incl
dent to the labor
In actual practice in many states OF
the union prisoners are allowed as a
fee or bonus some reward. VARYING
from little tobacco to fixed percent
age of the earnings Of the prison, but
in no sense does this exceed a few
cents day. THESE amounts are paid
for a prescribed stint and are often
used for the supp rr; of the prisoners
family.
Labor Contracts.
In some prisons the warJens hermit
the prison contractors to en,er into
agreement with the prisoners for their
extra time, that is. the overtime above
and beyond the stint. These contracts
are supposed to be voluntary. between
lie prisoner and the cont actor, and
the pay Is regulated between them. but