The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-19
CITY WORKHOUSE
. IS NOW PROPOSED
Nonderlehr Wants Prisoners to
Labor While Confined in
Prison.
LABOR MAKES OBJECTION
Argued That Plan Would Make
Competition With Free
Toilers.
LABOR MAKES OBJECTION

Vigorous discussion may be expected
In the City Council of the proposed or
ainance to be offered at the next meet
ms by Councilman vonderlehr FOR a
charter change that will permit the
ci'J TO construct and operate work
mouse. Already there is wide Gif-
ference OF opinion, and many have en-
pressed themselves for or against the
plan proposed.
Tho Vonderlehr resolution will ,e-
quest the City Attorney to secure from
the next session OF the Gei. assem-
oiS an amendment to section ls-d Of
the city charter, the addition being
to the clause authorizing the city to
/ construct and maintain Jail for safe
Keeping OF prisoners. adding the
| clause: and TO erect and maintain
n connection with sucl prison en-
some other site within or withou. the
city of Richmond, suitable Work.
house or warehouses and n hous= or
! houses of correction and refcrmaiio ion
| To- such prisoners. and when author
FED by the Hastings Court or the
! Hastings Court. Part ? Il compel and
require all able-bodied adl lit pr'son-
ers confined as aforesaid to perform
manual labor In such work house or
houses, and eli youthful prisoners
so confined. as far S practical. to be
employed in such house or houses OF
corr ection or reformation, under rules
ans regulations to be prescribed ~
the Council OF the city of Richmond
! ana approved by said courts"
Free Lubnr Objects.
Objection has promptly come from
tn, labo. organizations, no:withEtal =
ing the fact that MIR. Vondarleh- is
himself a union man. that such en-
ployment of prisoners in workiouses
would interfere with free labor. Others
object that the convict lease system
in the penitentiary has led to so many
abuses and been SO generally criti-
cized that II would be step backward
for the city OF Richmond to so into
, such enterprises. even on a small scale.
On the other hand, 1t Is argued, 1t
; has been notorious for years that
strapping. able-bodied negro men idle
away the winter months playing cards
and swapping yarns with each other
! in Richmond's steam heated jail. In
fact. Police Justice Crutchfield has been
quoted as saying that a certain ele-
ment OF INDECENT negroes know Just
how much of a crime to commit to
secure confinement for the worst OF
the winter. so that they may loaf in
idleness without any employment
| whatever at the expense OF the city
or State.
Efforts made in the past to place
| such Migrants on the chain gang did
not meet with success. Not only were
& there objections raised to seeing men
! wearing the ball and chain, grubbing
about the streets. but the cry of COM
petition with free labor was raised
| Then an effort was made to employ
| the able bodied men in cleaning out
Shockoe Creek and on a rock pile. But
the system Iell into dlsuse. Negroes
were sentenced to jail-not TO the
chain gang or rock pile-and when
City Engineer Boiling assumed charge
of the Engineers Department, he found
four or five guards employed to sit
about and watch two or three negroes
leisurely break rock. 1t was stated
that for Il lonL: timo there had not
been as many prisoners as guards.
And since machine rock crusher
would provide more rock in ten min
utes than the chain gang with all It's
guards would in a week. the guards
were discharged and the negroes sent
back to jail.
Substitute Suggested.
a probable substitute for Mr.. Von-
derlehr's resolution is one already be-
ing discussed by members of the Street
Committee proposing that the city ac-
quire several gravel banks and rock
quarries IN different sections and put
such prisoners to work unuer guards
digging gravel and quarrying rock for
use on the streets.
Former Superintendent OF the Peni-
Tertiary Morgan, who organized the
convict road system now In vogue in
this State. used to say that a convict
was of no use In road gang until
he had been there six months Coming
from idle and vicious surroundings, and
unaccustomed to this sort OF hard la
Dor. 1t takes some time, with proper
feeding and exercise. to get such men
in physical condition to do real work.