The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-26
CALLS ON WILSON
CONSTRUCT Mann
Richmond Trades Council Wants
Contract Convict Labor
Abolished.
GOVERNOR COULD CONTROL
Letter Sent Nominee Calling TOR
Showdown Before
Election.
GOVERNOR COULD CONTROL

Tn a letter authorised last night by
the Central Trades and Labor Counci
| Of Richmond. Governor WOODROW WI
SON is asked to call upon the Demo
cratic organisation In Virginia to re-
deem its promises to put the CONVEYS
| in the state Penitentiary on the puS.
| lie roads and not to make any contfac'
| for their labor in the prison.
Governor Wilson is asked TO maze
reply before the election. pres maDis
with the idea of making him show mis-
hand and also Of having the innuenSe
of his answer upon the virginia 0lI.
that Governor Mann, who can control
the contract. is making speeches TOT
Governor Wilson in Massachusetts
where the shoe workers have repeat,
eddy. according to the letter. asheI
Virginia's organized labor to get rio
of the convict system.
The ASSERT On is made that the GOV
ernor in his campaige promised ina
tho convicts should go to the puolic,
roads and that Senators Martin anu
Swanson did the same thing. Inc
name Of Congressman Flood Is also
used as a ruling power. 1t is charged
that the Thatcher Shoe Company wants
to continue t. employ the conVicts ana
cry last winter that There are Gil con.
victs who are too desperate to be useo
out OF doors.
Letter rs Approved.
The letter was approved by unanl
nous vote at the meeting. which was
, held at the Labor Temple. 1t is as
follows:
Richmond, Va, October 25. 1912.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson. Princeton. n. j..
Dear Sir.-The Central Trades ano
Labor Council Of Richmond. Va. makes
| direct appeal at this time and FOL
! an answer before election as to using
your influence in behalf of labor upor
grounds that business sagacity anc
| craftsmanship must commend. as wei
| as patriotism.
! The facts are these: For years the
State of Virginia has hired convicts tc
J the Thatcher Shoe Company for AZ cents
| per day. and the contract expires May
! I, 1918. The Ma ssa chusetts laborers
| and shoe workers have appealed to us
! for years to help them fr I'm this COM
| petition OF AZ cents per day. destruc'
| tive to them and their employers alike
The present Governor: Wil 1a,tt
behalf in Massachusetts,. and an APP
pointee of his represent the power to
mako or renew a contract IF this kind
Governor Mann has promised in his
campaign to place all the convicts or
the public roads and the vicious ones
in the quarries. This can be done
and every argument before the Lesis-
lature proved il: but the Thacher Shoe
Company wanted the contract, and
about Gil convicts (about the number
desperate t. work on country roads
and only 500 more were ordered sent
at this time. The Governor and his
appointee could make contract with
your old county of Augusta (now dis
cussing a 81 900. 900 bond issue for road
Improvement for May. 1913, and for
100000 get more results than for
81. 600, 900 spent otherwise.
You know, Governor Wilson, that
road work is more humane for the con-
Wet. and he comes less in competition
there than elsewhere. Every politician
in Virginia promised that no contract
should be renewed, Senat ors Martin and
Swanson included. Will you ask these
politicians to do what they can to
have no contract renewed? Will you
ask the supervisors of Augusta County
to bid to get the convicts with the big
bond issue Will you call upon the
Democratic organization of Virginia to
redeem its promises to farmers and
laborers and build up the roads and
put convicts in a humane labor. Will
you give American labor and business
better chance than convict competi-
ton at AZ cents per day, or renewed
contracts at 65 or 20 cents or any otner
price?
Ask the United States Senators. tfs
Hon. William II. Mann and Hal Flo od
to do IT. and promise that there shall
be no renewal of any industrial con-
tract of this kind.
Hoping for ar early and favorable
reply. We are, with much respect.
CENTRAL TRADE AID LABOR COUN-
f. W. BLAKEf.