Evening star., 1934-12-16

accepting graft and perquisites out
Of the profits. Local politics often
play q part in the opportunity 10
share in these profits from sweated
prison labor.
There is still another aspect. That
has to do with the competition Of
prison-made goods with the products
Of free labor. When jobbers, whole
salers and contractors can obtain
goods at very low rate from prisons,
their own incentive Is to undersell
competing free-labor factories. This
supply Of goods from prison shops
fills part of the trade demands and,
therefore, diminishes the demand for
free-labor goods. This, in turn, less
ems the number of jobs for free
workers. The whole system works in
series Of cycles and yet one must
always come back to the necessity
Tor keeping prisoners properly EN-
ployed.
A Prison Labor Compact.
What is regarded as one Of the
most important features Of the com.
mittee's plan is the ALLEGATION of $50.
100000 OF P. w. A. funds to place
the whole thing on fresh and cleaner
basis. The part Of 1t specially de-
pended upon is that which provides
that State shall be assisted with its
prison problem provided 1t puts up q
part Of the money. Unless it does pay
its share, it may not benefit from the
P. w. A. funds. This money bait,
held out by the Federal Government,
is expected to be sufficiently alluring
to overcome any political difficulties
from officials within the States. Only
central Government, only Govern
ment with money to spend could weld
the whole country INTO one prison
system which would attack the en-
tire problem at once instead of piece
meal.
The special committee has been
working in cooperation with the
N. r. A, and it is with the aid Of
that organization that 1t Is hoped to
make the plan operable. Under what
is known as the prison labor COM
pact, Prison Labor Authority was
created to act in harmony with the
various industrial codes of the
N. r. A. Thus, goods Of q certain
standard, even though prison made,
have been granted the right TO use
the Blue Eagle label.
A strong objection has been made
to this by free labor factories en-.
gagged in the same lines Of manufac.
ture and, it Is expected. this would be
ended under the new plan, or the
label modified to make clear that any
article bearing it was the product Of
prison labor. The importance Of this
is seen when 1t is stated that In "a
States prison labor turns out "a, ,0OO,-
600 shirts q year. Large quantities
OF cordage and twine, school desks,
automobile license plates and other
competitive articles also are made.
The Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
ministration buys vast quantities Of
goods which could be made by prison
labor. State and local governments
could use prison products without
turning disposition Of them over to
contractors. With Federal authority
at the head of the whole system, Q
standardized procedure could be fol-
lowed. The committee heard some
so witnesses, experts on various as
poets of the problem, and this plan,
largely the work of Mr.. Tannenbaum
Of the committee, Is what has evolved.
1t remains to be seen whether the
plan is put into effect, but it Is be-
leved more than likely as it Is serv-
iceable in so many directions. It re-
mained for the derangements Of the
depressed times to make possible the
only fundamental and comprehensive
solution of the prison-labor problem.
and officials who have seen the plan
declare that it Is Of as much impor-
tance as the abolition Of child labor.