Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1891-09-08
THE STATE PRISON QUARRY.
WORKED on CONTRACT At FIFTY
Giants PEG NAN PER DAY..

ChIuese Cheap Labor Nowhere Beside
This s'Ssap"-A State OGlclal Al.
aeopta - Relate the 'srinss's''
Saas~n~nss, bat Falls.
From the Nampa Lesd.ri
f. S. Chase, of this city, who 10
working the peu,t-ht,~rv stone quarry
~ Boise on cunts act, employ e. fifteen
convi,ts for whom he pays The State
Fifty cents per mxn per day. This
b-xts even Chinese cheap labor al to
smxHh. AID our townsman should get
rich ut that rate OF wages. Especially
- such ''soft snap" cannot last VERY
long-not il tho labor unions get to
know Of il.
The above article from the HALEY
TINES called forth the following letter
from the secretary Of the state
Assembly, K. Of L., to the Attorney
General. The ans yer Of General
Roberts 10 clesr and to the point 1T
issue, aud explains clearly the position
Of the board on the question Of con-
tract labor:
BELLEVUE, IDA. Aug. %, 81.
GEN. GEO H. koBERrs, Attorney
General, Boise City. ld.ho.-DEAs
SIR:-l herewith enclose newspaper
clipping, to which beg respectfully
to call your attention, believing tho
matter therein referred to to be con
srarv to law, and you, in your double
capacity, the ps"p~r person to deal
with it. would be much pleased t.,
have your assurance that the sut,i-ct
will have your attention, that | may
be able to present II to those ON Whose.
+. half write, that unnecessary lrrita.
ton may be all.y~d
Respectfully Yours,
DAN. HARRlNG, ON,
SEQ. State Assembly K o, L OF Ida.
Attorney General. Office.
BOIsE 1ITY, IDA, Aug. "a, '9l
DAN. HARRINGTON, ESQ, SEQ. State
Assembly. Knights OF Labor, Belle
we. Idaho.
NV DEAR Sir:
l AN IL receipt of your recent
favor, enclosing = squ,b cut from so'u-
newspaper or other, whose authors
miss,.n, on earth seems to be t. stir
up d's~o' sio"e, or Is you aptly -xpr. s.
it .'irritasi"n" among the people, and
calli"9 upon me to pu, q stop to the
matter alluded to.
Like most articles emanatinR from
the source it does, and for the purpose
Intended, it states not the whole
truth. And you know - truth that
is only halt of the truth Is the black
est kind of q lio"-beneath the notice
1t. however, you care to carefully
examine the subject, and will show
me wherein it is illegal, or wherein il
Is to the prejudice Of . single citizen,
be he black or white. capitalist or
lahorer. will gladly cooperate with
you in Its abatement. Ifeel assured
that when you have fully Investigated.
and are thoroughly informed in regard
thereto. you will agree with me that
it WAS . wise policy. calculated for the
hest interest Ut the state and injurious
to no one.
The principal facts are about as fol.
lows:
When the state board Of prison
commissioners took charge OF the
l.enit-ntiary aud its inmat. 8, it WAS
thought advisable to erect y wall gu,
of stone to te taken from the undevel.
oped quarry on the grounds, around
that portion of the premises occupied
by the buildings AMI yard. The
Legislature had provided no IN. ans
therefor. 1naeed. tina funds spp,..
pr,.ted for tho care aud maintenance
of the convicts, based OH less number
than arc now ,ncarc. rated, proved
inadequate for their support.
A contract WAS entered into, termi-
nahle Ut short notice. Tor the Develop
ment of the quarry; the contractor to
be At oil expense. including extra
guards and keepers, At fair and r-a-
sonable remuneration, to be pad from
the rock for his services in opening
the quarry, experimenting it aHd sell
ing tho stone; the balance Of thu
proceeds to be used in helping def.sy
the expenses OF tn. prison.
II, ok has ben qnnr'ied and cold in
the rough, undr-ss. d, just as it came
f,om the ground. The price Oh
t4,nei has been neither gr-st.r nor
less than stone WAS selling for before
Stone IS in readv demand ut Boise,
far in excess of the supply. Building
has been DELAYED, and lxborers idle,
because of tho scarcity aud conse-
qnent failure to obtain it. Men d..
sirous of working ~ stone quarters