The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-09-16
ILLINOIS PRISON
FACTORY NOW CLOSED
Effort Is Being Made in Iowa AL
so to Have the Plant
Discontinued.
PRISON WORK RETARDS
EFFOTS OF LABOR
Organized Workers in that State
Will Cooperate to Close Ft.
Madison Plant.

DUBUQUE, Iowa. Sept 14-There
will be no more prison-made brooms
in Illinois. The plant has been
closed and the machinery stored. An
agreement was reached with the gov
ernor to this effect. It is to be
hoped that q like agreement can be
reached with tho governor of Iowa
and have this abnoxious business
removed from the walls of Fort
Madison once and for all.
The shipment of prison-made
brooms into Cedar Rapids recently
seriously interfered with the en-
ployes of a home factory bettering
their condition. And here in Du-
buque the home plant has been Sc
riously retarted by the prison-made
=. product.
The current number of The Broom
Maker has this to say regarding the
situation: The progress made to-
ward the entire elimination of prison
competition during the past two
years has been especially gratifying.
Close Broom Plant.
LAS an agreement had been Sc
cured with the governor of Illinois
to close the prison broom plant at
Joliet so soon as the stock on hand
mad been worked up, which was done
in June, the machinery from the
factory and stored and no more
brooms are to be made at the Joliet
prison. In the future all the brooms
u3ed by the Illinois State institutions
will be bought of the Industrial
Home for the Blind, which will still
farther aid the employing broom
maker by removing, in part, this
competition also.
During the last year a broom
plant has been installed at the Fort
Madison, Iowa, prison. The matter
was taken up with the manufa cturers
OF OLIVIA. and it was proposed that the
broom makers of Iowa be organized
and seek the assistance of the Iowa
State Federation Of Labor and all af-
f1llated organizations. Several con-
ferences were had with officers of
the Midwest Broom Manufacturers
association. and for a time it seemed
as if something might be accomplish.
ed to have the manufacture of
Drooms by the State of Iowa abol-
1shed. However the manufacturers
finally decided to have nothing to do
with our organization, and the Of
ilclals of the international union felt
that without the cooperation of the
men directly interested the Iowa
broommakers it would be unfair to
the general membership to stand all
the expense attached to the work of
closing the prison plant.
Obstacle to Factories.
THE Lee Broom & Duster Co.. who
have employed prison labor at the
Lincoln, Neb., prison for a number OF
years. and are still employing prison
labor, appeared to be the opposins
force that blocked efforts to worl
with the manufacturers along thu
lines followed in other states.
Iowa manufacturers thought tha.
they could bring influence enough
to close the prison shop without tn,
aid of organized labor. However
their efforts proved a failure. Will
the aid Of the organized workers. O
Iowa the desired result could be &C
complished, and so loon as the me1
of Iowa decide to do their share tn,
work will be taken up.
What has been accomplished b,
by our organization has been of vas
benefit to the trade, and it is hoped
that the manufacturers will realiz,
Just what has been ACCOMPLISHED fol
them and will work with us in tn,
future to eliminate the manufa ctur,