The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-02-01
Convict-Labor Goods in
Interstate Commerce,


Hon. Walter l.. Hcnslcy submitted
IT." following report from tn" Com
mitt"e uu Labor of the National
House of Representatives
The ummittee on Labor. to
which was referred the bill II. X.
1901 To limit the effect Of the regu.
latiOn of interstate commerce be-
tween tn" states ia goods, wares, and
merchandise wholly or part manu-.
iaCtured by convict OF In any prison
or letorma,Ory, bcgs lcav" tu -Sb-
nit the following report and rrcnm-
m"nda that said bill to pass
tn" bill reads as follows.
y bill 10 limit the effect of the reg
ulatiuU ui interstate commerce be
tween III" States in goods, war;, ,
and merchandise wholly or iU part
manufactured by convict labor ur
IN amy prison or rriur.natyIy.
" Il" Il Enacted by the Senate and
tluu~" uf Representatives of 'h"
I ult"d States Of America boz Cnu-
-""Ss assembled, That all goods
wares, and merchandise muuulac.
'vr"d wholly or IN part by convict
labor. or IA any prison uI rriurut.
tory tram pUrtrd into any state cor
Territory or remaining therein for
Use, con sumption, sale, or storage.
snail, upon arrival aud delivery ia
~ucG stat" or Territory, D." subject
20 the operation and effect Of the
laws of such State or Territory to
tu" sam" extent aud ~ III" same
muuHrT Hs though such goods wares.
and merchandise had been luuuuiac-
iurCd ia such State oi Territory,
aud shall not be exempt tnrrrlrum
by reason of being introduced IN or
lginal packages OF otherwise. -
There are a number Of States In
the Union which forbid by stutut"
the placing on sal" OF articles of
commerce made by the inmates of
the penal institution of the State.
1t is probable that other States
would enact similar laws were it not
Tor tn" knowledge that such l"gisla.
tion would bcuulliiicd by th" SAFE Of
prisOn-made goods brought in from
neighboring States having no re-
strlctiun as to the ultimate drstiua.
tinn II their output. The manufuc.
lurcrs look upon the competition of
priSon-nladc goods from other States
ns II special grievance. IN some Of
the States the manufacturing and
labor interests have secured the en-
actmcnt Of laws prohibiting the
manufacture, within the prisons Of
the state, Of goods to be- sold in
competition with Tia" product of free
Labor, and requiring that the goods
made b." for public use uuiy. In
such eases II Is regarded as "A pccu-
liar han dshlp that COuVicl-madr
goods from other States may be-
brought into the State and sold
without restriction, thereby dispuc-
lug free labor.
TIA" purpose Of ihis bin &, - Civ"
needed protection To- those States
that have declared Themselves H.
opposed To the traffic in convict
ln0d" good, as we'll 49, tUu,r which
aN" prescribed th" kind Of goods Of
mat category that can br sold with
IN the stat" or tn" conditions under
which the sales can be- made
rms hill docs not attempt to place
my Limitation upon IN" rights of ,
ID" several States To- employ their
'unTiCts IN productive effort. The
'unviCt product ns Il whole is very ,
small when compared with TIA" en- ,
~" product of free labor IN tine /
nit"d States, but the employers of I
'"e labor and their wOrkmcu unite
% Affirming that when any convict. /
made prudur. Is placed IN cOmpcti. :
ion with the product of free labor "A
he market becomes drmOrali2ad, Il
ven small sale affecting prices II
ar out of proportion to the amount Il
I the sale. Every STATE objects to Il
eng mad" the market for convict "
lade goods produced in other /,
tates. And reviewing the general y
uestion Of convict labor as "A com. =
ctitive factor, II may he said that r,
manufacturer, consider such com "A
etitlUu unfair and ruinuus, demon II
Icing To markets and huaiucss sta II
llity, compelling III" reduction OF g,
rices below = inlr margin of profit -
nd often even below the cost Of
reduction. Wages ARE forced t.
~ lowest limit In vain effort to
'wer the cost ol production To that
Ia" prison contractor, until in IT
Ime cases u has resulted in de- OF
rIorntIon OF quality Of material fr
seq ana IN others an cutirn abau. -
'nmeut to tn" prisons Of the man
actlIr" of certain grades of goods a
Those States which have no re- ~