Newport daily independent., 1902-08-04
DAVIS WAS ALONE.
Penitentiary Board Reject Governors Resolution Relative To Brick Company's Releasing
 Of Conyicts.

Little Rock, Ark, Aug 2.-The board of penitentiary commissioners finished their labors today
 There was no special business be- fore the board, the only fight being on a resolution offered by Gov. Davis in reference to the contract with the Dickinson Brick Company, as in dicated in the Gazette of Friday. - After considerable discussion the resolution was voted down by vote of four to one, Gov. Davis voting aye, and Secretary of State Crockett, At torney General Murphy, Auditor Monroe, and Commissioner of Ag- riculture Hill voting nay.
 The resolution referred to is in full as follows.
 Whereas, Unofficial information having reached the governors office that recently large number of con- victs formerly worked upon the con- vict farms and other places upon the state's account, have been, by the superintendent of the penitentiary, turned over to the Arkansas Brick and Manufacturing Company and are being worked by said Arkansas Brick and Manufacturing Go. on the I o. Do T at contract price of $1 .50 per day for each convict, said Brick and Manu- featuring Company paying the state 50 cents per day for each convict, the state to guard, clothe, feed and fur nish medical attention to said convicts free of charge, thereby leaving the state very small, if any margin for the service of said convicts; there fore be il
 Resolved, by the board of peniten tiary commissioners, That a fair con struction of said contract entered in- to between the State of Arkansas and the Arkansas Brick aud Manufactur- ing Company does not permit said Brick and Manufacturing Company to sublet, sublease or hire out for pay the convicts which they may obtain under said contract, but only per- mits said Brick and Manufacturing Company to use said convicts in works of their own, the kind and character named in said contract, and any construction of said contract that will permit the said manufacturing company to sublease these ,convicts without touching her hand or being at the slightest expense and at the same time receiving a net profit of one dollar a day for each convict is iniquitious and unjust to the state, and especially is this true when the state stands sorely in need of money to defray the ordinary expenses of the penitentiary, and these convicts could and should have been hired by the superintendent to said railway company on state account, the state thereby receiving full price for their labor. Second, be it further
 Resolved, by said board of peniten- tiary commissioners, That the hiring of said convicts by said brick man. ufacturing company to said railroad is not only unjust to the state, but is in violation of their contract, and the superintendent of said penitentiary is therefore hereby instructed and di- rected to transfer all convicts worked by said brick manufacturing company on said railroad back to the peniten tiary walls, and they be hired out to the best advantage directly on state account, to the end that the state may have sufficient means to de- fray the actual and ordinary expenses for the ensuing year.
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