The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-08
CONTRACT LABOR
BILL REPORTED

Continued from First page.)
honest labor We object TO reducing
the price Of a commodity by convict
labor"
Mr.. Coliis began by a description of
prison conditions In 1906, when he
visited twenty-eight penitentiaries. He
declared he found none anywhere.
where the contract system was In
force, that there were not abuses. OF
the tseeuty-stkht- there were whipping
posts In eighteen. They were not
maintained, he said, for violating
rules. but for failing to satisfy con-
tractors.
Asked II he found these conditions
found only one In the United States
In worse condition, but that he had
learned there had been an, improve
met here in recent years.
II am going to let you know TO
what extent competition with free Ia
Dor exists under the Davis contract.
In the Virginia penitentiary the Davis
Comuauy u able to manufacture
shoes for 3 cents . pair. II costs more
than double this amount where free
labor 10 employed. On an average
tho cost IL ~ cents. I see by the
new bill that II = contract 10 given
the superintendent IL to set the task.
am from Missouri. In most cases
the SUPERINTENDENT knows nothing OF
manufacture Of any sort and cannot
assign work.
II am confident the shoe contract
will not be renewed. but l am inter-
ested In the abolition Of pernicious
system, whether shirts, shoes or over
ais are made. I submit that not only
does the skilled labOrer sumer, but
the employer 10 driven out OF business.
.Ia pay- opinion this Legislature can
do no greater act Of humanity than
TO not let any contract until after
May, 1913. when something NAV de-
veIop that will show you how to EN-.
pioy prisoners prontADE 30 tnat IA
Tor will not suffer.
There ie suficient demand for the
use Of articles used in State institu-
tons 10 employ more than double the
number II vicious prisoners In the
State penitentiary."
Thinks Number Of VaeSoasr EHa4.- ~
geFato0.
Mr.. Foxes said the Information that
there are Gil prisoners In the pen
itentiary that cannot be worked on
the roads came like thunderclap. He
rfdiculed the idea tIsat there were
more than 100 too dangerous to guard
Boiled down ID Q mtpimum. he sad.
the number would not exceed twenty.
The speaker recalled q party PRONE
ise to abolish contracts. ''ff you are
se.ing to hire them our. BY the eternal
gods, acx ~ business men and do not
1--WE their labor away. The number
Of danxeroiis men has 9rowa 1t an
alarming rate within the past few
DAYS. rake your IS iife-term men.
viii show you they are NO moro dan
aSesstssps thar a,Aaso. AiEx13 4 n ei3t, Ep1s
posterous 10 claim thar the coo 20 be
'eft are any moro vtcious tan Il.
alreHiy st work tn the roads
II challenge the penitentiary e
show twenty II those they say are
4 scandai In any Virginia institution
- the one In which a contract now
exists.
II had just ~ soon see one class
Of contract as another. We are against
tts principle. We win vote 10 keen
asNInAngs an, Il. nnntEaG1s Al snassthlesH
we catch sou IN . hole 30 the public
viii be aroused"
Mr.. .Creamer followed the line OF
Mr.. Lfvel-.'s arxuInent. He begsed
the committees II 4 contract was made
to not sign one that woll throw wo-
men out OF employment. He was
there were Sl1 dangerous prisoners In
the Denitentiary.
II understand." he aaid. "that III
are used Of the prison for chore work.
understand the Steriinx peonle want
500 on contract. Adding the two
together ne ret your GIL. II II stranse
there were the exact number. Give
your contract no that the competition
will drive men out OF employment.
not women. Let Il affect someone
who can come back at You next cleo.
ton.''
The convict bin viii, be referred IN
both HnuAeA TODAY when introduced
to the Finanr~ Committees.