Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-06-19
TAKING CARE or HOME.

TAKING CARE or HOME.
If those in authority, entrusted with
giving out the work of the Common
wealth and the cities within her limits,
persist in enforcing their ''free trade'
views, they will do so at not the risk, but
the certainty of doing great injustice to
the workingmen in particular, and every
class in general who pay the taxes by
which the State and cities are run. Tnis
view has very recently been reinforced by
an occurrence on which what we shall say,
should have some weight as it has not
the drawback of local interest to prompt
even the suspicion Of interested mo-
tives. Some few days ago, we saw no.
tice in the Lexington Gazette" that a
T. Barclay, of the Lexington Manufact'
ring Company. had gone to Marion to put
in bid for the building of the South
western Lunatic Asylum. If he got it.
the firm OF Joliffe & EstelI of Lexington
were to have the job of furnishing the iron
castings. This was a good deal of Worn
with sure pay for goodly number of
| Virginia workmen. and some profit for
Virginia firm. The result, as we see
| by telegram, was that the contract was
awarded to firm IN Columbus. Indiana.
We presume, of course. the firm were the
| lowest bidders. Not long since some
waterworks were given out at the Uni
versity of Virginia and Charlottesville.
There were Stanton competitors, but the
lowest bidder, from Boston, we think, got
1t. Lately the Harrisonburg wateEWcrks
many months ago the metropolis of Vir-
ginia got bids for plans for new City
Hall. 1t was award ed 70 an architect in
another State, and. as if in just retribu-
ton, after paying for the plans, it was
found the building could not be erected
day nothing has been done. Much of the
work in the erecting and subsequent fit
ting of the various institutions of Vir-
ginia has been let to firms out of the
State, and very shortly advertisements
will appear for bidders to erect the burnt
buildings at the Eastern Luna attic Asylum,
which we much fear will 60 the same
way.
There is so much of that sort of work
let to nonresident contractors that it is
hard to escape the inquiry which arises
| is the saving of few dollars Sty-
fcient reason for giving State and city
work out of the limits Of the state or cor
poration? Does it pay Commonwealth or
town to save few dollars at the expense
| of its own workingmen? And further.
does it in truth save anything in the end?
You will say that the VINDICAToR being
Protection paper would say that any
| how; but ISM it the truth whenever said,
| wherever said. and by whoever said. that
| it pays US to help our own people, even II
| it is at little higher price? We know
| well the argument of the authorities that
| it is their bounden duty to protect the
state g Treasury as if it was private money,
| and we concede and endorse it. But do we
protect the States money as if it was our
| own when we spend this money outside of
| the State because it is a little cheaper?
| We do not do so with our own money.
On the contrary, we all spend many dol
cheaper away from home. And why? Gen.
| erosity to the workingmen? Not bit of
| it; it is beca use we know it is for our own
interest to trade with our neighbors if we
expect to have any town of our own to
trade IN, and anybody to trade with US.
| And so it is with State. Give all your
contracts outside of your State and your
young workingmen will soon follow the
work. They will go where the work is and
where they can make living and the State
will 90 without their taxes and the money
they make.
This sort of thing banishes the
workmen, the workshop. and the capital.
The many thousands of dollars that are
paid for the Southwestern Asylum will be
added to the wealth of Indiana, not Vir-
ginia. The difference in bids ought to
be very great to warrant authorities in
sending money away from Virginia. Ev-
erything taken into consideration; where
there IS fair bidding and no collision, the
home workmen ought to be allowed
good margin always, provided he is u
OOnQ JOe competitor anu nOC d straw DlQ-
der for somebody else.
If the present occupants of the State Of
Virginia expect to make anything of her
they must stand by each other in these
| practical matters. We believe such is the
sentiment of the people, and we believe
that the lowest bidder is always the Vir-
ginia taxpayer who is reliable, has the "a
| cilities for doing the work, and offers to
do the work at a reasonable compensa-