Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1904 — WHITTAKER’S PLAN HAS UNION LABOR’S SUPPORT [ARTICLE]

WHITTAKER’S PLAN HAS UNION LABOR’S SUPPORT

Organ!z *d labor of the State will support Superintendent W. H. Whittaker of the Jeffersonville Reformatory, in his efforts to secure legislation providing for the employment of the inmates of the Reformatory. This resolution is the result of a visit by the prison labor committee of the State Federation of Labor to the Reformatory, during which it investigated its present condition. By Mr. Wtittaker’s plan, the inmates of the Reformatory shall tft r th 9 pretent contracts expier in June of 1906. devote their time to the making of sohool and a technical sohool shall be established to teaoh the inmates varioue trades,

The members of the prison labor oommittee believe that under the present system of contract labor inmates of the Reformatory learn only one part of a trade and learn it in such an incomplete manner that they are fit only for use in nonunion shops and for the lowest wages, after they have been released from the Reformatory. It is argot d that no union labor in this state will be interfered with if sohool books are made at the Reformatory. and that if the books are made in snoh manner they may be sold at a very low price, or may be given to pupils in the schools if suitable appropriation be made by the legislature. The oommittee will visit the Michigan Uity prison probably next Bunday, and on Deoembar 6, it will go before the Prison Reform Board and reoommended the plans of Superintendent Whittaker. The legislative committee of the State Federation of Labor will lend its aseistanoe to secure the passage of an appropriate bill along the lines laid down by Superintendent Whittaker,