The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-08
BITTER BLAST
HITS INDIANA
PRISON CHIEFS
Convicts Who Work Well
Rewarded by Longer
Terms, Is Charge.

Senator James E. Watson to-
day sought to shield John w. Moor
man, Knox, Ind, State Prison trus-
tee, when he was asSailed regarding
conduct of the prison. at hearing
before the Interstate Commerce
Commission Senate Committee at
Washington.
Norman in turn defended War
den Walter H. DAILY of the prison,
according to dispatches from The
Times Washington Bureau
He appeared before the committee
to oppose a bill of Senator Halves
of Missouri, which would permit
States to ban prison-made goods.
Norman explained that he would
seek a free labor wage and fair price
agreement, in all prisons, at meet
ing of prison superintendent and
trustees in Washington next Tues
day.
ROwbOttOm Makes Charges
Halves repeated charges hurled
against DAILY and Norman at a
hearing before the House committee
on the same bill Tuesday. At that
time Representative Rowbottom of
Evansville, charged that efficient
workmen at the prison are refused
paroles, to keep up the prison
factory output.
These charges were denied today
by Warden Daily, when informed Of
them by The Times.
Halves today told the committee
of shoes being made at the prison
and sold as United States Army
shoes. This was done with the
knowledge of DAILY, he said, and he
asked if such a warden should not
be prosecuted and fired.
I'VE think he is one of the best
wardens in the United States"
Norman declared in reply.
Plan Called Failure
He termed the States plan to dis
pose of prison-made goods a failure
in Indiana.
At the hearing Tuesday, Halves
charged DAILY with permitting prison
contractors to put labels on shoes
and shirts made in the prison which
indicated they had been made in
outside factories.
Halves backed up this assertion
with an order issued last summer
by the Federal Trade Commission
j;root;,,c, tho COV,,,oO,,u-ooIfJ, NEoV,,Y
featuring Company Of Chicago and
the Chicago Manufacturing Com
pany, contractors at the Indiana
prison, to cease labelling their goods
to indicate they were made in out
side factories.
1.-The brands were put on shoes
and shirts under direction of the
penitentiary warden said Halves.
Labor Secretary Davis says pris-
oner who sews such labels on
prison made goods is receiving a
training in deceit.
ROwbOttOm Takes Hand
Rowbottom. member of the House
Labor Committee, which held the
hearing. took hand in the discus
sion when Edgar Wallace, represent
ing the American Federation Of La
Dor, charged that prisoners eligible
to parole often are denied freedom,
to supply labor to the prison con-
tractors.
This was challenged by committee
members.
81 knew a man in my town" said
Rowbottom, who was formerly in
the marble works at the State peni-'
Tertiary, and who said that time
actually was often added to SEN
fences in the case of efficient men
to keep them for the contractors.
well, when the warden of that
institution lends himself to such
schemes as that denounced by the
Federal Trade Commission, I
wouldn't put the other thing beyond
him." said Kent.
Informed of the charges by The
Times today, DAILY stated that
the Commonwealth Company had
ceased the practice, as ordered by
the commission. He said private
labels still were being placed on
prison-made goods, however.
LAS to a good workman being
denied parole, the reverse is the
case" DAILY declared. ut is only the
efficient prisoners who are admitted
to parole, due to good conduct"
Directly answering Rowhottom'S
charges, he said that there had not
been marble works at the prison
for the last four wears.