The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-07

posed. He said:
The National and State conventions o
all parties, in the recent political contests
We'd with each other in filling their plat
forms with profuse promises TO protec
!. and advance the interests OF labor, ant
those OF the parties in this State were NJ
\ exception to the general rule. Now, 10
|, the first time q bill Is introduced that vii
materially benefit the mechanics OF The
several branches ofindustry required In
, the manufacture OF wagons and othel
wheeled vehicles, and It remains to be
seen whether the promises held out by the
were made in good faith. Bills have been
. introduced at previous sessions OF the Leg
islature in this State, looking 70 the aboli'
ton OF contract convict labor IN the penl.
Tertiary, but were defeated on the ground
that they were too far-leachlng. in their
demands, and would virtually leave the
prisoners a burden upon the Taxpayers oil
the State. The bill now before you con-
templates and will bring about no such
radical change. 1t simply proposes to
close the doors Of the prison to competi-
tive labor that is slowly butsurely sapping
the very llfe-bood OF tile wagon industry
Of the State, and leaves the Penitentiary
open to less harmful branches OF trade.
In this connection 1t may be mentioned
that the whip contractors at the prison, at
the time the last contracts were given ont,
were DESTROYS OF obtaining the wholeprison
force to work in their department, thus
showing that there would be no idle con-
yicts II the wagon industry was abolished,
even though replaced by no other. The
present contract with the Webster Wagon
company does not expire for more than
three years, and ample time is thus at-
forded both the company and the prison
directors to prepare for the change in the
event OF the passage OF this bill.
The position has been taken by advo-
Yates OF criminal labor that the adoption
OF this bill would drive the Webster Wagon
Company from the State, and deprive q
number OF laborers outside the walls OF
the penitcntiary Of employment in pro
yiding lumber and other materials for the
concern. This argument is simply ridicu-
lous. II tho Webster Wagon Company
cannot exist, with equal advantages all
round, outside OF the penitentinry, how,
in Gods name, can 1t he expected that
other firms will survive, in the face OF
bllghting criminal competition inside the
prison?
do not believe that tho members Of
this house will consent 10 have the whole
OF this great industry monop0lized by
foreign contractors to the exclusion OF our
home. manufacturers and workmen. Tho
second part OF the assertion is equally abb
surd. II the prison mandatory is closed,
the dead and dying wagon industries
throughout the State will be filled with
new life, and at least as much lumber he
required then as now. The only differ,
enre to the lumber dealers otMarshall
county will be that they will DO required
to deliver their products at the depot in-
stead of at the prison.
Another argument advanced by the
friends oil convict labor is that penitell-
tiaries at other points engaged in the man
ufacture OF wagons will supply the market
In this State II the concern at Moundsyille
is wiped out OF existence. This may look
reasonable in theory, hut the parties who
advance It ought 70 know it IL not a fact,
These same penitentiary wagon shops
were In existence previous 10 the estab.
lishment of the one at Moundsvillc, and
the free-labor wagon manufactures OF this
State suffered to no apPreciable extent by
the competition. If it were true that the
ruinous convict competition would not
cease, or be considerably modified, by the |
stoppage Of the works at MoundaYille, the
operators and workmen throughout the
State would take no interest in the matter.
But | have in my possession a letter from
the largest wagon manufacturing firm in |
this State, which shows that they are
deeply interested in the abolition d this |
curse upon free labor and free institutions.
The following EXTRACTS will show the tenor
tthe letters.
ave have been obliged 10 reduce the
number ofour employees and lease O large |
portion Of our factory to other branches
Of business. We have made come special
improvements, and do not know that we
have made any money in the manufacture
OF wagons in the pasttel years.
There Is no price at which we can sell
wagon made by honest labor that cannot
be discounted by the contractors at the
West Virginia State prison, The reason
is obvious; We pay our men an average
OF two dollars per day, while tho Stale
let's the conyicts at about sixty cents.
"And II we are not mistaken, the con-
tractors are free from State and municipal
taxation. sss Tho State has grave.
yard in which are buried The shops Of
Aoast h McHahb, the Wheeling Wagon
Company, Busbey& Little and Others, Of
Wheeling, together with all the small
shops heretofore found at country cross
roads throughout the State"
While the injury to tho manufacturers
is great, and should have considerable in-
tluence in deciding this question, in my
opinion the grayest wrong is perpetratetl
AGAINST those mechanics who are deprived
OF work by the perpetuation Of this vile
competition. Men who have spent the
best part OF their lives in acquiring the
skill necessary in the manufacture Of
wagons, find themselves reduced TO the
position OF COMMON laborers. The only
possible hope OF securing steady work at
their trade would be to commit peniten-
tiary offence and thus obtain a situation
on the Webster wagon force. The chair
man OF the penltentiary committee says
their wrongs are only imaginary, but to
me they appear q terrible reality.
The comparatively few workmen who
still hold their positions in the surviving
shops, do not escape, by any means, FROM
the baleful influence OF this unfair compe-
tition. While the wages Of other mechan-
los have steadily increased, during the
past ten years, the wagon workers have
suffered not only successive reductions IN
pay, but curtailment in the quantity Of
labor as well,
in dealing with this question, have
endeavored TO present 1t in as practical a
light as possible, avoiding all arguments
based on tho principle involved, and con-
Aiming my remarks to the policy OF the
change. But In closing, Mr.. Speaker, I
cannot refrain from touching on . matter
in which principle plays a part. The only
practical argument that can be used by
the opponents Of this BILL is, that Its adop.
ton may add a few dollars to the cost Of
wagons for farm use. This will not pre-
tend to pontroyert, but say TO the
members OF this House, that the