Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-28
Proper Work for Oonylcts.

Proper Work for 0onvicis,
Missouri, like New York, has some
big prisons full OF convicts whom the
state must support in idleness unless
the legislature suddenly displays more
business sense than Is expected OF 1t.
The ST. Louis Republican notes the
opposition Of the working classes to
convict competition, and then says
But there are roads In the state; why
not devise some simple, cheap and
effective system for employing the
convicts on them20 We are glad to
see the Republican setting other news
pRperp, including those OF New York.
good example by suggesting one Of
the beat uses TO which convicts
ever were put. Road making Is work
which never is well enough
done, because with hired labor
1t Is too expensive for any but very
rich communities. Even in our rich
est counties the principal highways
are generally bad. But convict labor,
at "A price TO be determined by the cost
OF maintaining the convicts, would en-
able any town or county to do two or
three times az much work on its roads
AS now, without increasing expenses.
The inmates of hundreds OF village
jails are utilized at road making; why
not those of the state prisons? There
Ia work enough for all OF them. New
York Herald.
The penitentiary matter" is all
but an annually recurring problem in
Texas. Why not see in what is printed
above suggestion OF infinite value to
the state? What to do with the con-
victs Is not yet settled question, and
II there is one thing Texas needs 1t is
public road system and public roads.
1t Is perhaps not too much to say that
the oldest states of the Union are de-
fic'ent In this respect, for even in New
York and Pennsylvania there is dis
cussion Of improvement, and yet such
roads aB these states have would be
deemed the acme of perfection by men
accustomed to the "black waxey" In
rainy seasons. The man who will
give Texas good public roads would be
regarded as public benefactor. The
necessity for and the economy OF good
roads are no more question of doubt
than Ia the difficulty of framing law
that will provide such highways. AS
was said by an exchange, the name
OF which is forgotten now, some
months ago, during many months
of the year, especially during the har.
vest season, the farmer grumbles at
the condition of the roads and high
ways. During at least three months
out of the twelve, he is busy upon his
farm and gives the roads scarcely q
| thought. In the early spring and
fall, the condition OF our highways is
( provoking and almost impossible. 1t
is then that the farmer makes q vow,
that If they ever get dry enough to
be mended, he will see that 1t ia
done II he has to do 1t himself. Never.
theless, he grumLles again when the
overseer orders him on the road, and
not infrequently he shirks the work
all that hecan. There are men who take
some interest in the condition OF the
roads, but there are some who do not
The farmer cannot be blamed fol
grumbling when he is compelled tc
pass over such roads as we sometimes
have In our country districts. They ar,
seldom, even in good weather, In 9
passable condition. More than hal
the time 1t Is impossible to draw full
load TO market, or to make deem
speed with any sort of load,
This occasions loss of time
Either he must make two trip
where one, over good roads, would
suffice, or If he has only light loaC
he must spend on the trip twice a
much time as otherwise would he nee
eSsary. Bad roads wear out a.team as
we'll as the wagon. 1t should need M
more argument to convince the farme
that good roads are an advantage.
We have bad highways because W,
have too many; because most OF tn,
men who work them have no expe
rience and are not responsible; be
cause we have no adequate tax to re
pair them; because there is too mucl
country for our very small road fund
because the whole system is wrong
and because we need new road law. ,
, Why not solve the convict problem
, and the question OF good roads by put
ting the convicts to work at making
good roads? 1t is well worthy tn
attention of those who aspire to b
statesmen In Texas.
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Thanks for the Wish.