The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-12
CONVICT LABOR.
THE OIBER SIDE OF IHE QUES-
TION.
The knti-COnVict Labor AdVO.
Gates Pointed Out by
an Able Hand.
Correspondence of the Register.
MoUEDsvuLLE, W, VA, April

Correspondence of the Register.
MoUNDsvILLE, W, VA, April TO-
In compliance with your request, aut
that OF several other gentlemen, l vii
endeSvor to give you IN a brief name
my views in regard to the competition o
convict labor in our State, as against tn
mechanics of the State.
l have noticed that there is q consider
able degree of interest being manifested
in your city upon this subject recently
in fact it appears that the lsboring clsst
in this section of the State have be
come alarmed, and seem to conceive
that the Penitentisry manufactures
are depriving them from getting en-
ployment to enable them to make ar
honest living for themselves and families
Now l am well aware that times are eI
ceedingly hard, and that it is extremely
difficult to get work, and also that our
mechanics are, as class, entirely depen'
dent upon their labor for support; but
feel warranted in saying that the cause
which has produced this unfortunate
state of things, Is not attributable, to
any great extent at least, to the compe
tion Of convict with outside labor in our
State. This fact, | think l can demon
sLrste to the satisfaction of any clear
minded, sensible person in this coDmu.
nIty. In the first place our State prison
only contains two hundred and fifty
prisoners. OF that number not more
than two hundred are able TO
work to any extent, but really we have
but $50 a. work.
Fifty of those are engaged in the man
u'acture Of whips. This branch of in
dustrY does not, Of course, interfere with
outside labor in our State, IS this is the
only whip factory in the State, OF in fact
in this section OF the country. Another
fifty are employed IN the cigar shop,
leased to Mr.. Pollock, of your city, who
also has quite an extensive factory there;
and by the by, Mr.. Pollock informs me
that mucn the greater part of his cigars
are sold in the West and in Canada. l
understand he does not sell any more
cigars in West Virginia than he did be-.
fore he leased this convict labor; also,
that he does not sell at less price than
other manufacturers of the same class
and quality of cigars, so of course that
does not deprive the mechanics of our
section of any employment.
We nave, until recently, had fifty con-
victs engaged IN making broOms and
brushes and will resume their labor in
that branch soon. As there are no other
broom or brush factories in our State, OF
course this does not interfere with out
side labor. The above are the only
branches of business engaged in to any
extent in our Penitentlsry. 1t is true
we manufacture some wagons and wheel
bsrrows, but they are sold almost entirely
in the Southern States.
So with these facts before US, think
the mechanics of the State viii have TO
attribute the scarcity of employment and
consequent hard times TO other causes.
1t has been argued that these convicts
are hired TO contractors ut very low
price, which enables the contract
or to undersel other msnufaCtur-
ers. If thew are hired at
such low rates, why is it that the prison
officers find it 20 difficult TO contract this
labor, even at these low rates? One
would infer from the arguments OF these
gentlemen that these convicts are all
highly skilled workmen, accustomed TO
the work bench from early youth, when
in fact large portion of them are mid.
die aged and old men, and entirely un-
accustomed to any kind Of mechanical
work. II this sort of labor is so cheap
aud profitable TO contractors, why was 1t
that the advertisements published in sew
eral journals fer months failed to secure
q single bId? Why is it that there are
now 80 or rs unemployed prisoners here
that the most strenuous efforts of the
prison authorities fail to hire TO ContrsC-
tors at any price2 That capitalists do
not consider this class of labor so e1-
tremely cheap is fully demonstrated by
the above state Of things.
One great reason which Compels them
to hire convicts so low is the high tariff
charged on freights at this place. have
heard old experienced manufacturers say
that they would make difference of 10
to 20 cents per day per man between
here and Wheeling; or, in other words,
they would rather pay 40 cents per day
for convIcts il the prison was in Wheel
ing than 70 cents per day here
gentleman came here from the CO.
lumbus, Ohio, Penitentisry, for the pur-
pose OF leasing labor, who had had an
experience of twenty-five years in work
ing convc.s at thst prison. He said hc
would make twenty cents per day diff
ference IN favor of Columbus over this
place, solely on account of freights.
1t IS argued by some OF your city
journals that the better plan would be TO
work the couvicts upon public roads,
&c. Now il the State OF West Virginia is
abe TO expend money in building rosds,
why Lot give employment to portion
of the legion of unsKilled laborers who
are 10 dav asking in vain for work, TO
build them? There sre hundreds Of just
such men, honest, weil-mesnIng men,
" no are willing and anxious to do any
SOFT Of work that will sf1rd them the
necessities which they and their families
must have.
Long experience has also fully demon
stratet the fact that con yict labor cannot
be made remunerstive by working them
outside the prison walls, rs the large per
cent. Of escapes and costs Of re-srrests
exceed the value of their labor. Tennes-
see sud Texas have tried this system snd
i. hss proved a costly experiment to both
OF them.
Ii is also argued by some that i. would
be better to keep the prisoners locked up
in their cells and tax the people OF the
State 10 support them. Well I'll admit
that this plan would be better-for the
officers OF the iEstituLion-ss 1t would re-
heve them from q grest deal Of very IN.
pleasant duty, but l am inclined to
think that those gentlemen will have
difficulty in gulling st least
ninety out of every one hundred Of the
taT psyers and voters Of the State 81