The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-29
OPPOSITION TO
CONVICT LABOR
END OF GREAT EVIL IN COUNTRY
APPEARS NOW TO BE VERY
NEAR AT HAND-uNIoNS FAVOR
WORK ON THE PUBLIC HIGH
WAYS.

The problem of convict labor-that
much-vexed question which has been
so fruitful cause of controversy
is finding solution at last Before
long the prisons of this country will
cease to be factories, competing in
dustriously with citizens. says The
Brooklyn Eagle, Free labor has won
the fight.
Virginia Acts Wisely.
No longer will the jailbirds of Vir-
ginia devote their activities to the
making Of boots and shoes at Rich
mond, as hitherto, being hired out at
so much day to a. big company en-
gagged in that branch of industry.
Henceforth they will crush rock, with
the help of machinery, and build pub
lie highways.
Georgia Follows Suit.
Such is the new law. In Georgia,
likewise, in obedience to recent legis-
withdrawn from competition with
free labor, and their employment will
be restricted in future to the making
of roads.
Convicted evildoers in the south
are used largely for farming on tracts
acquired for the purpose by the
states, the produce being sold and
the proceeds turned into. the public
fund. Thus in, Georgia and elsewEera
in tl1at section of the country the ag-
ricu1tural malefactor has been acaus-
toned to compete with the either
farmer, to the considerable detriment
of the latter From this time on,
however, he will not. be permitted 10
do so in either of the two states met
toned.
Illinois and Washington Also.
These are merely steps in a move
ment which is rapidly spreading all
over the United States. Illinois and
Washington have recently adopted
the same radical measure of reform,
and 1t is beyond doubt that a ma
jority of the other states of the
union will follow their example be-
fore very long.
Illinois has been using her convicts
to make furniture. shoes, brushes,
baskets and stove hollow ware. From
this time on, however, they will
operate rock crushing plants which
have been established at Joliet and
Chester. where duarries are located
conveniently In the neighborhood #
the penitentiaries.
In the / tate of Washington .nc
principal employment of criminal o.
Tenders has been in the manufacture
of jute bags for wheat but under the
new law their activities will be APP
piled wholly to solving the good roads
problem.
Other States Consider Matter.
Meanwhile many other states have
the same problem under serious con-
sideraticn. the question at issue be-
Ing whether the prisons shall continue
to he operated as factories for the
production of various kinds of mer-
chandise competing with the output
of free labor
The penitenitaries OF many states
within the last few years have been
equipped with improved machinery,
thus converting them into first class
factories But the prison manufac-
tltrer. employing what is in effect
slave labor. at an extremely low cost
is easily able to underselI all COM
pELlIdlEs SiAhSA aAANAtiE tICt1l eOdl Vi
bu mess or forcing them to reduce
prices and wages
The seriousness of this competition
may be judged when IT Is considered
that an army or over $4,000 workers
Is regularly employed all the year
round in prison factories of the Unit
ed States
Effects of Prison Labor.
Among the most Obvious effects of
prison labor are loss of employment /
ov large numbers of people. serious
of wages and a lowering of |
he quality OF goods produced by citi-
zen workers. incidentally dreadful |
,ardEhips are inflicted upon laborers
il that class which deserves the great
st sympathy and consideration. bel
ng made up principally of WIDOWS,
,rnhans an other almost helpless
who can earn only a pit
ance at best Convict labor has
brown them out OF work by thou
lands.
1t has taken a long time to work
tut this convict problem. Experience
as nroven that enforced ieileness was
,nually Objectionable AS for thei
node and practice Of leasing MALE
actors to contractors at so much
'ead per day, II. q system that gives
Ise to many abuses. AT best 1t ID