Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-26

he said. a question Of right underlying
the measure. lie characterized the use
OF convicts in manufacturing enter
prises as an inlquitoua practice, and said
unless Il was abolished. the inevitable
result would be the reduction OF salaries
and the purchasing powers. and there
fore must produce monetary panic.
which would affect the farmers, as well
as the manufacturers and laborers. In
conclusion, Mr.. Dawson made strong
appeal for the passage OF the bill
Several other manufacturers spoke, after
which Mr.. Wood OF the Trades Coun-
Gil. was introduced. He spoke Of cheap
labor as a pernicious practice, and In
an argumentative manner endeavored TO
show that the bill was both In the
interest OF the morals OF the State and
an economic measure.
SOME PERTINENT QUERIES.
Mr.. Saunders, OF Franklin, asked
several pertinent questions OF the advo-
Gates OF the bill. He first wanted to
know IL the price OF shoes would rise IL
convict labor were abolished, and then
asked IL the wages OF laborers would be
correspondingly increased.
MIR. John T. Chapel answered the
question, and asserted that Il was be-
yond reason for any shoemaker to COM
pete with convict goods. He said the
market had declined some 80 or 10 per
cent In the past year.
Mr.. Saunders asked II the Virginia
Penitentiary hadn't been In operation in
the past year. wouldn't the decline have
been the same.
Mr.. Chapel answered in the afirma-
tive.
Mr. Saunders asked II the price Of
ptf1rr ..al.f IL.
clined very materially, and received an
Affirmative reply. Mr.. Chapel said no
prisoners made sewing machines, but
that two were engaged in the manufac-
ture OF bicycles.
Mr.. Winston. OF Hanover, asked Mr..
Chapel several questions some of which
he answered, and some OF which he ad-
mitted his inability to answer.
Mr.. Saunders asked II the inevitable re-
suit OF stamping prIson-made shoes
wouldn't be TO force the contractors to
reduce the prices on their Shoes Mr..
Chapel thought that such a result would
not follow
WOULD BUY. IF CHEAPER.
Mr.. Saunders thought it would. and said
while the contractors would be forced to
sell their goods cheaper, they would do
SO. and would still successfully compete
with honest labor as no matter how Bit
ter purchasers might be against convict
made goods, when the people found those
goods equally as fine and cheaper than
those made by honest labor. they would
buy the convict-made goods.
Mr.. ]. b. Doherty was introduced to
the committee, and reviewed briefly what
had been said by those who preceded him.
He then made an appeal for the abolition
Of convict labor.
Major William T. Foster, OF Norfolk,
spoke strongly against the contract sys-
TEN. He said that a quarter of a GEN.
tury ago he had stood In the Virginia
Legislature and combated the employ
ment Of convlcts in competition with hon.
est labor, and he was glad to stand again
and do the same thing. So long as
striped convicts were used in the manu-
facture Of shoes. no shoe industry would
be established in Virginia. He thought
the whipping-post and chain-gang should
be put in vogue again, and said that IL
they were the number Of prisoners would
be decreased and the State would lose
nothing by abolishing prison labor.
MR.. MAUPIN'S EXPLANATION.
Mr.. Bryant submitted the bill to the
committee. and asked that a favorable
report be made.
Mr.. Maupin, a member OF the commit
tee, then arose and said: Mr.. Chairman,
feel It my duty to asls to be excused from
voting on this measure, because / do not
think ! should sit in judgment upon a
question In the solution OF which l may
be charged with being interested. I have
no contract there, but one Of the con-
tractors at the penitentiary Is interested
in my business. and therefore 1t might be
said that his interests weighed more with
me than my duty as a member OF the
Legislature. / don't know what the pur-
pose OF this committee is, and I prefer
not to enter into the discussion with them
for the reason just stated.
The committee went into executive ses-
sion and excused Mr.. Maupin therefrom.
They decided TO pass the bill by. to-
gether with the resolution providing that
when the present contracts expire they
shall not be renewed.