The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-13

on macadam roads the difference in
favor Of convict labor IL fifteen hum
bred dollars per mile over free labor.
thus reducing the cost Of roads Of
that character from $4,000 per mile
to IS, 400. While on sand-clay or
gravel roads the cost Is about the
same, because On roads Of the latter
class the convicts have to be- sepa-
rated and more guards are required,
and this is the exact point my plan
Is intended TO meet.
The contract made some years ago
by the State with the Davis Shoe
Company. by which the convicts were
hired to work In the company's shoe
factory In the penitentiary. will ex-
pire on the first Of May, 1913. The
board Of directors Of the penitentiary
has advertised for bids for the hiring
of the convicts after May /, 1913.
which. when received, will be submit
ted to this General Assembly for ac-
ceptance or rejection, and thus the
future policy Of the State will, Of
necessity, have to be considered and
determined. I have gathered much
information upon the subject. a part
of which will be found In IL pamph-
let gotten up by Mr.. Rives b. Hardy,
my assistant secretary. which will be
laid on the desks OF the members,
and which shows that other States
are doing with their convicts, and
the Information not contained in the
pamphlet viii be set out in this mes
sage. -------
There are In the penitentiary about
twelve hundred and forty-tWo con-
vlcts. Of whom about twelve hundred
are able-bodied; at the State Farm
nj.
seventy-tive, Of whom only about
seventy-five are able bodied, as the
farm Is used to recuperate and build
up those who are not in good health
and. as already stated. there are
about five hundred and ninety-three
IN road camps. all Of whom may be
said to be we'll and strong or these
seventeen are In Bedford and sixteen
in Chesterfield. working under law
which was in force prior to the pas
sage OF the Lassiter- Withers bill. And
there are in the penitentiary ninety
SIX women. who, with about five hun
dred long term men, and convicts
more or less desperate. cannot, with
proper regard for the communities
into which they must go. be worked
on the public roads.
The salaries and board Of guards
large part OF tho expense OF work.
ing the convicts, and realizing this
ana the benoft. moral and physical.
TO the convicts. two States. Colorado
ana Oregon. have adopted plans OF
working convicis on the pubic roads
Without guards. l am more familiar
with the plan adopted in Colorado,
and with briefly outline It.
A convict IN the pcnitcntfary % that
state Is allowed fog good peha yier
or. ssas,sii4sfor the s&Sst year, tWey ff,r
the second an0 so on up to the sixth
year. in which he lie Owed six
months. and stands nt that for the
remainder of his term. When he is
on public works. in addition to the
above, he Is allowed ten days In
every month for good behavior and
efficient work, and Governor Shafroth
informed me that all tho convicts
on account of this extra allowance
were anxious to work on the road
and that they did faithful and effi-
cient work. Before leaving the pent-
Tertiary. all who are willing to do 30
take an oath and promise on their
honor not TO escape or attempt to
escape; they are not shackled in any
way and the men who direct the work
are not armed; indeed. the only man
armed In camp Is trusty who has
rife which seems to be used TO
keep people on the outside from COM
ing in rather than for the prevention
OF those Inside from going out. The
Governor informed me that the cost
OF working q convict under these con-
ditions was about twenty-five cents
a day. and that the percentage Of
escapes was less than under the old
syntem. I am not sure that the con-
victa In our penitentiary could BE-
sVts obtained IN Colorado, but mas.