The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-26
1hrInn,Irl I.nhor Ilncslion.

This IL one oi the unsettled aud trouble
some questions that is being discussed in
dlciyilael communities 1t troubles the
English quite rs much MS the Americana.
The London Engineering Times discusses it
at@mc length without coming to q salts
factory conclusion. 1t says;
"Thp question how best TO utilize prison
labor 50 as to make COnviCts in some meas
un @ltsupporting, and yet ut the same
time not to interfere with the occupations
dhOncst civilians is one that has fora q long
period perpcxcd the authorities and the
thinking portion Of the public. The prob
leu has again been raised in u leading arti-
Cein the Times, and also in a very inter
tSng correspondence in that journal, In
The course Of which the erection Of another
harbOr at Filcy, similar To TINT ut
Portland is suggested. This being
structural work ii Is matter In
ShCh builders are particularly interested,
andonC nwhicl they have, doubtless, well
dtincdopinons. Without going length
Uy into lhC0nteccdents Of the question, we
may Iy in brief that convict labor has
bcn tried in very many Of the manufac-
tuHnginlustrcs, and In almost all OF them
the same substantial grievance has been
talsednamely, that prison labor placed hon
ewOrkCls inrnCh indnstryundGr an unfair
competition. The ordinary work, both
dOmcstic and technical, which always ap.
pertains to large neutrality-suspicious. OF
course includcd-iinds employment for
very many Convcts, but still hundreds lack
avoatiOn and must be supplied. Tile cur.
Tirg out Of great public works such as
y, Portland harbOr and many Of the Coas
deiehccs are undertakings which must
eventually be paidfOr by the community at
l,rge, Onl therefore tho greater economy
That can he effected the better for the
rountrys public purse. Here then 1t does
appear indiCOus to employ convict labor,
@'aIthougll engineers and contractors are
'hnt out from that portion OF government
service in all probability the work would
h@ Oe undertaken with anything like such
Exhaustive lhorOughncss, were II not fol
le cheap labor available. Tho Convicts
MlhemoS part Hrr ignOnntand untutored
m4hyhahdiCraft, and the immense amount
o. aO9rlne work opened up by 20 gigantic
u Undertaking as Is suggested will furnish
aPtolllahIc for convict labor, without
Yasl.ltg with the vested interests or the
Nll'ma'c business Of any particular class
lhe employment OF conyicts on public
Eofk is in many respects the least harm
laI method Of utilizing their labor, as, 1t
lhil case it does not come in conflict with
memeChanical industries OF tho country
Vne"oubIe, however, is that where convicu
% %Nlont to contractors, MS they have beer
10 Virginia, Georgia aud South Caro-
ua, tleyarc liablsto be irighttully abuset
%u Killed of by cruel exposure. In Grea
Hn'a'n, according TO the 7Ime', the propo
"00A Is to work them under goyernmen
supervision without the agency Of con
"@'on' THIS plan might work in thi
/ %uoFy Il the Government is TO engage al
EVpo'cd, in the expenditure Of millions o
lollF' OF the Mississippi and other rivers
muulIns also the much talked Of lIennc
ru canal Il canal that is to connect tin
',, ,a,en oithc upper Mississippi with thos
IlAsc Michigan via the Illnoisriver A
"S' al ihr United States Government
"ov'el' might be utilized on these publ
Su1,' and in the aggregate they form
M@ body although scattered in the dil
VSal Prisons Of the country.