The Mena weekly star., 1909-09-23
RALEIGH TO PAY
 sl.5O FOR CONNECTS
p.,o,d Bid For States Laborers Gets Him All Men That Can Be Spared : Rsaves Loses
 His Men.

called meetus VI Roard yesterday afternoon, the s,rplus convic,s not required for nork on the state capitol and at ,he state farm were let to R. L. p,lei,h. who agreed to pay Sl so ,s, dav for each c,Evict for 60 a,vs and sl 40 Ter day for con- v;c,s worked ty him for the re- maiuder of the term of his con- tract. this being the highest price paid for convict labor in the state of Arkansas since the establish meut of the convict lease system. The increased offer in the bid for convict labor was the result of spirited rivalry to secure the conyicts between Mir. Raleigh and W. l.. Reaves, each of whom has contract for the labor of con- v;c,s for a year, Mir. Reaves pay ;ug $l per day per copyict and Mf. Raleigh $l.i0, it being under s,ood at the time when the con- tract was made by each that his contract could be rescinded at any lime at the will of the board. The contract entered into yester day with MT. Raleigh takes effect from Wednesday. Mr. Raleigh now has about 100 convicts in his employ and Mir. Reayes about 200. The new contract has the effect of taking all the convicts from Mir. Reaves and giving to Mr. Raleigh all the surplus con- yicls for the next 60 days not needed on the state farm and at the state capitol building.
 The special mee ing of the board was called to consider the propositions of Messrs. Raleigh and Reaves, each of whom had offered to take the surplus con- yicts at Sl 40 per day for bO days and $l.35 for the remainder of the term of their contracts.
 Attorney General Norwood moved that the bid of each be ac- cepted and tha: the surplus of couvicls be divided between the two bidders.
 Mr. Tucker moved that the board lease the convicts 10 the highest bidder and then moved that the board take recess fer Is minutes, in order to give the two bidders an opportunity to re- wise their bids if they desired to do so.
 Before the motion was put, MT. Raleigh stated that he would pay sl.50 per convict for 60 days and sl.40 at the end of the 60 days until the expiration of his con- tract. He stated that he was willing to pay the same price to the state for the use of the con- vets that he was receiving for their labor from others, ia order N to be able 10 carry out his con. tract.
 Commissioner Tu, ker's motion to award the contract to Mir. Ral' eIgh was carried by unanimous vote, the contract to be effective Tom and after Wednesday.
 The contract provided that MT Raleigh shall receive all ths white conyicts not required fol work on the state capitol and al tac negro conyicts not needed ;t harvest the crop on tho stat' farm. As all the negro convict nave been ordered to the farm, | Will be impossible for the boart to supply MT. Raleigh for tn next 40 days with more than 10 white convlcts. 1.
 There are about FPS convicts il
 me state 8 hands, of which abou 2V are white and the other negroes. About 100 are emyloye
 al The state capitol, 25 of whot
 ''e negroes. All the convict
 employed by Reaves are negroes
 'ooas 200 iu number, and tines
 w'il be taken from him and ser
 U 'ne farm, leaving MT. Reavs
 "'nout any convict labor. Tt
 'ssult ot the boards action yeste
 ray was practically to resciud tt
 Neaves contract and enter into
 us~ one with K. L. Raleigh.