Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-29
.coNy1sfs Us. FREE AAeaR

! SONSASf9 4Ss f@F A4b
One of the most important and
to many, the most important ques-
tiep. With Feieh the present session
of the General Assembly Of Virginia
will have to deal, is the disposition
of the eopvicts at the State peni-
tertiary.
AT the present time the State has
contract With the Thracher Shoe
Company of Boston, Mass, under the
terms of which at least $50 of the
States convicts are used by this
corporation. The State furnishes the
factory in which the conYicts are
employed free Of charge. keeps it in
repair and supplies eonyicts to keep
1t clean; as we'll as guards to look
after the convicts while at work. to
enforce discipline without ex-
pensc TO the company. The company
pays the State forty-two cents per
day for the men and thirty cents
pei IOE TIC
There has been strong fight on
for some years against this system
of letting the States prisoners out
TO private corporation. whereby
they are used to turn out a product
which is placed upon the market in
competition with similar products
turned out by factories employing
free labor, at much higher wages.
The tendency has been and necessar-
lily SO, to cause manufacturers OF
shoes to keep the wages Of their
employees at the very lowest point
in order to compete with the pro-
duct of the convict. The fight
against this system has heretofore
come mainly from the labor organic
alions Of the State, the Virginia Fed
Grafton of Labor having made its OPP
position known at every session OF
the Legislature for many years. The
labor unions are not by themselves at
this session of the legislature, how
ever. They now have an important
ally in the farmers of the State, who
want the convicts used in building
up the public roads and it looks at
this time. very much as if the wishes
Of these two important classes of our
citizens will be complied with.
Since the converting OF the leGisla-
ture on January 10th, the governor
has submitted TO ii bid from the
Misunderstanding Manufacturing co.
of Chicago for the convicts at the rate
of sixty-tive cents per day. This COM
pany which is generally known as
the Prison Labor Trust, because ii
has contracts with many States and
cities under which convicts arc used,
is engaged in the manufacture of
overallS. shirts. etc. This bid has
brought another important element
out against the systematic manu-
facturcrS of oyerallS and shirts in
the State There are about twenty
nine such plants in Virginia, en-
ploying about 5000 persons and with
thousands Of dollars OF invested CAPT
tai. Tho argument is made that the
security OF these plants will be jcop-
ardiZc unless wages arc reduced 10
conform 10 The wages paid at the
4, tx,I, inn Al n
to do.
There have been several bills intro
duccd providing for the abolition Of
the cntire system; the clearcst one
on the subject is probably the one
which has been introduced in the
Senate by Mr.. Lcsner Of Norfolk, and
in the House by Mr.. Creamer Of
Richmond. This bill prohibits the
State from entering into any con-
tracts for the hire OF the convicts az
Ter the expiration Of the present one.
1t provides for the employment at
| the pcnitentiary Of sufficient number
10 provide clothing, shoes, utensils,
etc, for the inmates of the pcnitcn-
tiarieS. asylums. etc, of the State,
and the balance TO be used on the
public roads. This bill has received
the hearty support OF organized la
Dor and Of those interested generally
in the abolition of the system, and is
probably the one which will be adopt
cd. though it is known that every ef-
| fort possible will be and is being
| made by those interested to retain
the present system.