Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-17
SHIRTS WILL. BE
NA|VUF ACTURED BY
FLORIDA CQNV|CTS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla, June ID
Governor Hardee announced Friday
that arrangements have been made
for the manufacture of shirts on a
commercial basis at the Florida state
farm at Raiford Contract already
has been signed with New York
firm to take the entire output, the
state to reserve to itself the right
to retain at cost the necessary num-
Der to- supply all needs for state In
stitutions.
In making the announcement,
Governor Hardee stated that q. pro-
test against inauguration of the
plans had been received from. A. F.
Allison, secretary of the Interna-
tional Association Of Garment Manu-
facturers, New York, who sent the
board a telegram after the contract
had been signed. 1t was pointed out
ernor that manufacture Of shirts at
the prison farm, however, will not
conflict with any industry Of the
sort in operation in Florida.
The statement follows:
Upon assuming the duties Of the
governorship, felt that the services
Of convicts should be so utilized by
the state that they would not be
financial burden. l had in mind par
ticularly the convicts at the state
prison farm at Raiford. This insti-
tuition was costing the taxpayers of
Florida quite a large sum of money
each year. 1t occurred to me tina.
by reducing the number of convicts
at the farm and placing the ones so
taken from the farm upon the pub
lie roads that q material saving
could | e had and that the remain
ing convicts at the farm might be
put upon a selfsustaining basis and
those removed could assist material
ly in road construction. Following
this theory, the legislature of 1921
at my suggestion enacted a law CIV
ing the governor authority to re-
duce the number of convicts at
the farm and place not only the
number is bit number rs also upon
the roads. This to apply in those in
didividual cases where the prison
physicians certify that such number
rs were able to perform manual
labor upon the roads.
Farm Expenses Cut
Upon such legislative authorize
ton about $50 convicts were taken
from the farm and placed upon the
public roads, leaving at the farm
according to the minimum number
fixed about $50. The expense of the
farm has been considerably reduced
through this policy and notwith-
standing the reduction in number
of men, the receipts from the farm
products during the present admin
itration have been materially in
creased, yet it is not now on a self
sustaining basis. I reached the con-
clusion more than year ago that
we could never place the farm upon
a self sustaining basis without the
installation of manufacturing plants
in which the services of the con-
victs there could be utilized. I have
discussed this question with COVER
nors of various states in our confer
ence of governors, and l nave OBJ
tanned data from good many states
of the union whose problems are
similar to ours. The consensus of
opinion as we'll as the experience
of all of the states is that a prison
institution can only be self sustain
ing, much less show a profit to the
state, by utilization of convict labor
in the manufacture of needful ar
ticles. Having reached this con-
clusion, [ then turned my attention
toward securing for our convict
labor that class Of manufacture
which would not be laborious and
which they can reasonably be eX-
pected to perform, having in mind
also the reliability OF parties to
whom we might contract the output
of our manufactured product.
THE board of commissioners Of
state institutions are unanimous in
the view that it is time in Florida for
the inauguration Of a policy of build
ing up penal institution at Raiford
where all the number convicts can
be utilized in manufacturing, not neg
lecting, however, those farLl indus
'HAN'7 NOW Nol leu vi WuIGH IudN ne
profitable. Accordingly, we have
closed contract with SaIant e.
Salant, Inc, shirt manufacturers Of
New York city, the terms Ct which
are substantially as follows:
Terms of Contract
THE board will provide a building
and the necessary power for the
of work shirts. The
above firm will furnish all machinery,
raw material and every other need
full thing or expense including in
structors and technical expert help
in teaching the onvict force. The
board will work, to start with, $50
for the manufacture Of work
shirts, and will receive for the work
shirts a maximum price Of 72 1-2
cents per dozen. Tn this contract the
board furnishes nothing save the
power and the convict Ia
Dor. 1t is expressly understood, of
course. that the convict labor is not
contracted to the manufactures in
any sense whatever, but will work
under the direction Of the state
prison superintendent and undenf
such agents as may be employed by
the state. the state retaining all SUI
Dervision over the convicts as to
their hours Of labor, care. mainte-
nance. discipline. etc. In fact. in no
sense does the state give to the con-
ventiOn tractors nv control over the