The wageworker., 1910-01-08

now stands it is a great improvement
over the original draft, but it is bad
enough. The amended contract stipu-
lates that before any Of the goods
manufactured Hereunder are shipped
out, the state shall have the privilege
supply the state institutions. 1t is
further provided that none of the
goods manufactured hereunder may
be sold in the state of Nebraska
These amendments were forced into
the contract by Governor Shallenber-
ger, who is one of the five members of
tn board.
/. Until the law is changed and prison
contract labor prohibited by law, there
will always be this same trouble. The
chief argument advanced by those
who seek to profit from convict con-
tract labor Is that the poor convicts
must have work or they will go crazy.
We humbly suggest that little of
the n1audlin sympathy wasted upon
the criminal might well be spared, and
little practical sympathy shown for
the honest worker who Is struggling
against untoward conditions to sup
port his family and give his children
an education. A policy which en-
courages criminality by making it al
order to secure a steady job is not
calculated to build better citizenship.
Nebraska stands at the head of the
educational column, and it Is not too
a short time it will, in its wisdom,
evolve some system whereby the con-
victs may be kept employed without
putting the product of their labor into
competition an the open market with
the product of free and honest labor
The present condition is in itself a
crime, and the society responsible for
it should be indicted and tried and
sentenced. And the man or woman
who would teach convict to make
brooms or work shirts under the spe-
cious plea of teaching the convict a
useful trade, ought to be put into a
kindergarten for the purpose OF learn
ing the first principles of Industrial
ism. The one is a trade largely fol-
lowed by invalids, cripples and old
men; the other is followed by under
paid women and girls working in
sweat shops and tenements. The con-
vict who emerges from prison and at
tempts to follow either trade for a
livelihood, soon finds himself back in
prison. 1 would recommend thai this
convention go on record, with no I'M
certain sound, against the present
system of leasing convict labor, and
that it throw the weight of its influ-
enca in favor OF the abolition of the
Infamous wrong to free labor.
l further recommend that this or
demand in every possible way, that
the State Bureau of Labor be ade-
quately provided for, to the end that it
may be of some real service to the
wage earners of the state whose toll
represents such a large part of the
prosperity of the commonwealth.
l would recommend some course of
action whereby a greater revenue may
be raised, to the end that the legisla-
tive committee may not be hampered
in its efforts to secure needed legisla-
tion.
One year from this date the legisla.
ture will be in session. and we should
begin now to prepare the way for a
concerted demand for labor legisla-
ask nothing but justice for ourselves,
and would work injustice on no man.
Heretofore we have worked at ran
dom in our legislative efforts. I would
urge union men everywhere to make
strong effort to secure representation
upon the legislative tickets, and wher-
ever a union man is nominated for
legislative office let us forget partisan
politics long enough to send union
men. instead of partisans to the legis-
lature. With few live union men on
the inside, and strong legislative
committee on the outside, organized
labor will stand reasonable show of
getting something in the way Of leg
islative relief.
l urge this convention to make an
insistent demand upon the parent or
ganization, the American Federation
permanent salaried organizer in this
district, to the end that the work OF
organization, so long neglected, may
be prosecuted with vigor.
l urge upon every organization affili-
ated with the Nebraska State Fedora
tion OF Labor the necessity of an ac-