Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-03-12
A HEATED DISCUSSION.
POLITICS INTRODUCED INTO THE DEBATE IN
TRADES ASSEMBLY
Upon a Resolution Referring to Convict Labor al
the State Prison-Oihsr Business Trans
acted at Yesterdays Meeting,


acted at Yesterdays Meeting.
The regular semi-monthly meeting OF
the Ohio Valley Trades and Labor As
sembly, was held yesterday afternoon.
There was a fair attendance Of dele
gates and President Robertson and Sec
rotary Salisbury were promptly at their
posts. After the reading Of the min
utes Of the previous meeting, the fol-
lowing new delegates were obligated:
Musical Protection Union-John
Bachman, Joseph Kaltenbach, w. Il.
Paul, Charles Doane. aud Joseph
Meister
K. OIL. No. 255-Alpha Peake.
The miners delegates presented re-
port relative to the condition Of the
strike at Elm Grove and Bridgeport
mines. The latter was reported TO have
been settled, and the strike for mally
declared of.
The Potters' Union No. 255, p resent
ed the names OF three persons, whom
they asked 10 have blacklisted Tor
working as packers in one OF the pot
terles. The request was referred to
the Arbitration Committee. A delegate
from Typographical Unioh No. 70 re-
ported that the propretUrs OF the Cor
uer Stone are back at their old tricks.
and the request that a boycott be or
dered was complied with by the Assem-
bly,.
Secretary Salisbury read a list OF
"bIacksheep" from a printed circular
sent out by Miners Union No. 146.
The West Virginia Legislative Com
mittee presented a written report, re-
lative TO the visit TO the MoundsyiIle
prison and conference with the Prison
Board, which was as follows:
''Your Legislative Committee, as in
structed by this body, appeared before
the State Penitentiary Board on Wednes-
day last, to enter protest against
the introduction of the manufacture OF
hollow-ware in that institution, Brother
Dober and others addressed the Board
in opposition TO the hollOw-ware scheme,
principally on the contract system OF
hiring convlcts, or in other words selling
their DAYS labor for forty-twO cents to
parties who made over one dollar and
hfty cents on their daily product be-
sides the product OF such labor coming
ia competition with the product of free
labor had a ruinous effect on the mar
ket price OF labor, as well as forcing
manufacture engaged in the hollow
ware industry out OF the market and
throwing their employees out Of employ
ment making work scarce and labor
plenty.
Mr.. McNabb, a hollowware moulder
and manufacturer from Bellaire, accom-
panied the committee ia the interest OF
the moulders Of the Ohio Valley. This
gentleman made a statement from his
knowledge aud experience In the bus
mess for number of years. He said
that one dozen No. s teakettes made by
free labor cost 81 In the BelIaire market
when a dozen OF the same kind Of pen
itentiary made article sold In the same
place for $3.50. The Board did not
seem to OvereStimate the remarks
Of Mr. McNabb, as he was asked in the
of his statement where
he worked and where such manufac-
turing establishments were located; he
answered in Bellaire, Ohio. Then the
Board had no further use for him, and
promptly asked the question Of your
committee if any hollow ware was made
in this State. To this question we had
TO answer no, but were here to protest.
against this industry being introduced
in this institution through the appeals
aud request Of organized labor through
the State, aud that on this account our
mission was to fight the new plan on
general principles.
Then we were asked il we could
propose any scheme whereby the con-
victs could be employed, where their
labor would not compete with organized
labor and keep that institution as a self
sustaining one. We answered by say
ing that they should be utilized In max
ing county roads through the State.
One Of the board said that the last Leg
islature made some law bearing on this
question but nobody seemed to put 1t IN
force or made any application whatever
for cOnvicts to work on county roads,
and that there were nearly two hundred
in the pen getting "big with
laZlness" and something must
be done to put them to work.
Your Committee on pressing the queS-
tioh of the injury aud ruinous effect
the prison contract labor would have on
free labor was answered in this manner
bv Captain Chipley, of the Board, that
10 was organized labor through its con-
slant boycotts that forced manufacture
ers and capitalists TO turn 20 penal in
situations for the labor Of cOnvicts
under the contract system. This gen.
tleman was answered promptly that
greedy employers and capitalists bad
made application for prison LABOR be-
fore the word boycott was known. The
Captain sftarward modified his remarks
and spoke in more concillatOry man
ner and was more disposed 10 agree
that prison labor was a menace TO free
labor.
Mr.. Mcintosh, President OF the Board,
stated that the position and duty OF the
Board was q very trying one, in GER
tain sense, they sympathized with or
ganized labor, but the law governing
the institution says that prisoners must
be confined at hard labor, and as there
was a large number OF convicts having
nothing TO do the, Board was trying
which would be the best means of ind-
ing them work. The Warden OF the
was present and CON-
bstted vour committees opposition
10 the introduction of the hol-
low-ware innovation very forcibly
and quoted from the clerks report TO
the board that the institution was not
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