The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-11
~. couylet Labor QuesriOn-WhAt Will
the legislature Dot


land. Of the present Legislature ~
"l M conjuce to the better protection Of
,'ho, on,gids the prison walls. How TO
% h,irg about such q change is the problem
,h,, rn,,les them in common with most
aanis | rbo have undertaken to deal with
ho one.tion. It Is not to be denied that
,b0 cheap LABOR OF the penitentiarY has
a,odncel baneiul effect on certain
linda Of labor. 1t has very seriously
,E.c,ed the wagon and broom industries
M, only OF this immediate region, but Of
o,bar sections Of the country. Wheeling
orce had an important wagon and carriage
industry, To-day It has dWindlNd down
N Ipconsiderabe proportions. This has
been in part at least owing to the employ
msnt Of the convict labor at Moundsville
in the manufacture Of wagons. As con-
sequence, no class Of men are more hostile
10 prison labor than those whose living
bs, thus been invaded by its undermining
influence. They naturally ask for rem.
edy at the hands Of the Legislature.
This question was up before the LegIslA.
mre Of 1879. The legislation at that ses'
sion finally took shape In the act ot March
0,b known as the "act to provide for the
nse Of convict labpL on works Of internal
Improvement companies, including rail.
road companies and public roadS within
tho limits Of the State" By this act the
Board Of Public Works was authorized ITO
furnish to ANY railroad or internal i'm.
proysment company, or to any county to
work on public roads, free oi hire, as
many ubIe.bodisd male Conyicts from the
penlentiary as may now or hereafter be
there, as can be spared without inter.
ierlng with contracts heretofore made, to
be used by such companies In the, con.
structon OF their works within the State"
II was expected when this act passed
that considerable number OF the Convlcts
would be employed at an early day by q
railroad company who were engaged in
constructing a road through the ore re.
gon between Hinton, on the Chesapeake
( Ohio Railroad, and Dublin Station, on
the Virginia 4 Tennessee road. For some
reason-poSsibly because Of previous con.
tracts, and may be in part because Of the
rigorous provisions OF the act, none Of the
labor Of the penitentiary has been en-
poyed by this company. Hence the ques.
tiOn Of convict labor has remained practi.
cally uudisturbed by the act Of 1879.
We Contsnded at that session that the
ae! referred to was a step in the right di.
rectior, and we endeavored to show how
sOmeoi The counties:ot the Stale might
avail themselves Of II to great advantage
by employing convict labor on their roads.
There ia, as every one knows, great need
lor better roads In West Virginia, and our
road law is a perpetual. bone Of Conten'
tion in the Legislature. No odds what
shape It takes from time to time, the
changes give very Indifferent satisfaction.
The roads experience little benefit frpm
new legislation. Road tax is something
the farmers do not like to pay. They pre-
Ter to work out their taxes on the roads In
their immediate vicinity once a year, and
veal know the result OF the work done
after it Ia visited with one or
two good soaking rains. The re.
pairs are made without skill, and are of
the most temporary and shiitless Charac'
Ter, And this will always be the case until
either 30 much money 10 levied in the
shape oia tax on the property Of the
county for road purposes, and the roads
let out by contract to expert road builders,
or until the convict labor OF the State 10
made use Of "a the next best substitute.
Tie people of Preston county have had
ag'est deal oi road agitation at one time
and another. The present Senator from
that county owes his nomination, In part
at least, toihia cham mpionship OF the idea Of
taxing the property Of the county for keep.
ing up the roads, aud reeasin non.prop.
erly holders from an obligation to work
On the public highways. 1t has never
seemed right that a man who had no sup.
port Tor his family except his day labor,
should be compelled to give two or three
days Of work each year 10 keeping up the
roads. Property is fairly entitled
to bear this burden. The question
therefore is how can this bur
den on property be lIshtened as much al
possible. Our answer is by the employ.
nent Of conyict labor as provided for In
the act Of March oh, 1879. A gang Of
twenty-five ConviCss could be worked in
Preston county for at least six
months in each year to the greatest
advantage Of the roads and public
Interests Of that county. They could
be worked Under local supervision,
housed In portable shAnties and fed cheap.
lyon good substantial diet. In the course
Of si1 months gang Of twenty Ave able.
bodied conviCs, under intelli gent and en-.
efEetic supervision, would work q de.
eldsd change for the better in the road
sySem Of that county. And what is true
ol Preston Is true Of many other counties.
otcout'e thetears no public works owned
oy tue State in which convict labor can
be employed. The State Is prohibited from
engaging In such enterprises She cannot
subscribe to, appropriate money in aid Of,
OF undertake on her own account any
system oil public improvements, except In
the way Of public buildings. Therefore
Tue employment outdoors Of our convict
labor must either come from demand on
Tue part Of the counties or from private
corporations. AT this time there seemS 10
hn ua -