| Show UNION BACKING STATE USE PLAN Garment Workers Make Statement Against Prison Rivalry The following statement on the th state use system and ond prison labor was Issued today by the Garment Yorkers union The m men n who profit by prison labor have carefully fostered the th myth that the tho elimination of the prison labor contractor would mean man Idl Idleness ne for tor the rs and Incentive for tor more crime and higher tax taxes s all of which 1 Is ut- ut utterly ut utterly terly tuly nonsense The Tho labor of Cf ev- ev every every ery prisoner r In this country can carbo bo be utilized utilised under the state slate use system producing supplies ne needed ded by state In Institutions Institution t and ond those of larger municipalities Conserva Conserva- Conservative Conservative tive estimates show that tile the federal government s the slates and larger cities spend each earh year nt at least for tor sup Slip Slip- supplies plies that could Just as os well be b made by prisoners prisoner and ond Inmates or other public Institutions ThIs amount 1 Is far beyond the pro pro- pro productive capacity of ot convict coO labor If employed under the best pos poa- pos pos- possible sible conditions ELiMINATING If It the state uso use system were Installed In every state slate It would mean that prison labor would not be sold to private contractors and that no prison-made prison goods would be bo sold In the open markets mar mar- marI markets markets I It would also mean that no private Interests could make a profit out of o the tho sin VIce crime and misery of human be- be beIngs beings be beings ings and that the corrupting In- In Influence influence in influence fluence of ot capitalizing crime would be removed L Legitimate manufactures and free labor would be free from the burd burdens burden io n of subsidizing the prison labor contractors Instead of profit-making profit being the main objective of our penal system primary consideration would b be given n to the tha stud study edu- edu education education edu education cation and reconstruction ot or our crimInals Our prisons would be- be become become be become come great greot clinics hospitals and trainIng schools where social anti and dangerous p people might be befitted befitted fitted to take their 1 proper rorer place Ilace In society and our penal Institutions Institutions would become curative in- in instead In Instead stead tead of ot merely punitive The prIsoners making goods for tor the use of the tho state or It Its subdivIsIons subdivisions subdivisions ions could be bo credited with the tho prevailing wage charged a fair price for maintenance and the balance of o th their lr earnings could be bused used to support their families orto or orto oto to provide a capital on which to t start life lire an anew w when hen released POSSIBLE mx Under this system supplies would cost the taxpayers less than we wo pay now the prisoners would be bo returned to society better better ter fitted d for useful citizenship the breeding of additional crime would be he safeguarded tree free labor would be protected private en enterprise would be encouraged I honest merchants would be bo free from unfair competition the tha pub pub- public pub pub- public public lic would be protected against contaminated merchandise un unemployment unemployment m nt In fn the garment industry Indus Indus- Industry Industry try would be practically eliminated eliminated and the standard of American livIng and business sustained d 00 |
