The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-17
add MANY CONWCTS.
TO GOOD ROAD FORCE
Important Step in Employment
Of Prison Labor to Be
Taken May /.
SHOE CONTRACT WILL EXPIRE
Making Preparations for Putting
500 Additional Men on
Highways.

Public ROAD work in Virginia will be
| strengthened the first week In May
| by the addition OF ten large convic,
| camps, to be formed from nearly half
or the male prisoners in the State Peni-
Tertiary. This will DO the longest
step takon In tho history Of the State
In the direction OF the abolition OF CON
tract convict labor and In placing pris-
oners at an occupation It once healthful
and mind-diverting to them and advan-
tageous to tho cause OF better high
ways. to say nothing of tho partial
elimination OF competition with FREQ
labor.
Preparations for the now order OF
thnBs are now being made Counties
nave applied for convicts in sufficient
NUMBERS TO uee all the men that Will
DC available. State Highway Commits
sioner Wilson has his list OF counties
almost complete. The demand Tor con-
Wet camps has always far exceeded
the supply since the Inauguration OF
state aid to good roads Counties thar
use the prisoners cannot also avail
themselves OF money aid the same
year. and many Of them prefer the hcip
In the form OF prison labor.
1t Is the intention of the Highway
and ready for use by May l.. The men.
divided probably into ten camps. will
be taken to work at once. The cost
to tho State for guarding and feeding
men in this work has been found by
experience to average 90 cents the day.
Contract Expires May l.
Az o'clock r. NJ. on May /. the old
contract with the Thacher Shoe Com
pany Will expire by Limitation. when
thar hour arrives. approximately 500
prisoners now at work In the shops
VIII be part and parcel OF tho State
convict road force. 1t Is expected to
have all of these out OF the penitcn-
tiary and at work In camps within one
week
In the morning of May >. tho provi-
elonal contract with tho Thatcher Shoe
company goes into effect. BY virtue OF
ms. the 500 or SO men rema ming In
the prison, and not engaged IN work
ABOUT the buildings, will continue to
make shoes for n period of five months.
or until October l. During that time
the company Will be required to pay
TO the state the sum OF SO cents per
day. instead OF AZ cents, the hgure at
which JEen have made shoes for the
manufacturer during tho long stretch
OF years in which this company has
held the contract
VIII MIKE Overails.
The Star Clothing manufacturing
Company. of Jefferson City, 5Io. Will
begin execution of It's new contract
covering five years. on October l Ono
hundred prisoners will be transferred
each week from the shoe factory to
the now overall factory until by the
hrst week In November the change VIII
be complete. The shoe machinery Will
nc moved out and the overall machinery
installed during these weeks. The Stai
Company agrees TO pay So cents pei
day for men. and 90 cents for women,
and 1t Is because OF these high figures,
said to be the best realized by any State
In the Union for its convicts. that the
Thacher Company viii be compelled to
pay double as much for labor during
the 1--WE months between the time It's
old contract expires and the final day
when II must retire from its activities
in the Virginia prison.
Major James T. Wood. Superintend-
cnt OF the Pcnitcntiary has already be-
gun to select the men who are to go
out on the roads. Short term men will
be chosen first except where they are
recognized 10 be vicious. II was the
intent OF the Legislature that the long
term and desperate men the two
classes the most likely 10 attempt to
escape from road forces, should be re-
tanned on contract within prison walls.
EqufPDinE New Camps.
Now that tho appropriation of $780,
600 for equipping new road camps has
Just become available, Major Wood will
proceed TO buy the necessary material.
il has been found to cost from $1,000
TO $500 to put new camp on tho
roads Three buildings are necessary
sleeping quarters for prisoners. a din
ing-room and kitchen hall, and build
ing for guards and road foremen. Tools
are for the most part furnished by the
counties. which supply all necessary
machinery used In road building. and
the state only furnishes n kit of car
penter's tools and such things as are
needed in the daily life OF the prison
ers
Clothing for convlcts on roads is the
same as that used in the penitentiary,
including stripes. IT IS found that
clothes wear out much more rapidly
In road work than In the prison fac
tory, and, besides, IT is necessary to
dress the men more warmly in win
ter. Jail prisoners on the roads do not
wear stripes. and for them the super
intondent buys khaki uniform.
Under the terms of tho contract with
the Star Clothing Manufacturing Com
pany, the State guarantees 500 men and
all OF the women averaging 100. max
ing 500 In all. n is necessary In ad-
dition to keep in the prison fifteen men
making convict suits. sufficient cooIs--
now seventeen. which may be cut in
half when there arc fewer to fced--of-
flee men at the prison sweepers and
cleaners, and the Capitol Square squad
Of six men. In all, the exodus to the
convict road forces will mean that
between 600 and 700 men and women
will remain in the penitentiary. 60V
OF them on contract