The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-08
WILL TIE UP USE
OF CONVICT LABOR
Farmers Behind Lime-Grinding
Bill Plan Reprisal if 1t Is
Attacked.
POINT OF coNsTITUTIoNALlTY
May Attack Use OF Prisoners on
State Farm aud i'll
Penitentiary.
POINT OF CONsTITUTI0NALlTY

II the courts OF Virginia are in.
Foked against the practical operation
OF the limo grinding bill, which pass,
ed the Senate yesterday and which
now goes to the Governor the state
may be faced with injunction proceed
ings involving all its convict labor
operations. Officials of the Virginia
State Farmers institute do not hest
tate to say that if the constitutional
point Is raised as to the grinding of
lime by the State. they will make this
same point apply toward any other
disposition made OF prisoners save
road building
In other words, the farmers will at
tempt to close mp the State Farm,
blow MP the machinery used in the
penitcntiary by convicts employed on
contract, and keep prisoners from
laboring against the snow and being
beset by the dangerous wild squirrels
in the Capitol Square.
WINS bitterly Fought.
Manufacturers of burnt lime and OF
ground limestone inveighcd day in
and day out before Senate and House
committees against the passage OF the
lime grinding bill, by which ii Is pro-
posed that the State shall grind line
stone by convict labor, to be sold at
cost and small profit 10 the farmers
OF this State. These protestants said
that the plan Was Impractical, was
class legislation. was robbery by law.
Above all, they said ii wac unconsti-
tutional.
They pointed to Section ls5, of the
Constitution, which says:
Nor shall the state become a party
to or become Interested In any work
of Internal Improvement, except public
roads, or engaged in carrying on any
such work"
This, they said. inhibited any activ-
ity in the direction of going into the
lin. grinding business, which would be
putting convicts in competition with
free labor, and would be driving out OF
the State men who pay license and
who have invested much money in
plants.
So they say now that they will en-
Join the prosecution of the plan by
the me-Grindin6 Commission. To
meet tails constitutional point, the bill
was 30 amended as TO make It ostoSsi-
bly, a measure to provide for the en-
ployment OF certain long term and
desperate convicts. and incidentally TO
grind limestone in one plant and TO
grind oyster smells in the other.
Tnkc Few Prisoners.
The convict labor part of the pro-
ceeding, it has been insisted, is 81
small part of the proposition. One Of
the speakers before n committee in
sisted that not more than three con
victs could be employed about a plant
costing $4,000, rs skilled men would
be required in most of the positions
Officers of the farmers organization
which has worked up the sentiment for
the bill come now and say that they
are ready to meet the constitutional
point. II the manufacturers can en-
join the employ ment Of convicts In
grinding limestone, the farmers can en-
Join their occupation III raising turnips
and black-eyed peas on the Gooch-
land county farm, can enjoin their
arduous labors in rakint; leaves in the
Capitol grounds, and can enJoin the
shocmaking or shirtmaking In the
penitentisry.
So it may well be. that interesting
legal battles may come in Virginia be-
fore anybody is many months older