Ban on Prison-Made Goods Moves Toward Law
A landmark federal bill championed by the American Federation of Labor aims to stop the interstate trade of convict-made products, protecting free workers from unfair competition.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Washington, March 14.—The Booher convict labor bill has passed the house. The text of the bill states: 'That all goods, wares, and merchandise manufactured, produced or mined wholly or in part by convict labor, or in any prison or reformatory, transported into any state or territory or remaining therein for use, consumption, sale or storage, shall upon arrival and delivery in such state or territory be subject to the operation and effect of the laws of such state or territory to the same extent and in the same manner as though such goods, wares and merchandise had been manufactured, produced or mined in such state or territory and shall not be exempt therefrom by reason of being introduced in original packages or otherwise.' This bill is the one that was actively championed by the American Federation of Labor.
“All goods, wares, and merchandise manufactured, produced or mined wholly or in part by convict labor... shall upon arrival and delivery in such state or territory be subject to the operation and effect of the laws of such state or territory.”
The struggle over prison labor—whether as a way to lower production costs or a form of state-sanctioned exploitation—remains a polarizing topic in modern civic discourse. This 1912 legislation reflects a pivotal moment when organized labor successfully asserted that market competition should not be based on the labor of incarcerated people.
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