The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-13
CRIMINALS MAKE
RESTITUTION BY
BUILDING ROADS
Withers Ably Explains Viz.
ginia System, Deploring
"Captious Criticism by
Sentimental People.

1Nsef 4 8
yirsinia,s new man for the employ
80 sbar,-,o,,, ,o,v,..r 4, ,yor,
-
OH 'ie pune oe's va" 49, e'fpi'it'su ~
fore the division on criminals yester.
day morning by one of the Joint pat
rons ar .be nresnnt state law H,n
iopeft w oitHe' = Hisilpei VI 'i's
Legislature from Nansemond county.
The subject had already been treated
fro,, tbe ,.ievno,,t NJ tho axnsr,e,ce,
,, e...,....
peaoiosist III pap ny supel,', '5s.II
oehe NJ saii' " siie ''Iats
i!t1 . appi oatu =. ..J ~. ~, ~.
po ..., y. .tis 1 , ~. 49,
..,t ,,,;.' ~ - -, .,a,an
Ill as nac,, ,n,,,,,ia, ana no ~.
Ia .'G f
Val <or cood r,o,,.
ss,-.t,.,I
HianS y us, ue ueeiel. gu, ~
20 tiHu ah ans - ~. Az =,
.ioii ,a =. ~, q, =, :. :,
ual.s -. ~ ~ ,i.ostia,, r,r :,
pe tppiia onts - w .a'.,,
many our ti'ail.apie una ',n 'asl .as
~ 80, 49, 49,. ,,.n,,, ~. Iaay,
NJ. - 80, 800. - ~. tantors ~
49, ,rah,ar, AZ l.IJor.ce creeIevs said.
.rt - -. ~ .a-,,,r,a s,ocio ,o,,rents
..s,,,,e - He.n.sthat WY, ~ h,ill
roade snd r. emnIov nonvicts is to en-
Mo-. vour conyicts in building your
roads
"Without exception the greatest need
OF the American people to-day is gooa
roads.
over &c per cent. OF the roaos IN tne
United States are earth roads ana many
OF them become al nut impassapie oul
ing the WINTER months. rol .l.,s -
son the food products OF me farm mus.
he rushed TO market, or 10 slorase a.
some aeeessioie pm y, 80 as go 90 -;
vested III the taii. Inns eh.alis SER
Gus and sometimes disastrous oishi
engagements in the commercial World.
The railroads cannot supply su',ic'elit
cars. The bankers must "ithdra"
funds from other channels OF trace 10
'move the crops
".As a necessary consequence OF this
congestion of the farm products III one
period CT the year. the market IS driven
down to the cost OF production, ana
the farmers of our land. the source OF
q large part of our national wealth. and
the bulk of our people. are kept in
comparative poverty. When it is re-
,r.mbered that much that we use, near
Il, ali Tint we wear. and all that we
cat must at some time in It's history
,,ss cvsr a country road we begin
"a realize the personal interest each
~ ns ,,ns. ~, the county roads Of the
urhaIa co,,ntrv"
norh ih
Continuing. Mr.. Withers traced INC
history of the various efforts at road
huildiugs i'll Virginia up TO the creatloh
OF the State Highway COMMISSION
Taking sup the question OF the convict
road force he said;
"All prisoners in Virginia are divided
into two classes--felons and mlsoe-
meanants.
Before the enactment Of the road
law all felons upon conviction were
sent to the penitentlafS IN h,cn,,'o nv
aiio me-. w sh,a comnanv for AZ
laws . M 49,. the Stnte feeding.
,r,,ar,iI,, ana o,othine them. Others,
.,s',a,i,, ,,a sic,s an we're sent to the
S.sta rarn, nv performed such labor
=, ,ha nanitentiarv as was necessary
-, kaer ~, in order. making the pris-
oners, clothes. etc The misdemeanants
1rara tent in @id,eness in the county and
civ tails. These misdemeanants are
NJ two cl,{tses--tbose who offend
against Srdte."laws. and those who
break city ordinances. The State pays
the taller forsthe former and the city
the latter 1t cost the State about
$3.50, 600 a year to maintain it's risde-
1neanants in idleness, and the munich
palities paid as much more for keeping
their prisoners, in these schools OF
crime and serm-laden pesthouses of
disease. Under the new law the short
term felons may be sentenced to the
roads instead of to the penitentfary.
THE misdemeanants are taken from
the jails-s which serve as a. sort of re-
cruiting station. upon the order of the
superintendent of the penitentiary. as
the needs, of the road force REQUIRE,
having regard always to the distance
the prisoner is to be transported, and
the uneXnired length of his time
with the Road Force.
rho ;or,,,,. of The ROAD rorco was
h,,,1,fr yIri+,,ers IN detail
1,flc,, ,.fn the ,ef,,ciencv NJ convict In
-. 80 ,,,Ith frae labor Mr.
w., Ia.
49, =, ui.n;a;, a,,,,,,,, orr COW,
49,, -, 4. 49," 1900. w.. na,roas
- to'. i,.,,,. .e ~, or;,,i,,Is ,ra no.
,ns ,,,tni1ara,,o. Nc
$50 80. 80. 80 .,o1,arar ~ ,ho
49, "a. s,.,s,r and +I,a. co,,,,ct ma
oia'ii ~ va. = ~ ,,,,nr ~,
Sio t NV