The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-10-10
TAGGING Of CONVICT
MANUFACTURERS IS
ADVISED ESSENTIAL
Low Cost Of Production and Ab-
scrce Of Compensation
Affecting Industry
QUESTION OF SURVIVAL UP
Committee Of PcnoIogists Sees
Menace to Continuing Pc
nal Labor System
QUESTION OF SURVIVAL U?

Tagging pvison-madc products 70
distinctly identify them 0 n
products Of free labor will serve 10
eliminate one OF the chief objections
raised in connection with the market
iny of prison goods, in the opinion OF
q committee Of pcnoloeists. manufac-
turcrs and labor representatives whlch
has been acting as an ADVISORY Dcuy
to the nj department. Ill 4
study of prison industries.
According TO the committee. the
differentiation Obvious to the buyer
would make it possible to sell similar
goods even in the same retail store
With different prices Tor the prison
products and the free products. The
only other alternative to this tagging
method. the committee believes. would
he the removal OF prison made prod
uc.s entirely from the open market
The report hes been accepted by INC
entire committee except BY two.
The nationwide survey OF prison
industries was undertaken by n de-
partment as a result Of urgent pleas
b. various groups Of MANUFACTURERS
who claimed that their respective
terests were being seriously affected
by the competition Of prison goods.
In Offering the results Of its study
the department makes it plain mat
it is presenting the facts only as de-
yclopcd.
Discussing proposed remedies Tor
the present situation III connection
with marketing prison-made prod
ucts. the report reveals that while the
ratio Of prison goods to the 7
manufacturing output OF the country
appears negligible. in the case Of ccr-
tain commodities il reaches all APP
lrcciable figure. Binder tWinc Is III
stanccd as an example OF 4 c0mnlod-
ity where the proportion OF prison
Mtput is substantially higher than
che general average. To a lesser &c
gree. this situation prevails III the
case OF shoes, brooms, furniture, ana
certain types Of mems shirts.
Different states have different
methods OF marketing their prison.
made goods. Eleven states sell their
prison products for government use
Cnly tthis includes federal. states,
municipal and county inStltutions,
Is states sell TO brokers. wholesalers.
retailers and consumers in addition
to manufacturing for government use:
and 81 states sell prison-made goods
to private distributors Of labor to con-
tractors who seek private profit IN
rcsclling these products to wholesale
dealers.
Some OF the prisons make regular
cost analyses OF their products. the
investigation showed. It was found
that ~ WI institutions making y
same class of shoes. prison labor costs
were estimated in at Is cents
while III the other no charge was
made for this item. In free" factor
les labor costs for the same shoe are
around IS cents per pair. For binder
Irvine labor costs are n cent per
pound in free" factories. Labor costs
on work shirts in prison factories OPP
Grating under contract arc figured at
rs. 90 and 9l.5 cents per dozen work
shirts. as compared with HI average
OF 50 per dozen for six free factories.
No prison industry was found pay
inE workmen'S compensation insur-
ance. In only one prison studies was
!, found that the contractor paid rent,
although in most cases he did pay for
light, heat and power. Referring to
this matter OF production costs. the
committee declared that If anything
approaching normal ~efficiencies Of OPP
Grafton can be attained with the use
OF prison facilities and labor. the
total costs of production arc obviously
below those of the manufacturer who
must meet large overhead expenses as
well as employ free labor
Pointing out that the problem con-
ncctcd with prison industry are es-
scntially state rather than fedora
matters, the committee In concluding
Its letter emphasizes the fact that 9
solution CT these problems must bt