Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-01-17

Pierre, S. D.-Gov. Frank M. Byrne,
in his first message to the South Da-
kota legislature, says:
Many important matters will come
before you for consideration and dis
cusSion, matters of utmost Importance
to h people, and to the state, calling
for the exercise of our best judgment
n intelligence. 1t is, of course, I'M
necessary for me to urge you to take
up you york seriously and earnestly
but l do kindly suggest hat you settle
down to the serious and systematic
consideration of measures early in
your session, and push the work
along with such speed as will not in
terfere with thorough and judicious
consideration, but at the same time
will save congestion and confusion in
the closing days. Your session is of
brief duration. The time will quick
ly pass. Out of my W experience l
have learned that nothing is more i'm
portant to successful legislative &C.
co~mplishment in our brief sixty-day
sessions than getting down to work in
the early days. The duties Of a con-
scientious legislator are arduous and
often unappreciated. 1t is my desire
to render you such sympathic assist
ance as I can, and I want each of you
to feel free to come to me at any time
for such advice and counsel as l may
be able to give. I want to work with
you, in mutual cooperation, for the
welfare of the state we have under
taken to serve.
In making appropriations you should
use the utmost care and c~ircumSpec-
ton, and economic wherever possible,
without injuring or Gripping any of
the states legitimate institutions or
activities. Not a single dollar should
be expended, no office created or con-
tinued and no person employed except
such as is necessary for good and eff
icient government. At the same time
I would urge o to so provide for
each department of the state govern
ment as to enable it to serve the peo-
pie efficiently.
Hits Prison Contracts.
For long l have believed that farm
operation was the natural and proper
employment for ordinary prisoners,
especially the young, the first termers,
those who are serving short sentences,
and those, in general, who demon
strate that they are worthy of conf
dence. I learn hat the state owns
4. tract of farm land, about 240 acres,
some distance north Of the penitentiary
and am informed that this land was,
indeed, originally purchased for the
p~enitentiary. 1t is toe far away to
work advantageously from the PEN
itentiaary itself. I recommend that
you make provision for the immediate
erection Of suitable buildings, and that
arrangements be made to operate a
farm on this tract of land at once,
with the labor of such of the inmates
as the warden and board of charities
and corrections may deem best suited
and most deserving of trust. If it
proves successful, as it seems to have
proven highly successful in other
states, is could be extended from time
to time until employment of this kind
was furnished to practically all of the
inmates who a safely be entrusted
in such work.
l have examined with a good deal of
interest the contract under which the
state is manufacturing shirts in the
penitentiary for the Sterling Manufac-
turing company. I have always been
opposed to contract labor in prisons.
Lately 1 have given some special at
tention to the matter, and am more
than yer convinced that in principle
and practice it is absolutely wrong.
In this insance, the state is here
ufacturing an exceptionally good class
of working shirts for SO cents a dozen,
8 cents a piece. l do not complain
especially on the ground that it may
not furnish sufficient proft. From
my standpoint, profit in a matter of
this kind is a secondary consideration.
! called your attention., first, to the
fact that the state, in making shirts
for such beggarly prices, is engaging
in grossly unfair competition with a
class of workers already shamefully
underpaid. For this price the state
and machinery of all kinds-cutting
machines, sewing machines and every
thing used in the manufacture OF
shirts except the material; unboxes
and unpacks the material, packs and
boxes the completed shirts, all for 3
cents each. My complaint of the
price, remember, is not especially that
it does not furnish the state suffi-
Gent profit, but principally that it is
itruta1ly unfair competition with the
vorkers in this line of industry.
Prison Labor Trust.
1t is claimed by those who should
be in a position to know that the COM
bination known at the R~eliance-Ster-
ling Manufacturing company, of which
the Sterling Manufacturing company
is a part, controls the contract in elev-
en- or more different state prisons ana
.reformatories, and is commonly
known as the prison Labor Trust"
that the company was organized about
ten years ago with a very small and
insignificant capital; that it's profits
have been such that its growth is re-
markable, having o. a paid up CAPT
tai stock of over $500, 900, and an an
nual business in the neighborhood of
$4,000, 600. 1t is said that in different
states the contract is let to different
individuals. partnerships or companies,
but that all such contractors, are con-
nected with or a part of the Reliance
Sterling combination.
There is only one possible consider
alton which, under any circumstances,
could be offered in favor of such labor
or the contract under which it is car
ried on, and hat is that it furnishes
employment. l will freely admit that
if it was necessary to the employment
of the men that it would be ~excusable;
as between making shirts, even on
contract, and idleness, common hui
mainly would dictate that the men
make shirts, but there is no such al
tentative necessarily offered. There
are vastly better ways in which they
NAV learn useful self respecting occu-
pations and earn much more for them
selves and the state than on this con-
-