The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-24
PROMISES END OF
| PRISON CONTRACTS
Penitentiary Board Plans to
Abolish System, Says Luther
L. Schercr.
ANSWERS PUBLIC DEMAND
Hostility to Leasing Plan, Says
Board Member, Rcspon-
sible for Change.
ANSWERS PUBLIC DEMAND

The board OF directors of the State
sS charen o aGnsording to Luther T.
addressed the Senate Committee on
General Laws Yesterday afternoon. is
at work on plan for employing the
long time and dangerous prisoners
which will make unnecessary the con
tracing of their labor after the eX-
piration of the present fve-year con
tract
Public opinion. growing daily moro
pronounced against the working of
convicts under contract. Mr.. SchereY
told the committee, has driven the
board of directors to devise a substi-
TUT, and in all probability the presen,
penitentinry contract will be the last
Scherer. are not yet available, but the
board has been at work on 1t for more
Wac yeag 9 The Present
danSerous prisoners, has four more
years to run.
The announcement just recorded was
OF close Interrogation by the commit
Tee as to the effect on the penitentia larry s
welfare that might be- expected if the
General Assembly passed Senator Can
mons bill. which would require the
shlrts made under contract at the peni :
Tertiary to be marked convict made
before they arc put OIL the market.
Would Lose $4,000 "a Ycnr.
Mr. Schercr presented figures to show
nues of the penitentiary would be i'm
paired to the extent of $4,000 a year.
This would be brought about he said
by the fact that the penitentiary pro
label would dcpreciate greatly in mar
kct value. causing corresponding
tractors would be willing to pay for
the prison labor.
In this view AR. Scherer was sup
penitentiary. They assailed the logic
| OF passing n law at one session OF the
Legislature authorizing the prison to
| years and then. passing another law
two years later impairing by $4,000 a
! year the value of the contract author
| lied two years before.
Both prison officials admitted the
| weakness of the contract system, and
Mr. Schcrer volunteered tho informa
complaint by employing the convicts
in other work after the expiration OF
the contract now in force. They urged
however that the State do nothing to
impair the revenues Of the penitentiary
while the present instrument was still
| binding.
Lnbor Men Favor Bill.
The bill was supported by representa-
tives of organized labor. who claimed
that tho shirts made at the peniten-
tiary come into Injurious competition
with the same product manufactured in
tho State by free labor: II was only
! fair to the honest workman and the
employer OF free labor, 1t was contend
ed. that the buying public be given an
! opportunity OF discriminating between
! the prison-niade shirt aud the nor
/ mally manufactured garment. y
! To this argument the prison officials
replied that the product OF the state
! Pcnitcntiary IL shipped to distant sec
/ tons Of the country and does not In
any way come into competition with
the free labor product made In Virginia
Several OF the committeeman, notably
Senator Mapp, expressed their hostility
! To the continuance OF the contract sys-
| TEN, but were undecided AS to the eN-
/ nf ht.
| be labeled. The committee adjourned
! without taking action OH the bill.