The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-05
BIDS RECEIVED
/. ON CONv|CTlAbOR
Five Manufacturers Desire
Prison Contract for Next
Five Years.
TO BE AWARDED THIS WEEK
No Decision Reached-Goo1
Sums Offered State by
Bidders.

| Five bids for the employment on con-
tract of such of the convicts IN the
: State Penitentiary as are not to be
worked on the roads after the expi-
ration OF the existing agreement were
received yesterday by the board OF d.
| rectOrs of the state prison. The prop
| ositions were considered behind closed
doors. and when the board adjourned
to meet az some time this week yet
| 10 be selected. nothing was given out
except that no contract had as yet been
, awarded.
Proposals, with the required cheeks
as guarantees Of good faith, were re-
! ceived from the May Hosiery Company
the Thacher Shoe Company. the +. a.
Clothing Company.
With the board sat Governor Mann
and DR.. J. r. Mastin. secretary of tne
Board OF Charities and Correction In
der a law passed by the last Legisla-
ture. these two officials have voice
| I'm the making OF a new contract Tor
! the hire OF convicts, since none can
be executed without the approval OF
at least one OF them. There are 'hree
votes on the form of contract. the
board voting as one, the Governor anu
| DR.. Mastin.
However. II is for the board alone
on recommendation OF the superih-
| incident to decide whether or not con-
victs shall be worked on contract the
two officials named approve or disap-
prove the contract after 1t has been
I decided upon.
Offer Larger Sums.
IF is understood that the bids re-
ceived Yesterday propose 70 employ
| the prisoners at much higher figures
! than those now paid by the Tnachei
| Shoe Company, which has had the con-
tract for years at price of AZ cents
! ner dav for men and rs cents Tor wo-
! men.
1 A runor indicates that a bidder VINO
desires to manufacture oVeraiis oneis
! n sum Of more than so cents per Gay.
or about twice the figure under the
| existing contract
! Mar,soers Of the board OF directors
| r,et at noon yesterday at the once
! Of Governor Mann. in the Capitol. AL
, v,ere nresent. as follows: Major james
u Patton, chairman; Luther Ia Scherel
. sar,uel Cohen F. Gerald Stratton ano
| " Y Bradley. Or. Msstin also at
tended. After a conference OF an noui
: the meeting adjourned 70 the oea.e
I.enitentiary. where the oios nldue
for employment of the labor OF I'm
victs were opened and discussed Near
1 " ALI the afternoon was consumed In
| 5,scussior1 OF the relative value or the
| propositions made and over the nature
/ OF the contract that Will be execu'eu'
| VIII Make Contract.
| II is a matter of practical certainty
! that a contract will be speedily MAD.
with some one for the employment o.
I the long term and desperate men.
about 500 in number, and Tor an o.
the women in the prison. The intent
~ tho law in this respect seems to be
, indicated by the wording OF the
. s,s,ute About half the male prisoners
/ ,v;u he nut OH the puolic highways OF
; N. State on May I. when the present
contract with the Thacher Snoe Com
pary will expire.
THE remainder will be worked on
contract in the penitentiary-
shoes have for many years peeh
made in the prison under contract with
the Thacher Shoe Company, "hieh ue
sires a new agreement with the state
AT figure il is understood. consider
.hiv in excess of the amount now
paid for convict hire. Should this con-
earn he awarded the contract for the
next Eve years, little change VIII De
necessary, since the machinery Is al
ready installed and is in operation
The Star Clothing Company, another
I bidder. would manufacture overaiis'
shauer Bros. would make various ar
;zcles of clothing. while the f. \
I.ukiu Co. end the May Hosiery CON-
pany operate knitting mills.
May Try Prevention.
1t is not improbable tina; some enort
will be made by officials Of the state
Federation of Labor in the courts TO
prevent the execution Of any sort OF
contract by the board OF directors
fight was made along this line before
the last Legislature, which. while put
ting half the men convicts on the roads
declined to take the step of doing away
with contracts entirely. The men TO
be worked hereafter in the prison are
TO be such as the superintendent may
designate as dangerous. or whose terms
are so long as TO make efforts 10 es-
cane from road forces a probability
The labor interests feel that con-
victs are placed in competition with
: free labor while engaged in manufac-
turing. The outcome OF litigation look
ing to prevention OF contracts would
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