Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-29
CONTRACTED CoNyICTS.
THE SYSTEM AS W0RKEDHE HERE

Ints by the State Ofheers with Mr. JOSEPH
Davis.
The fact that both political parties II
this State are on record, in their decla-
rations Of principles, against the en-
ployment of convict labor in competi-
ton with the honest wsge-workers oi
this land, invests with great interest thu
contract recently made between the
State authorities and Mr.. Joseph Davis,
of Lynn. Mass.
The first contract with Mr.. Davis was
entered into by Mr.. Samuel C.. Will
liams, the Readjuster superintendent
and would have expired about eighteen
months hence but Mr.. Davis, desiring
to increase his working force and add
tional buildings being necessary there
for. a new contract has just been en-
tered into, embodying substGntiaHy the
provisions Of the old one, except that
Mr.. Davis is to have more hands and
more room to work them m, and his
time is extended five years.
THE CONTRACTOR.
The parties to the contract are Mr..
Joseph Davis and General W. r.
Terry, Superintendent Of the Peniten'
tiary. Following General Terry's sig
nature on the paper are " We ap-
prove the above contract. Wray I.
Knight, X. A. Patterson" directors
and {" I advise and consent to the above
contract. W. E. Cameron.
So the contract is entered into on the
part Of the State by the Superintendent,
by and with the advice and approval oi
the Board of Directors Of the institu-
ton and the Governor Of the Common
wealth.
Governor Cameron says the contract
is revocable at the pleasure Of the
Governor.
General Terry, the Superintendent,
is a Democrat the directors were ap-
pointed as Readjusters. and the
Governor was elected as the candidate
of that party. The name OF Mr.. Blair
Morris. one Of the directors, does not
appear on the contract.
TERMS OF THE CONTRACT.
Mr.. Davis is a manufacturer OF
shoes. and is now employing $50
males (men and boys and 65 females.
For the males he pays the State Al
cents per day for the females, 25.
The State boards and clothes these
conyicts and guards them, too, except
in the shoe-shop, where, for the purpose
Of discipline, guard is maintained at
the expense Of the contractor.
Mr.. Davis has made a large invest
ment in fixtures and machnery-s75,-
coo, probably y-and when the shoe-shop
is enlarged at a cost Of several thou
sand dollars to the State, and he takes
$50 more convicts, he will have to
make a further investment in fixtures.
PENALTY.
Mr.. Davis is under a penalty for the
faithful performance Of his contract,
but a close reading Of the old contract
and Of the new discloses no provision
Of penalty put on the State for non.
compliance with the c.0tract Of her
officers.
Unless there is a law somewhere
upon which he can rely to give him
damages, Mr.. Davis apparently has no
security ag inst the Governor Of the
State or the General Assembly an.
nulling this contract. General Terry
said yesterday that he knew Of no such
law.
OTHER CONTRACTORS.
Besides Mr.. Davis there are two
other contractors at the penitentiary-
Mr.. Fairbanks. who has the barrel-fac-
tory, and works 43 conyicts, and Larus
d Brother, who carry on tobacco manu-
featuring, with about 20 men aud boys.
The former pays ~ cents per day the
latter, by recent agreement, II cents.
Both have contracts with the State,
with several years to run, Larus a Bro
ther's having been just renewed.
DOES 1T PAY
The forthcoming report Of the SUI
perintendent and Board Of Directors
will show that the penitentiary is self
sustaining, and more. There will be in
the neighborhood "of $4,000 or u.s.
600 Of profit for the State" Whether
even with the satisfactory figures Of
General Terry's administration-it i,
best for the whole people Of the State
and the working classes particularly, to
continue the contract system, will be
for the next Governor and General AS
sembly, in the light Of public opinion
and their party platform pledges, tC
determine.
The Knights Of Labor and many il
sympathy with them, backed By party
pledges, will wage war on this system,
and undertake to show that the pro
fit" to the State is ill-gotten gain from
crushed industries and impoverished
,v.oboD,.c