Arizona republican., 1895-03-02
CONNECTS FOR ROAD WORK.
mr- Robinson, a Cayuga County (N. Y) Supervisor, Tells His Experience.

StAGt or county authOrltleS WOulu ap- propriate funds sufficient to employ free labor in the construction of our common roads, I would strenuously op- pose the employment of prison con yicts on the work. 1 believe that true economy would be found in building up, eur highways through the intel Egence and skill of honest industry.
 More work and better work would be secured and the expenditures would meet with wider circulation in the community and would subserve more diversified interests. But it is con- cetsed that neither state nor county authority has reached, or is likely to seach, the advanced position where ap- propriations will be made adequate to the construction of roads by the hand of the free and honest citizen. If this De true, then it is equally obvious that the friends of ''good roads" must de- pend on the use of such means in the fnrtherance of their projects as may be offered.
 Last year the employment of con- Ucts on the common roads was entered Gpon in this county. So far as this sec siQn of the state is concerned the work was experimental. The legislature ap- eropriated Sl5,000 to be spent in build eng roads within thirty miles of the tSree prisons of the state and the money was divided, each prison receiving sS000; to this sum. by subsequent act of the legislature, the agent and warden were authorized to draw S1 ,666 66 for guarding, sheltering and the care of she convicts Out of that sum was paid sl,e civil engineer and surveyor from Che state engineers office at Albany. The agent and warden, friend of
 good roads" pushed the work vigor- ously and faithfully. During the few Gonths left to him, he built and com Steted three miles of macadamized scad, using broken stone and gravel For top dressing, which were thorough ey rolled by steam roller He also pre- pared many miles of road under the direction of road commissioners and has opened ditches and turnpiked three sniles ofroad on the west side of Owasco take. and has constructed many sluice- ways for the carrying off of surface Water-one of the most essential things @ the proper construction of roads. T l am informed by Mr. Stout that not an attempt was made by convict to escape and that he found it necessary so employ but one guard for ten con- victs. The threat to lock man for the day in his cell and to keep him from Ais outdoor work was sufficient to se- cure discipline.
 This evidence of MT. Scouts would seem to negative the statement recent tY made by Superintendent Lathrop in az interview published in the New York papers, wherein he is reported as saying that it required at the Dame srora prison two guards for each con- Q2ct, and that 8, 600 was expended from the road fund in securing two escaped eonvicts.
 The superintendent of state prisons does not agree with the legislature, nor does be agree with himself Two years ago the legislature provided for the york of POO convicts on the roads; last year 1t extended the number to cool eonvicts-and the superintendent made so official protest. In his report of tS9f, through one of his agents and gardens, he says:
 Taking into consideration that the l eouvicts worked only eight hours per day and that they, as well as their keepers, were Inexperienced in road s1aking, the above showing (of the l roads made) is one that is entirely sat tsfactory. That limited number of 1 eonviets can be worked successfully at 1 eoad building is now an established | kact and that the road constructed is a 1 hrst-class one is conceded by every one who has seen it.''
 The road here referred to is the road constructed at Dannemora prison in i Clinton county. which he denounces in Bis newspaper interview.
 Agent and Warden Stout could not have been advised of this change of | front on the part of his superior, for, a a carefully considered letter, ad- dressed to one of our citizens and writ ten within the last month, the agent and warden thus expresses himself:
 1T am thoroughly convinced that the scheme of building roads by convicts IS 8 stepin the right direction I think we can build macadamized roads throughout the country for from $500 to ST, ,0o0 mile, and in my annual re- port to the superintendent of prisons this year, shall recommend larger appropriation for building and repair ing roads. find where I have worked efat the farmers are becoming greatly interested and have rendered assistance in the way of donating stone and team work. l also believe that in the future appropriations should be made and that it would be advisable for the dis