The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-21
Penitentiary Shoe Con-
tractDenouncedin Road
Congress Address.
NEED PRISONERS
TO BUILD ROADS
Question of Federal Aid for State
Highways Discussed at Con-
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Attracts
Great Throng of Dele
gates From Many
Quarters.

Dehouncing In vigorous terms the
practice OF the State of Virginia OF
! hiring It's convicts at a nominal wage
to manufacture shoes for the gain o,
private concerns, Senator Thomas s
Martin, digressed long enough in b,s
address before the First American
road Congress yesterday morning ia
administer severe Jolt to the peni-
tentiary's convict boot industry.
His remarks on tho subject bora
every eviuence OF deep seated con-
viction, and were delivered with a
spirit which left no one in doubt as
TO the Senator's feelings. The attack
was the decided sensation of the morn
ing meeting. and was tho occasion OF
much comment during the day.
Inc senator was the fifth speaker
on the program, and responded to
PRESIDENT Pages introduction with
the statement that he had not CONS
prepared to deliver a formal address
but would speak Informally on a fcw
matters which directly concern the
road movement. In the course OF hi.
half hour speech he found time 10
| score Americas backwardness in road
, construction. the failure OF Congress
TO assist In highway Improvement
Nirsinia's convict shoe Industry and
the modern shibbole ref.
ercnduni and recall
Let ConHicts Build Roads.
What L am about TO say may no.
DC strictly pertinent to the subject"
said Senator Martin, having called at
tention to the fact tina, While thy
United States leads the world In SRI
. culture. commerce and wealth. IT lag,
behind the principalities OF Europe in
the matter OF the construction of
public roads. but have q reputation
for meddlins, sometimes, with things
that are not strictly my business, and
| propose to do il now. The State OF
Virginia. TO her shame be 1t said.
hires her convlcts every year to pri-
vate interests TO make shoes. Instead
oil hiring our unfortunates to private
parties for their own enrichment and
rrecipitattaS an unwelcome and even
dangerous labor complication, let MS
put our convicts on the public roads.
as so many other States are doing.
ana IN this mapner benefit our whole
population.
81 remember tina, made a speech
in the academy of Music in this city
in which | advocated not the abroga.
ton Of tho shoe contract at once be.
cause it wife made and entered into
in good faith with the contracting com.
pany. but its gradual moditica ton
looking to its ultimate abandonment
have since become moro and NOR.
convinced of tie iniquity of tho prac.
ticc, and l. for one, hope from The
bottom Of my heart that the Governos
OF this State Will never again hire thu
convcts OF the state Penitentiarv 10
make shoes"
Congress Should Help.
The Senator provoked storm of
applause with the unqualified state
ment that the United States Congress,
ought and should be compelled to
make an annual appropriation of not
less than s50,oo0,0O0 to the cause OF
highway construction. There is a
greater demand for the Improvement
of highways than there is for the i'm
provement of waterways he told
the delegates. With Congress APP
propr!aiiong hundreds of millions
Tor pensions, waterways. harbor
improvements, the army and tho
navy, it Well afford 20 give !,
paitry S50.oOo,0oo annually for the i'm.
provement ana maintenance of roads
which arc Of far Sreutcr Importance
to the bulk of the population than the
objects named.
Let no one tell you that such an
appropriation would he unconst;tu-
tional." said Mr. Martin. III there was
ever a man who doubted that the Con-
gress of the United states did not
have the constitute. nal power to maks
an appropriation for the improvement,
Of highways, that man has long since
disappeared from the political arena"
some OF the delegates saw & pertinent
alusion in the last statement and
evidenced their appreciation by mild
applause.
Initiative anu Recall.
Touching the claim that the initia-
tive and referendum open UP o means
TO the people for enforcing their de-
mands i'll the matter of road construc-
ton, the Senator said that the peoples
representatives, in Congress keep their
ears to the ground and invariably act
IN accordance with tire viii Of thu
majority OF their constituents "rhs
politician WHO claims that he doesn't
do this is Hart" said Mr.. Martin.
You have only to wish for a thing
strong enough and you will get it,"
Initiative and referendum may DO
all right l don't know, bur l want
to say to you that SO far as | know
representative government has not yet
failed in this country Representatives
in Congress arc still anxious TO dc
that which Will please the men who
TO the people for reelection. and they
know better than to act in n way thai
would nntagonlze them"
81 am sorry that the President was
not able to lie here to-day. because II
an annual appropriation for good roads
Is of political faith different from