The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-23
STRIKE IDEA
RECONSIOERED
Prison Guards Made to See
Their UntsnabIe Position.
COULD GAIN NOTHING BY ACT
WARDEN CAN FILL POSITIONS
WITHOUT ANY DELAY.

The guards at the state penitentiary
have. temporarily. at least. abandoned
their idea of going on a strike because
Of alleged grievances arising from the
modification of old rules made neces-
sary by the employment Of additional
guards TO enable the authorities to
comply with the provisions Of the
eight-hour law.
The fact has been made plain to the
leaders that 1t would be little short Of
suicidal as far as their positions were
concerned. to agitate the matter fur
Their. 1t has been pointed out to them
that the actions Of the warden would
have the endorsement Of the governor,
as they now have. should it ever come
to a point, under the existing cOndl-
tons, where the executive Of the state
would have to stand by the head of
that institution or the men who quit
because they were dissatisfied with
rules promulgated by Warden Dow,
with the full concurrence Of the
I board. and which rules were made for
the general hetJeTment Of the prison.
Men Had False Impressions.
When the idea Of going on a strike
was first agitated. it was thought that
the entire guard would walk out in
body. The leaders labOred under the
| impression that the warden was vto-
/ lating the eight-hoUr law when he COM
/ PEELED I'VE Of the guards TO remain at
/ the prison over night that they might
D RAJ IA fef % IA p
! gency. And there was also the feeling
/ that it would be hard to find compe-
/ tent. men to take their places.
| 1t has since developed that there is a
| clause in the new labor law which per
mits Of the warden, as the head Of a
| state penal institution. demanding the
/ services Of his men after they have per-
| formed their eight hours Of labor
| That point was thoroughly gone over
I by Governor Wells before he signed
/ the bill. for he and Warden Dow dis
/ cussed that very matter after the SOL
| Ous had passed the measure. The war
den told the governor that he would
| have 70 keep FIVE men there. each night,
/ in case something happened. and legal
l advice was obtained upon that clause
/ in the bill. The executive was IN
} formed that it would Withstand the
! most searching scrutiny Of the highest
/ tribunal of the state.
Complied With Wishes of Guards.
As to the complaint that the warden
now refuses 10 furnish the guards with
meals while at work, il was the wish Of
many of the men that they be permit
| ted to either bring their meals or eat
at home. The matter was thoroughly
I discussed at the last meeting Of the
/ prison board, when IL was decided 10
abandon that old practice. And IL was
| so ordered for the further reason that
Warden Dow hopes to save about $1,000
/ thereby during the next two years,
which viii be used to pay the monthly
salaries of the extra guards, the legls-
lature not appropriating sufhclent
amount Had the governor and war
den not been able to so economic ~
that direction, they would have been
forced to reduce the salaries OF the
guards, which they were not anxious
10 do
/ Governor Wells and Warden Dow
both state they have applications SUI
fcient TO fiji any and every vacancy
which might occur by the guards go
ing on a strike. The application lise
for positions is a long one, and is com
posed, In the main, Of men as equally
competent and reliable as those now
serving the state as guards.
Many Opposed the Strike.
And in the face Of all that. there
were a number of the guards who are
and have always been opposed to any
step being taken which would in any
way create friction between the warden
and his men. They have expressed
themselves as content with their po-
sitions, under the existing conditions,
which are satisfactory TO them, at a
salary Of $50 per month.
While perhaps they do not like the
idea of sleeping at the penitentiary over
night at least once a week, they see
the efficacy of the PRONUNCIATION Of the
old rule under the new order of things
and cannot. everything being taken into
consideration, raise a serious objection
90 H.