The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-01-13
e the noaoA
UinGs for tAs E~opleymsnt es Prissa L.
80 - Oas Highway.

Ulnes for the k0plOymene % Prissa L.
~ - Oas Highway.
The following article. written by jana
B. Brewster. Of New York. for 0md
Roads, gives some good suggestions for
the use Of convict labor. One cf Inc
great questions Of the l-s ~ cly IS has
10 improve our prbiic roais. .nf IN rs
discussion we are often ~conirlal.4 lv
another-to wit. What Is ine best way
70 utilize our prison labor
A plan Is here suggested for the slu.
ton Of this second question and for the
material advancement Of III. work con.
tcmplated by the first. Most country
roads and many city and village s,reets
may be largely improved by the use u
. material produced by the emrloymer,
OF unskilled manual labor L rrierp
the broken or crushed stone commonly
employed in making telfurd aad n.ac.
adam roadways. Assuming now tlas
many of our prisons are 50 situated n
To be within accessible distance Of good
stone quarries (Which is in fact the
easel, how can we employ our prison ID
Dor in the making and distribution q
this road material SO "a to distribute the
benefits equitably among the district
near and remote? OF course q suitable
plant for the economical production q
GOOD broken stone and Its assortment
into different sizes should be erected Of
the expense Of the state. and good rail.
way connection, together with a propss
equipment Of freight cars. must be pro
vided to handle and deliver the material
a fast as needed.
This being done. the question Of dis
tribution Is next in order. The material
having been produced ut the expense Of
the state at large, an expense OF which
each town, near or remote, sharei It's bur
den according to the value Of its proper.
ty. it is manifestly proper that each
town should receive the road material
produced by prison labor at . cost
equal, as nearly rs possible. to that paid
by other towns for similar benefits. Fer
example, Montauk Is $50 miles frcr
Sing Sing prison, while the town OF Sing
Sing il, say, one mile. and il the cost q
transportation by rail should amount v
one ZEN per ton per mile, and the cot
OF production Of road material at the
prison should be found to be one dcl.S
f, per ton. it would be manifestly un'sr
to charge the Montauk SsH
per ton for material delivered at Mon.
tauk, while the same material could b
delivered at Sing Sing for less than hall
that sum.
II. however, a uniform price OF seven.
ty-ive cents per ton could be added TO
the cost Of production Zone dollar, tao
requiring these two towns each to lsy
not the actual but the average cost q
material as delivered at both places. I
principle Of equity would bc followed =
Z which the benefits and burdens woul
be Justly bestowed and general satistas
ton insured. In o similar way inte'
mediate places could be served. and D
price made the same to all localities.
have used the illustration rs an illuszs
ton merely. The perfection Of the 81
oral plan Of course involves extende
and careful computation. % that q
average might be determined whici
should be observed in fixing q uni'orr
price for this material 10 consumers .
all parts Of tho state.
Besides the enormous advantage
which the operation of this system woul
bring to the many towns that are no
Z demanding improved roads. it would Q
fer unquestioned advantages in the ~
: Element Of the prison labor question ~
operate strongly TO the industrial bene'
, of the convicts employed. The varie
- of workmanship required 10 produ'
good road material would call into
tiyity the trained and skilled coryic'
and others would be educated to the
c~omplishment Of work OF which N
have heretofore had little or no know
edge. This work would include
: ouarrying Of stone, the care, msnai
ment and erection Of machinery. :
making and repairing OF cars. tools, e.
and the performance OF other 49,
which has no relation TO the emll'
= ment Of free citizens.
In view Of the lively interest d
shown in the general movement
y GOOD roads, it Is in no way likely u
our prison labor would be able TO 9
Div q quantity Of broken stone wn
should exceed the demand, while n
a business point Of view the prohta
employment Of this labor by the 81
would not only tend to largely wipe
: the deficiency annually shown -
prison accounts, but q plan would be
sured by which every town In line
railroad or canal communication wo
secure an excellent quality OF road
terial Ut . less price than it could pe
- tanned in the general market, ard '
out investing In the purchase OF EXP
sive stone breakers and similar I'M
ments.
Any method that can be put intoP
IL ice by which Dur criminals ma!
usefully employed has . tendenc,
serve the community at large, and
10 especially true II the method has
additional merit Of teaching indus
manual skill and public economy.
were also provided that each disrh''
convict should, ~ = reward ff
conduct and industry, receive
~gtantial compensation to enabl'
make 1 new start in life, there
doubt that society would be
" n-.-.1l., ~c1 mcvnl1v