The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-09-20
Announcement Reached City that
cooperase Firm at kensinston,
Ind, VIII not Renew Prls-
on Contract.
COOPERS ARE AFFECTED
Both the Employers and Employees
Will be Indirectly Helped by
This Move on Part of
Manufacturer

One hundred and fifty or more coop.
ers and two large cooperage firms
OF Keokuk will be indirectly benefited
by the announcement that j. H. Win
terbottom, of Chicago, who has been
employing prison labor at the Indiana
state prison for a number of years
past will not renew his prison labor
cooperage contract, and will move his
business to Kensinger, Ind.
A circular which has been sent
broadcast to cooperage men of the
country was received today by Henry
z. W1esemann, manager of the Keo-
kku Barrel Co. The employment of
prison labor in the cooperage bust
ness" said Mr. Wiesenan, has work
ed hardship among both the en-
ployers and employees, and the an
nor<cement is deemed of the greatest
significance. Employers obtain prison
labor by contract which costs them
4bc per day per man, while we have
to pay 81 and 1925 for our labor, thus
making the competition into which we
are forced of such a character that
the men employed are affected as well
as the manufacturers The circular
Is of interest and is copied from
publication known as Packages" Sep
TENDER number. 1t follows:
With the expiration of his contract
at the Indiana State prison, Michigan
City, Ind, ON October /, j. H. Winter
botham, Chicago, expects to move his
cooperage business to Kensington,
Ind. Mr.. Winterbotham has had
contract with the prison for number
of years and has had daily output
of from ten to twelve cars. 1t is
stated that the new plant at Kensing-
ton will be large enough to give en-
ployment to about 200 men.
The prison labor cooperage contract
will not be renewed. 1t is more or
less uncertain whether the prison will
continue contract labor of any kind,
after the legislature NETS next winter
Last year the legislature passed an
amendment to the convict labor law,
providing that not more than 600 con-
victs be employed under contract la
in any one trade. Contractors who
had been employing men were prac-
tically forced to give up their con-
tracts under this provision 1t also
made convict labor more valuable, so
that the per diem for each man largely
contracts.
An amendment was carried, creating
commission to investigate the ques-
ton of prison labor for convicts under
the supervision of the state. This
commission, as appointed, was COM
of the prison; D. c. Peyton, superin-
tendent of the reformatory at Jeffer-
sonville; Harry Splugh, clerk Of the
state printing board; Charles Woener
and Edgar A. Perkins, the latter being
leader of organized labor. This COM
mission will report to the legislature
next year, but SO far has reached
no definite conclusions.
At the present time the state is ex-
perimenting with the manufacture of
binding Irvine under state supervision
at the prison, but also had some pris-
on labor contracts. The cooperage
business conducted by Mr.. Winter
botham, whose contract expires soon,
has been one of the largestt within
the walls of the prison.
The tight stave and coopers' asso-
Citations have been bitter against the
prison labor contract at Michigan City
and the foregoing will be welcome
news to them.
Don't use harsh physics. The re-