Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-10

labor If prisoner Iabors AT all he comes il
competition with free labor. AMI If the places
OF $50 skilled workmen outside OF the peniten-
tiary are taken by conyicts, the taxpayers
OF the State are saved at least sl'0,oS per an
mum.
Our present system of employing prison labor
is, in my opinion, the best that has been de-
vised. 1t is almost self-sustaining. thereby re-
neving the people of a heavy burden OF taxa
ton. and the competition with free labor Is
but little.
THE COMMITTEE INQUIRY.
The committee appointed by the Thirty
fourth General Assembly TO investigate con-
Wet contract labor, unan lrnously made the ioi-
lowing report to the Legislatures:
while the committee are convinced that the
contract system. taking it all in ALL is best for
the State and TO all classes OF people, so Tar as
financial results are concerned II IS tn ought
best to limit the number OF conyicts engaged III
one line of manufacture. Hence the commit
tee favor the enactment of the substitute for all
House bills regard to the subject of the con-
Wet contract system. Differences OF opinion
may exist as 10 the extent OF that limitation,
but q careful examination OF the subject by the
committee. taking into consideration the MAJ
uTal increase, from year to year, induces the
committee to favor the propos ton in the sub
stitute of permitting only one-seventn of the
pr%ouers 10 work at any one branch OF in
dustry.''
The management of the penitentiary under
the adm JnisJratIon OF Warden Marmaduke has
been all that the people of Missouri could ex-
pect. 1t is the opinion of all who have taken
the trouble TO investigate thatit could not have
been better.
At the present time than ever before. and the
number is constantly increasing. There are
more prisoners in our penitentiary than any
other prison in the United St Gtes The Ques-
ton presents itself as to whether ii would not
be in the interest OF economy and good penI-
Tertiary government to establish branch pen
itentiary. l am clearly Of opinion that this
should be done.
also call your especial attention TO the i'm
portance OF making proper provisions Tor the
care of the insane persons now confined in the
penItentiary.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
BY an act Of the Legislature approved March
%. 1856. there was established The State Board
of Health of Missouri The act appropriate ed
the sum OF 5000 for the purpose of paying the
salary of the secretary and board. No appro-
priatIons have been made since that time by
the Legislature for its support. Notwithstand
ing this fact. the board has kept up its oEgani-
Eat on and performed all the dut eS required by
law, paid their own expenses and contributed
several hundred dollars besides to pay other
necessary expenses. The board should be re-
imbursed for the money they have paid out and
the law repealed or it should receive liberal
assistance from the State.
BANKS AND BANKING.
desire to call your attention to the fact that
the people are not sufficiently protected by our
laws governing the control of banking institu-
lions. Or that if there is sufficient law on the
with it are not adequate. I would suggest as a
partial remedy and better protection to the
people the advisability of authorizing by law
the appointment of bank examiner, whose
duty II would be to make actual examina-
ton of all BANKS and similar associations
doing business under the laws of this State.
and who should be required to see that every
banking institution in the State complies with
the law and make report of such examination
TO the Legislature or Governor as may be
thought best.
would also suggest that if the banking IN
situations of the State Were made to pay State
ana county taxes. in proportion to their wealth.
as other citizens of the State are required by
law to do. as might readily be done through
such an examining officer. the benefit to the
public funds would much more than balance
the additional cost of such officer.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
desire to call your attention TO the fact that
the Insurance Depart ment is an important
State Office and should be governed and con-
troled the same as other State Offices The
opinion has and to some extent does still pre-
vail that the Office does not cost the taxpayers
OF the State any thing. and for that reason
more license ought to be 9 Ven it than any 9th
er State ONCE. This is not correct, for while
the fees paid to the Insurance Comm sslonerS
support the Off ,e, yet this money comes from
the people of the State As well might il be
said that the Secretary Of State, who receives
from $1,000 to $4,000 per year in fees should,
in a great measure, dispense these fees as he
deems proper. The Secretary of State is COM
peeled to account for the fees received by him
and pay them into the State treasury as rigidly
as a county collector, anu the warden of the
penitentiary can not get dollar out OF the
treasury for the support of that Institution I'M
til his account and vouchers are examined and
approved by the Board OF Inspectors.
The Commissioner of Insurance should be
4
cost the people of the State nearly $4,000 in
the past two years. It may have been neces-
sary TO expend this amount of money in ad-
ministering the affairs of the ONCE. but it
should be done under the same restrictions as
required of the other State offices.
RAILROAD MATTERS.
The question of am!cably adjusting the diff
ferences of opinion between the railroads and
the people as to the rights and duties of both
has been mixed one and difficult to solve
The b II for the government of railroads passed
at 10 n u yfraS hey in.
ter-State law of the General Government. is
as near a solution of the question as can be had
at this time. 1t is Impossible to so iegis-
late but that some communities and individuals
Will enjoy greater advantages and benefits than
others. Railroads can not be brought to the
door of every one. and competitive points Will
always enjoy pr vleges and advantages over
other places. But. under the present law. ma
ter.al differences may be and are being adjusted
as satisfactorily as the circumstances of the
cases will admit.
In addition to the statutes fixing. as near as
possible, n fair and equitable rate for freight
charges. our present law also authorizes the
Railroad Commiss oners to fix lower rate
when in their opinion il is just and proper,
which shall be prima-face evidence of its Just
ness. There has been some cues lion as to the
validity of this law. but il is recognized by the
railroads and in most cases cheerfully complied
with.
BY the act of the Legislature referred to 3d.
600 was appropriated for the purpose OF carry
ing out and enforcing its provisions. The law
has. in most instances, been promptly complied
with by the railroads, and only sl,659G2 of the
appropriation has been used for It's enforce
ment-
Eight hundred and forty-five miles have been
constructed and put in operation in the past
two years. anu Missouri has to-day 5,92i.56 miles
of railroad
LABOR MATTERS.
The Labor Bureau has accomplished all that
could be expected with the limited means at
It's command The objects hoped to he accom-
plished by the passage of the law have not been
realized FOR the reason that neither organized
labor associations nor the operators of manu-
featuring industries will give the requisite or
correct Information sufficient to make an in
tellIgent AMI accurate report During the
present administration the bureau has en-
deavored tn assist in arbitration in labor
strikes between the employer and employees.
Some good has been accomplished. but not be
ing authorized by law 10 act the results have
not been as satisfactory as they would have
been had the law authorized the bureau TO act
IN the premises.
STATE MINE INSPECTOR.
According to the provisions of the law ap-
proved March 80. 1887, State NINE inspector
was appointed and entered upon his duties
June of the same year This law repealed the
old law requiring the appointment of county
coalnine inspectors ana is great improve
ment over the old system. The present law
placing coal mines and lead and zinc miEes up
on the same footing, is to some extent imprac-
ticable and should be amended as suggested in
the report of the Commissioner OF Labor Sta
tistics and Inspection.
and health OF the laborers in our mines by fire.
quent and ezacting inspections, nor can we be
too dilsent and enterp~lslng in the collection
of truthful data concerning our immense min
eral resources ana their publication t. the
world
THE BEvIER TROUBLE.
There has been for several years a bad state
Of affairs existing at Bevier. in Macon County,
where are located some of the best coal zines
il the State. Labor strikes have beeE fire.
Quent: riots have occurred and deaths and
murders have been the result The civil au-
thorities have been unsuccessful in bring ng
the offenders to justice, although strenuous eff
forts have been made in that direction. have
been unable TO satisfactorily determine who
should be most censured for the ex sting state