Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1912-01-25
Convict. Made Goods In liner
state Commerce
Nv. HrNSlCY. IRON TIE COMMITTEE on
LABnR SUBMITTED tn Fol-
LOWING RrpRt

states in goods, wares, aud merrhan-
disc wholly OF In part manufactured
by convict labor or In any prison or
eformalory. begs leave To submit
the following report and recommends
the said bill ,o pass
The bill reads rs follows
A BILL To limit the effect Of the
regulation of interstate commerce
between the states In Goods, wares.
ank merchandise wholly or in part
manufactured by convict labor or
in any prison or reformatory
Ban rN,crrn ~ ur SrSAn ASp
HntSr ~ RurVrsNT,uuS 90 mr
UNmp Sr,rts ~ AVm, n CoNCEGSS
,SSrvmrn. TIA, all goods. wares and
merchandise manufactured wholly
~ in part hy convict lahor. of IN
any prison ar rrturnntory tnns
parted into any state or territory OF
remaining therein tur use consumP-
tinn. sale. OF storage shall upon
arrival and delivery IN such state or
territory h. subjcc, To the operation
and cficc, II the laws II such state
OF territory. 10 the same extent
and in the same manner rs though
such goods wnrcs and merchandise
had been manufactured in such state
~ territory and shall not tr exempt
,hcrrtrmn by reason of heine lntro-
duccl In original packaecS NJ other.
wise
There are q mmtrr of states IN
the union which forhid by statute
the placing on saIr II articlcS Of cum-
ncrr made by the inmates IT the
p--nal institution Of the state IL Is
pulable that other states would en-
act similar laNs were Il w., for the
knowledge that such legislation
would bc uulIinci by the sale Of
priSan.madc goods huuehl ~ from
neighlnrink states having no r,Stnc'
ton as To the ultimate destination ot
their putml The Manufacturers
look upon the competition ot PRISON
made stssis from other states rs q
srscial grievance In some ot the
states the manufacturing and labor
interests have secured the enactment
Of laws prohibiting the manufacture.
within the prisons Of the state. OF
e,-sis 10 he sold In competition Nth
the pruduct Of free labor. and re-
auirins that the goods made hc for
public use only In such eases ii is
regarded as q peculiar hardship that
cuuyict.maie soc.is from other states
may br bruueht into the state and
sold without restriction thereby dis
placing free labor
The purpose Of this bill Is TO give
needed protection to those states that
have declared themselves IA oppos-
-i Ia the traffic in convitt-made
pssis rs we'll IN those which have
prescribed the Kind Of koods Of that
category that can be sold within the
state or the conditions under which
the sales can be made,
This bill does not attempt to place
any limitation upon the rights OF the
several states 10 employ their con
victs in productive effort The con
yet product as whole is very small
when compared with the entire pro
duct OF free labor in the United
States. but the employers OF tret
labor and their workmen unite II
affirming that when any convict
made product Is placed in compett
ton with the product of free laboI
the market becomes demorallzei
even small sale affecting prices fa'
out OF proportion to the amount o.
the sale. Every state objects TO be
ine made the market for convict
made goods produced in other states
And reviewing the general question
Of convict labor as a competltlv,
factor. II may be said that manu-
fac;urers consider such competition
NJ. air and ruinous, demoralizine t.