Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-20
Washington Ticker
BY CHAs. p. sHAEFFER,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

Opposition Of private highway con-
tractors employment Of convict labor
on public works construction has led
the Executive Board Of the Associated
General Contractors of America to for
mulate a construction program Tor the
satisfactory employment of prisoners IN
other than competitive fields.
The contractors association foresees
a possible convict-labor monopoly OF
public works construction and the pass
ing of the private highway contractor
unless prison labor utilization Is checked.
A growth OF the policy has been seen,
particularly in the South, and although
problems Of prison welfare, management
and rehabilitation are far anelo from
the ordinary interests of contractors,
the association considers the matter OF
such concern it will attempt TO WORK
out a satisfactory plan for divertlng
this convict labor into noncompliance
fields
Under the pressure Of overcrowdeo
prisons. rebellion among convlcts ana
a growing public appreciation OF tne
fact that mere confinement OF prisoners
does little in the way of rehahilitatlng
them. there Is appearing an inslstent
demand that convict labor be utlllzeo
in the construction of public works
projects Of all kinds, the association
says. .,.,,.
threat to free labor, private lnoustty
and particularly to the public WORKS
contractors, evidenced from s.uo'i 81
made of the steady rate OF expansion Oh
/ prison labor bureaus wherever THESE
| have gained a foothold in construction.
These contractors feel that they, as
| we'll as free labor, have been forced 10
| compete against arbitrary assumptions
Of cost that are established by the prison
| labor policy which, they claim, has torn
| down wage standards. increased unem-
ployment and injured general business
| Thsv assert they must grid themselves
for a real struggle if they are to re-
main in the highway fleld.
rhe meeting of the board will be held
in Rye. N. Y, October s, and 8, ans
will be attended by more than loo
prominent general contractors from al
over the country II Is expected also
that several high State and Fedora
of1cisls will be present The Fall meet
ing of the association will be held early
next month.
The American Motorists Association
reports to the Census Bureau that tint
lpercentage Of repossessions of motor carr
for nonpayment ragged in 1929 from q
to 81 per cent, according to whether th'
down payment was 1873 or rs per CEN
of the purchase price Of the car. Tit
analysis covers reports by AIS companie'
engaged in automobile financing. Les
than 4 per cent of the 3,47S,373 carr
financed in 1929 were reported repos
sessed.
1t is stated that approximately 81 pc
cent of all passenger automobiles pur
chased in the year, including 1857 So
secondhand cars, were bought on Tn
installment plan, the average deferred
payment on each car being $444.3O.
; Reports from 875 leading lumber mill
TO the National Lumber Manufacturers
, Association indicate combined new
business received at hardwood and soft
wood mills during the week ended Sep
TENDER Is was within 2 per cent o
total production.
Operating on a radically curtailet
production basis, orders ct rerorttnI