Arizona republican., 1895-02-16
CONNECTS FOR ROAD WORK.
MT. Robinson, Cayuga County (N. Y)
 Supervisor, Tells His Experience.

Il GuSIt WcI6 DIODdbiIily 1idG ClIC state or county authorities would ap- propriate funds sufficient to employ free labor in the construction of our common roads, would strenuously op- pose the employment of prison con- victs on the work I believe that true economy would be found in building up our highways through the intel ligence 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 1t is con- ceded that neither state nor county authority has reached, or is likely to reach, 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 be true, then it is equally obvious that the friends of good roads must de- pend on the use of such means in the furtherance of their projects as may be offered.
 Last year the employment of con- victs on the common roads was entered upon in this county. So far as this sec tion of the state is concerned the work was experimental. The legislature ap- propriated S15,000 to be spent in build ing roads within thirty miles of the three prisons of the state and the money was divided, each prison receiving $5,000; to this sum, by subsequent act of the legislature, the agent and warden were authorized to draw $1, ,666.66 for guarding, sheltering and the care of the convicts. Out of that sum was paid the civil engineer and surveyor from the state engineers office at Albany. The agent and warden, friend of ''good roads," pushed the work vigor ously and faithfully. During the few months left to him, he built and com pleted three miles of macadamized road, using broken stone and gravel for top dressing, which were thorough ly 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 miles of road on the west side of Owasco lake, and has constructed many sluice- ways for the carrying off of surface water-one of the most essential things in the proper construction of roads.
 l am informed by MT. Stout that not an attempt was made by a convict to escape and that he found it necessary to employ but one guard for ten con- victs. The threat to lock man for the day in his cell and to keep him from his outdoor work was sufficient to se- cure discipline.
 This evidence of MT. Stout's would seem to negative the statement recent ly made by uperintendent Lathrop in an interview published in the New York papers, wherein he is reported as saying that it required at the Danne- mora prison two guards for each con- vict, and that S3, 900 was expended from the road fund in securing two escaped convicts.
 The superintendent of state prisons does not agree with the legislature, nor does he agree with himself. Two years ago the legislature provided for the work of 200 convicts on the roads; last year it extended the number to 600 convicts-and the superintendent made no official protest. In his report of 1894, through one of his agents and wardens, he says:
 Talking into consideration that the convicts worked only eight hours per day and that they, as we'll as their keepers, were inexperienced in road making, the above showing (of the roads made) is one that is entirely sat isfactory. That a limited number of convicts can be worked successfully at road building is now an established fact and that the road constructed is first-class one is conceded by every one who has seen it."
 The road here referred to is the road constructed at Dannemora prison in Clinton county, which he denounces in his newspaper interview.
 Agent and Warden Stout could not have been advised of this change of front on the part of his superior, for, in carefully considered letter, ad- dressed to one of our citizens and writ ten within the last month, the agent and warden thus expresses himself:
 ''I am thoroughly convinced that the scheme of building roads by convicts is step in the right direction. I think we can build macadamized roads throughout the country for from $500 to S1,Oo0 mile, and in my annual re- port to the superintendent of prisons this year, shall recommend larger appropriation for building and repair ing roads. l find where 1 have worked that the farmers are becoming greatly interested and have rendered assistance in the way of donating stone and team