The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-23
NO CONVICT CIGARS.
FnE LIITLE coNrRAoE gAILs.
The wheeling Committees Appear Before
the PsnitSntiAIy Directors, but Find the
Matter ssttIsd-rhs Board has Re.
solved to Avoid Composition.

Yesterday morning q delegation from
this city went to Moundsville to lay be-
fore the Directors Of the penitentiary the
respectful protest OF the people Of Wheel
ing against the manufacture Of cigars in
that institution. The company consisted
OF Messrs. O. B. Hart, ]. B. fancy, Hugo
L, Loose, O. F. Branfass and John S. Nay.
lor, representing the Chamber Of Com
merCe; Messrs. Richard Robertson and
W. S. Meek, representing the Trades As.
sembly and Captain Henry seamon, rep.
resenting the cigar manufacturers,
The delegation was Courteously received
by the Board. Chairman Howard said
that the directors had read in the morning
papers the action Of the Chamber Of Com
merce, aud was surprised to know that
the matter had excited go much interest
In Wheeling, for the proposition had been
to employ at cigar-making very little labor
and that not very efficient. He was able
to say that the Board had ut no time seri.
ously considered the proposition, and that
no contract for cigar-making would be let.
Mr.. Hart, OF the Chamber of Commerce
Committee, said the Chamber and the
people OF Wheeling would be glad to
know OF the attitude OF the Board on this
question, and unless there was another
disposition on the part OF the Committee
and Of the Board, he would merely present
the resolution OF the Chamber OF Com
merCe, withholding some figures which
he had intended to offer and the com.
ments on them which 1t had b!eu his
purpose to make. The matter being 80
happily disposed OF he thought 1t unneCes
sary to further tresPass upon the Boards
courtesy.
Mr.. fancy said he was aware OF the del.
iCaCy and difficulty Of the Boards position,
but the desire mad been to prevent com.
petition with free labor which could not
but be hurtiul.
PRESIDENT HowARD's VIEWS.
There was free and informal discussion
Of the subject by the visitors and the
Directors. President Howard went over
the whole question OF convict labor, He
said the Board had no option under the
law, and must find employment for the
conviCls. The maintenance OF the insli'
tuition, in tho absence Of an appropriation,
depended upon II, and 1t would be cruel
TO allow the COnvlCts to spend their time
in idleness. The law allowed any county
to employ ConviCts on the public roads,
bnt In the nine years In which that law
had been In operation not a county had
made application. H0 would say, how
ever, that 1t was the desire OF the Board to
80 conduct the institution as 10 interfere
as little as possible with industries In the
State conducted with free labor. He added
that the present Board would not enter
into contract for Cigar.making. lie had
received from N. Little, oil Wellsburg, the
bidder, letter under date Of the 2lst inst,
ia which he said that he could not get u
room In the prison suitable Tor making
cigars, and for the present he would with.
draw bis proposition.
Col. ]. W. Gallaher offered, and the
Board adopted, the following
THE SENSE OF THE HOARD.
Resolved, Thatitis thesense ofthe Board
Of Director OF the West Virginia Penlten.
tlAry that curing the term OI OluCe OF the
present Board, contracts will not be let on
cigars or on any other industries compet-
ing directly with the labor Of our citizens
so far as 1t is possible for said Board to
control the same.
Messrs. Robertson and Meek, from the
Trades Assembly, expressed their satsiaC.
ton at the happy turn the matter had
taken, and particularly pleased at the an.
nouncement oft Boards resolve. They
thought the action Of the Board would be
very gratifying to the various branches Of
organized workingmen composing the
Trades Assembly Of the Ohio Valley.
The delegation retired from the Board
room and was shown through the institu-
ton by Superintendent Peck. Everything
was found to be in excellent order, as for
as the management can control it. The
ventilation Of the cell department con.
tlnues 10 DO disgraCefully bad, and is only
to be remedied by apparatus for which
the Legislature has refused to make an
appropriation.