Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-08-07
Free Workers Unemployed
Because Missouri Returns
To Convict Labor System

By International Labor News Service
Jefferson City, Mo, Aug. o-mis-
sour labor and business are feeiihs
the effects of the return to the sys-
TEN of hiring out convict TABOR 10
political influential contractors. sew
eral small Missouri towns now are
complaining of lax business because
of the shutdown Of factories by the
ID. NJ. Oberman Manufacturing Com
pany. an overall and work clothing
concern with headquarters here.
David NJ. Oberman, president OF me
corporation, who Is a close business
associate of Dr. Cortez r. Enioei
chairman of the State prison board
has taken over a large part oil the
State production in his line.
Convict Labor Cheaper.
Although he has been unsuccessful
in obtaining contract from the PMS
on. il is estimated he has taken over
approximately % per cent Of the pro
duction at a considerable reduction IN
his labor cost.
He has SAID frankly tnal MS feas0i'
for the shutdown was because Ms
use of convict labor was far more
profitable than employment OF othef
labor.
As a result Of this state subsidy OF
his business, Oberman has closed MS
overall and work clothing factories at
Versailles. Eldon and California. One
factory was closed in Joplin, but wa
reopened because of Mr.. Obefmah 5
inability to get enough goods at MS
price from the State. In these towns,
the payroll ran between $1,000 and
$4,000 a week, loss of which has oeeh
felt keenly.
Business Men "Stung."
Versailles. town of 1900 popula-
ton. was one of the first victims oil
this system Of exploiting convict labor
TO the detriment of the free workers.
Five wears ago the business men SUD-
scribed $4,000 with which to erect a
factory for the 0berman concern. Ap-
proximately 600 women and girls were
EMPLOYED in the factory. Three
months ago the factory was closed
abruptly because convict labor was
cheaper at Jefferson City than free
labor at Versailles.
Oberman offered to sell to the YER
sailles business men the factory they
had built and decided to him. -,
Many of the women employees sun
are unemployed, because the town has
not sufficient industries to absorb
them. Some are taking in washing 10
support their families. Others are
working as domestic servants and still
more have left the town for larger
places in search of employment.
Carterville Also Victim.
Carterville, in southwest Missouri,
complains of being another victim of
the prison contract system, according
to its chamber of commerce officials,
Between 100 and $50 women there
we're thrown out of work with a loss
to the merchants of the town of ap-
proximately $4,000. The business
men of Cartervile paid the rent on
Mr.. Oberman's factory building there
and had a contract with him that he
would operate until March /, 1926.
"But he left us holding the sack, y
one of the men commented.
CRANKY is another complaining wit
ness against the suffering caused by
the convict labor system. This little
town of 1900 rented factory build
ing for the Oberman concern with al
agreement that he should operate foi
ten years. He closed up his factor,
at the end of trhee years, it was said
Fifty women and girls were unable to
find work and left town.
The Oberman factories at Russell.
vile, Meta, Neosho and Galena, Kans.
also are shut down.