The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-20
Six Hundred Convicts
Go to State High
way Forces.
BOARD WILL LEASE
FIV q II UN D R e D
Dreamer Loses Stern Fight for
Abolition Of Systen.-Commit-
tee Could Find No Way for
Employment Of Unsafe
Men Save by Con-
tract.

Six hundred of Ni:glnias couyicts
now at work In tho state Pen,teut'ury
are To go on the road forces AFT a. May
OF next year. when the contract with
the TEACHER Company Will expire. APP
proHitIately 500 Will be employed on
sons form OF contract at the State
Prison. leaving perhaps 100 TO be used
In work for the State about the PEN
itentiary.
The House OF Delegates. by a vote
Of 80 to 10. yesterday passed the bill
already agreed upon by the Joint Com
mittees on Roads and Internal Naviga-
ton Of the House and Senate, and dc.
feated the Crcamcr bill forbidding the
making of any contract for convict la
Dor without specific authoritarian Of
The General Assembly.
Crcnmcr Lends Opposition.
There was no opposition TO the bill.
on the ground of reduction OF revenue
10 the State. No mention was made OF
any mercenary consid grafton. The
only fight on the bill. on the contrary,
vas made BY those who believe there
should be no contract OF any sort, but
that all the prisoners should be used in
labor for the State and its institutions
This opposition was led by Jamas j..
Dreamer, OF this city. who fought the
legislation step by step. On some Of
his propositions the vote was much
closer than on the passage OF the bill,
and in fact tie was registered on u
motion to pass by motion 10 recon
slider, SO as TO bring the matter UP
again on 4 future day. The Speaker
voted in the negative, breaking the tie.
Seeing that he was In the minority,
Mr.. Dreamer spoke for an am=ndm IN
requiring that no contract should be
made al price of less than so cents
day for men and co cents for women.
But the House refcused TO reconsid ar
so that the measure might be recommit-
ted TO committee for amcndmcnet.
No Other Work for Men.
Thu statement OF Chairman Throck-
morton, OF the joint committee. that no
method of employment of the Gil men
believed to be too dangerous to be
used In road work had been advanced
by those who fnvor.d the abolition OF
the lease system, and that 1t would be
the worst form of cruelty. besides I'M
necessary expense, to keep them in idle
ness. evidently had its weight.
Rev. j. 7. MastIn. secretary OF the
State Board OF Charities and Correc-
tons WAS quoted as opposing the use
OF the convicts in making clothing for
inmates of state institutions. as such
course would deprive the people OF
these places OF their employment. so
necessary 10 their happiness.
Two bills were passed only the frs,
meeting with opposition. 1t provides
that after May !. 1918. the convicts
in the State prison shall be considered
members of the road force, and that
such men shall be used in the construc-
ton OF highways under the control OF
the State. The men who are regarded
as too unsafe TO be worked on the
roads arc to be used either in working
for the State In the prison or are 10 be
let to contract. under such conditions
as may be approved by the directors
of the penitentiary. the Governor and
the secretary of the State Board OF
Charities and Corrections.
The other measure merely saws tina,
all persons sentenced to the peniten-
tiary or to jails Shall be eligible for
work on the roads. instead of those
whose terms are for less than five
years. as is now the case.
Price Not Specified.
Mr.. Creamcr objected on the ground
that the bill does not say what price
is TO be paid for ~ prison labor which
is to be let TO contract. MIR. Throck-
morton replied that the subcommittee
had thrown every safeguard around
this feature. and that the persons
named would see that the States in
terest is protected.
Mr.. Dreamer said that 500 persons
were present at the public hearing be-
fore tho joint committee In opposition
to any sort of contract, but that no
person had appeared in favor OF hiring
out the prisoners. No Virginia manu-
facturer had put in a bid for the
labor.
After the passage OF the bill. by n
vote Of O. to 10. Mr.. Oliver. who voted
for it entered motion to pass by a
motion 10 reconsider. for the purpose
of studying the measure more closely.
1t was lost on a show of hands by a.
to So, and roll call was forced. with
vote of 3G for passing by and 40
against.
Speaking then on motion to re-
consider, Mr.. Creamer said that this is
the first opportunity the State has had
to throttle the contract labor system.
Many people, he insisted, had expressed
the strongest condemnation OF The
hiring out OF men, but that tho Legls.
latmre. he was sorry to see. was not
taking hold Of the proposition with
much alacrity.
Curious Figures.
I'VE first heard that there were per.
maps 300 men," he said. Sin the prison
not regarded as safe to work on thu
roads. Later this number was placed
at 500. Then we learned that there
were GIL Of this class. Now I am in
formed that ITO men are employed in
odd jobs about the penitentiary. Add
ing these TO the 500 men asked for nv
the shirt factory which Is bidding on
the convict labor we see a very nice
calculation. smoothly made want
to say here that l regard the present
superintendent Of the penitentiary one
of the best men Virginia has ever had
In that nnsltInr ., III NV -