The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-17

new contract with another hrm other
than the Thatcher Company. but read
into II the additional Idea that con.
tract CT any kind would be obnoxious
to the senate.
1t is generally conceded by the anti
contract faction that consldcra bic
number of the prisoners should DO om-
ployed within the walls of tho peniten-
tiary. Some place this number as high
as 500 For this element they sugg.s,
i, that the State provide Industries OF its
own and that 1t dispose of the surplus
product thus manufactured for its own
profit.
Wood Tavors Contract.
Superintendent Wood. OF the State
PenItentiary, who was closely aucs-
toned by the several members of the
| committee. made 1t clear In tho course
OF his testimony that he favored q con
tract or some kind TO take care of at
least 500 men and scvcnty-hvo women
OF the prison. whom he placed under
the head OF vicious, ailins or partly in
| cupacltutcd. While declining TO state
In SO many words that he advised the
drafting of a contract with some one
! concern, he made 1t clear that such an
arrangement would, in his opinion, be
satisfactory ono.
There are men in the penitcntiary ,"
he said. whom | would not dare 10
send out for work out of the prison
without sending along u guard for each
man. They are the kind that would let
no life stand between them and their
freedom, and their proper place Is In
| the penitcntiary under guard"
Gives Comparative Figures.
With reference 10 tho comparative
advantages of the shoe contract now Ill
force and the contract or the Reliance
manufacturing Company. submitted to
both houses BY the Governor, MAJOR
Wood gave these facts: Under the
| Thacher arrangement tho penitentiaIy
redlizes an income of $i25.OOO yearly
| from the employment OF Approximately
, 1000 men and women. Under the pro-
visions of the Reliance Manufacturing
ComPaDy's contract, which offers TO
| employ 500 men at 60 cents per day
and any number of available women at
onc-third less, the Income would be
| S106.009 annually from working force
OF 5Ij men and women.
On the other hand. the loss of income
| thus represented would be offset by a
saving of $4,000 derived from the de-
creased cost Of clothing, feeding. at
tending and guarding the largely de-
creased working force. and would make
available for employment on the public
| roads or for other purposes at least
500 men. Expressed conciseIy, the now
arrangement would mean that the State
would have 500 men to devote to It's
own purposes. together with q fund of
approximately $4,000 with which to
provide for their upkeep.
Would Make Ten New Camps.
Questioned g to the application of
this force to the construction of the
public roads, Major Wood stated that
they could be organized into ten new
road camps at an initial cos; of equip
ment for each of $500. Added TO the
siNeen camps already in the field, this
would make a total OF twenty six
camps OF coavicts available for road
work as soon as the new arrangement
was effected.
The cost OF equipping the now CAMPS
would have to be met by an extra ap-
preparation OF $4,000 for this purpose
the first year. Once equipped, thought
Major Wood, they would be sclf-sup-
porting In the same sense as thosc al
ready In the field. At cost of upkeep
OF 81 cents daily per man, nc saw no
reason why the camps should not prove
source of substantial income, since
| the prevailing contract rate with the
state and counties at which the other
road outfits are hired is 81 per man
f, per day.
Many Objections Raised.
Objections to such plan were at
once offered by many members OF the
committee. For the most part they
took the stand that while under the gen
eral appropriation made by the state
Tor aid to county road construction
each county proceeded simultaneously