The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-24
DELEGATES SPLIT
into TWO GROUPS
lcontlnued Erom FIrst page.l


makers for period of ten years.
''4t seems TO me- said Mr.. Lassiter,
that prior 10 the expiration OF tho
chloe contract tho Legislature of 1912
should provide Tor the employment of
the greater number OF tho felon pris-
oners on the roads and in maxim; road
material and agricultural iime.n
Sell the penitcptinry.
Such an arrangement. SAID the speak
or, would do away with the necessity
OF the states retaining the highly
valuable city property now occupied
oy the penitentiary IN R!chnoud, which
could be sold for 100000 and the pro-
Sccds devoted to the establishment OF
a prison farm IN each OF the ten con
sressionai districts. 10 meet The con-
sututlonal provision which requires {.
penitentiery, q new and much smaller
penttentiary could be built upon the
present state Prison Farm in Govch-
land, or In some other district some
where near the geographical centre
Of the state.
In this pcni:cntiury,r he continued
There wound be confined the ioi<- t.El,t
and dangerous prisoners. whose duty
It would be to nuke shoes, ciotheg ana
men on tho road. The old men. wo-
men and children would be employed
On the farms IL producing food for
themselves ana Tor The otn.r prison
cro. In this Way "a force Of trou; I 800
ub.c-hodicd lub3rcrs, OF an average aye
OF Twenty-Five years. would be uynil-
able from our fclon population for
YORK on the roads, In stockades. max
ing road material and agricultural
lime"
Organized Labor Not Opporcd.
touching the point often raised that
organized labor would object 10 ouch
an arrangement. he said: Politicians
htand very much In awe OF tho power
OF organized labor and may fear 10 sup
port this proposition on this account.
havc no much confidence In the intel
l!genco and patriotism OF the honest
8ork!ngmcn OF our country that l
believe they will cordially indorse this
plan OF penal reform. because II will
take prison labor practically out OF
competition with any form OF organ
fped labor and will SO greatly increase
the wealth of tho country tina, honest
labor Will benefit thereby in proportion
TO the dement's conferred upon the rest
or society"
Mr.. LassIter offered a comprehensive
rcvlc" OF the history Of the good road
movement in this state, referring to
the late Joseph Bryan. owner Of The
Times. now The Timcs- Dispatch, as
Inc Luther Of road reform In Virginia.
through whose efforts and influence
the i!st good roads convention mot in
Richmond and organized the Virginia
Coos Roads Association" He recalled
10 thc delegates the fact that II was
through tho efforts OF j. Thompson
brown. OF Bedford county. that the
Constitution OF 1909, By affirmative
enactment. makes possible tho grant
ing OF. state aid to roads.
DIR. Prntt on Convict Labor
The opening address of yesterdays
s.sslon was delivered by DIR. Joseph
Hyde Pratt, who presided over the
meeting. DR.. Pratt Is State Geologist
OF North Carolina. and brought wide
experience with the use OF convict labor
III that State In his address on this
subject. The Use OF Convict Labor IN
Road building"
Proceeding from the two premises
that a convict. having committed O
crime against society. has been, during
MS prosecution. conviction and puniah-
iHent. a large expense TO society and
hhouid compensate It for both the ex-
pensc and crime. and that II is neces-
hary In the treatment OF the criminal
TO give careful consideration TO his
moral and physical health while he is
paying his debt 10 society, DR.. Pratt
asked:
What work should the consict do
mat VIII be for the best interests OF
the State. the citizens OF the state and
inc convict himself? Any labor that
may be required OF the convict thnt
Is in direct competition with free labor
is assuredly not to tho best Interests
OF the citizens nor of tho state, mas
much as It Is liable to cause an unset
tied condition In those trades employ
ing labor with which the convict labor
Is in competition.
What better way can convicts be
employed than In the construction of
public roads? There is no work that
they can do that Will he OF more ben
eht TO tho society which they have
wronged than the construction of good
roads. Then. again, these roads arc
public and are used by the whole OF
society, 30 that in their construction
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der Is being accomplished. without,
causing any feeling OF competition
with free labor
DIR. Pratt made tho point that con-
Wet labor Gun DO employed Just as
satisfactorily and economically in the
maintenance of roads rs in their cen
Etruction. fact which, he said, was
often overlooked. The employment OF
convict labor. too, permits of q per-
nanent organized force, which can be
better maintained than with free labor.
The convention adjourned yesterday
at 12:45 l.. NJ.
Resorts to Profanity.
Tho factlonal spirit which has domi-
mated the Road Congress came sharp
ly to the front yesterday. when Jesse
Cox, delegate from Ohio, made an
attack on morning newspaper. He
mad reference to The Times Dispatch.
But In his TRADE MIR. Taylor grouped
all Richmond papers and referred to