The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-06-06
GOOD COUNTRY ROADS.

thoroughly alive to the importance
of devising some system which will
secure good roads to every county of
the State. Georgia is one of the
most energetic and prosperous States
in the South, and when her people
become interested in any scheme of
public improvement they join hands
and go to work with an enthusiasm
and vim which afford an iDstruc-
tive example to other commune
ties.
The movements in behalf of some
general scheme of road improvement
eliminated in a road congress which
was held in Atlanta. The congress
was composed of representative men
from all sections, and the discussions
were marked by an intelligence and
earnestness which encourage the hope
of practical results from its delibera~
tions. Gov. Gordon was among the
speakers, and in his remarks he
dwelt upon the great importance to
every community of securing good
and durable thoroughfares for the
free and economical transportation
of its products, as we'll as the COM
fort and convenience Of the people
generally.
AS the subject of road improve
ment is one which the people of
North Carolina have had much at
heart for some years, the proceedings
of the Georgia congress have spe-
cial interest for the readers of THE
SENTINEL, which has repeatedly
urged upon the counties the impor-
lance of adopting more efficient me-
thods of constructing and maintain
ing the public thoroughfares.
The congress, for want Of time to
mature a plan, did not commit itself
to any definite scheme, deputing
to committee the task of formu-
lating proposed legislation, but the
general drift of opinion, as develop
ed by the speeches and discussions
seemed to be in favor of compulsory
service on the roads, either in per-
son or by proxy, of all the able
bodied citizens for certain number
of days in each year and the employ
ment of convicts in road making
and road mending.
It was argued that as the persons
convicted of crimes had been guilty
of ofenses against the community,
they could most properly expiate
them by working for the benefit of
the community, and not merely in
some form of mechanical industry in
competition with honest labor. 1t
is also contended that such labor
would be better for the convicts
themselves, contributing to their
healthfulness and contentment and
affording relief from the dreary
monotony and hopelessness of prison
life, which in many instances is a
punishment out of proportion to the
offense committed.
The practical results of thus EN-
ploying convict labor were shown by
actual trial to be entirely satisfactory
so far as the object of securing good
roads is concerned. The plan has
been tried in Richmond county, Ga,
and Judge Eve, of that county, in
an interesting speech, extolled its
merits in the warmest terms. He
said it had been shown that the best
labor that could be put upon the
roads was convict labor. The con-
victs are kept in camp and securely
guarded During the eleven years
they have been worked in this way
there has not teen a single death
attributable to any local cause or t.
the nature of their employment.
On the contrary, their labor in thu
open air has been shown to be bene.
fetal. The men are well fed, wei
clothed and do a fair amount O
work at a cost Of 81 cents per. heac
a day, which is certainly far cheaper
than the cost of ordinary labor. Tx
work is, of course, more thorough
because it is more systematic, ane
and the labor is under much better
control than that obtained by the OF
binary makeshift expedients of loca
road supervisors.
An agricultural exchange says tn.
| best sugar beets are grown in saud,