Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-19
CONVICT Labor.
The Board Meeting and Some Facts on
the Contracts.

The board OF directors OF the penitentia-
~ met in regular monthly session, yeSter-
day, at the institution, at MOundSyille'
Four members were present, viz: Major
J. C. Anderson, Wheeling; FL. Sehon, PIT.
Pleasant; James X. Smith, Grafton, aud J.
w. Gallaher, Moundsvile. ThoS. G.
Smith, of ParkcrSbuIg, the fifth director, is
quite i'll.
The routine business Of the examination
OF the reports of the superintendent, Clerk
and commiSsary, was transacted and yari-
Gus bills audited. The general condition
of the penitentiary is good and the health
of the prisoners is excellent. The board
heard and determined several complaints,
etc, and without having transacted any
further business Of public interest, al
journed.
There have been many complaints and
much talk of the COndis Jon of certain labor
contracts made by the board, notably that
with the Webster Wagon Company, by
which only 80 cents day are paid for con-
Wet labor and this matter was referred to
i'll the House OF Delegates, on Tuesday. by
resolution by Mr.. Sheppard. The N,ars-
Letter also contained, some weeks ago,
charge that the board had given this
contract to the Webster company by
some hOCuS pocus." The REGISIBR
explained, at the time the present board
was appointed, inc WilOle inside matter OF
this contract which was made in June,
1878, for five years, which expires in June,
1853. At that time labor was cheap and
not in demand and in getting the contract
at thirty cents day, the Webster Com
pany's bid was five cents higher than any
other. The present board could simply
carry out the contract, as far as price was
concerned, but has never yet been able to
furnish to the company as many cOnvictS
as were wanted. AT present about ninety
men are employed in the wagon shops.
When the contracts were let out by the
present board, Weaver, Bardell q Co, the
whip and broom manufacturers, bid So
cents and got all OF the rest and the direct
orS are of the opinion, that should the
present prosperity prevail. at least IS cents
will be obtained at the expiration of the
contracts now in force. The whip and
broom contract runs four years and en-
ploys about S. men.
There Is an impression abroad to the eff
feet that no more cigars will be manufac-
tured at the penitentiary. This, the direct
ors say, is erroneous. The Legislature
passed a resolution requesting the directors
TO award no cigar contracts, but this was
not mandatory and Pollock got no contract
only because his figures were too low.
BY joint resolution adopted at the last
session, the Directors were forbidden to let
out convict labor at lower price per man
than at one, which, if obtained for every
inmate would make the institution self
sustaining. This was duly regarded when
the present contract was made. At pres.
ent the penitentiary is not self sustaining,
as it contains but about 2O6 inmates, against
go this time last year.
Two years ago, two of the present direc-
tors went to view the Illinois State prison
at Joliet, upon which our penitentiary is
modelled. Of the 1000 prisoners therein
confined, they found 200 lying idle in .
room, with nothing to do. The State had
tried to work them on its own manufact.
ures and gave it up in signal failure. They
found it impossible to produce articles OF
commerce at figures at which they could
successfully compete with outside labor,
and, not having let out by contract the
work of these men, had them lying there,
dead expense to to the State. This fact is
quoted by the directors, in reply to the as
Saults against our own system.