PRISON LABOUR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2581, 6 August 1895, Page 4

PRISON LABOUR.

i /: (H O ,- . ■ : Sir, —Thera has been ' some corrospondehco in tiro Times lately-cn tho subject of prison labour, and as we are all interested in tho subject in some way, perhaps you will bo able to find room for tho following extracts from-trade-journals; to hand by. last mail.— l am.„io, ' . J. E. Evans. • | August 1, 1895. . . . “We have i ;hoard( a great , deal lately about certain kinds; of; goods (being made in German - prisons. * *.| i*. .* . Hesse, hires about 100 of its prisoners to a manufacturer of .pocket.-- books, whilst in Prussia no foweto -than >(; 16,000 prisoners are employed -daily, for wages on work of various . kinds , that reaches the outside markets. Therefore, when wp are told that contractors; pay a man only .sixpence por day for. his labour, and tho contractors then do as they like with thoir goods, no wonder we cannot compote 'with ‘ them. In - this manner the German Government are virtually, taking the bread out of the months of the workmen, -and tho sooner such n pernicious .system, is stopped- the better. “At Poltzenzee is a long term prison whore several hundreds, are employed in making riding whips on complicated, looms. In one room are no less - than-v 24 looms, driven by a 20 horse-power gas-engine. irThe . money for ;tho whips: is ( paid to the Governor, who allows the men a slight shauo'ia the t haul.’ A prisoner can earn -about ■4s a month. The daily output of these whips is said to be about three tons. The worst now comes to light, for it appears that a groat part of this convict production,, with many other German prison-made goods, i.(„. toys, lanterns, wire baskets,; Ao„ * are - exported and sold -in England, articles that Gorman mongers roluso to sell. The i goods are made-from English- models, and English marks put on.. Especially is,this tho.caso with carpot-sweepors, on which were the names of one Liverpool and two Manchester firms. * * * * ”