The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-09
CONVICTS ON ROADS
THE PLAN DISCUSSED IN ITS MANY
PHASES LAST NIGHT.
Highway Improvement Association
Does Not Think the North Caro-
lima Plan Would Do Here.

The Indiana Highway Improvement Asso-
citation held a session last night in con-
junction with the Indiana Engineering So
ciety, James A. Mounts, president of the
Improvement association, presiding. G. G..
II. Goss, of Martinsvilie. president Of the
Engineering society, read a paper on the
subject of the relation of engineers to the
question of highway Improvement. He al
luded to the great progress that has been
made in engineering circles. and held that
the solution of the highway question de-
pended upon civil engineers.
Mr.. Evans Wooden addressed the meet
ing on the subject of highway Improvement,
dealing more especially with the question
of employing convict labor in building roads.
He gave an account Of the experience of
other States on this question. In North
Carolina convicts are employed in building
roads. Photographs of the men are taken
and an accurate description recorded on the
prison books. They are sent to counties
near their homes. and are put to work on
roads without any sort of restraint other
than their pomises not to run away. On
Sunday they are permitted to go TO their
homes, but are expected to report for duty
Monday morning. The plan has been found
very successful. and was carried out at less
expense to the State. The cost of mainte-
nance in prisons has been estimated at 40
cents a day. while the cost of maintaining
the men at work on the roads. including the
expenses of experimenting men who es-
capped amounted to but 81 cents a day. In
New York, however, the plan was not sue
cessful. The per cent of men running away
very great and the expense TO the
State amounted to 81 cents. In California,
New Jersey, Iowa and other States, con-
victS had been employed in quarries pre-
pairing stone for use upon the highways at
a very low ratio of expense. the plan being
to dispose of the broken stone to such coun-
ties as were in need of 1t. In the main, this
method has proved successful. Mr.. Wooden
held that il would be impracticabie to en-
ploy convict labor in this State, either for
the purpose Of working on the roads or in
preparing stone for paving purposes. II
would be found that the same trouble would
be experienced with men who would take
advantage OF the liberty offered them and
decamp.
L. p Ewbanks took exceptions to some of
the differences drawn by Mr.. Wooden. He
pointed out that the same conditions did
not exist in New York and North Caro-
lima. In New York there was no classih-
cation of prisoners. and men convicted OF
all grades of crime were set to work on the
roads. In North Carolina, on the contrary,
only men convicted of the lesser crimes
young men arrested for drunkenness, asso-
ciating with criminals. etc, such men as
are found in our county jails. were allowed
to leave prison walls to work upon the
roads. He thought this accounted for the
cape. The knowledge that if they did go
away they would certainly be brought
back, lose all good time earned and be COM
prison walls, would deter this class of men
from running away. In this State, men
whose records could be known. men who
to their families at the end of each week,
could be trusted to work on the roads, with
good results. he thought.
Secretary Bicknell, of the Board of State
Charities, said he was not qualified to speak
in official capacity, but from the investi-
cation he had made of the subject, he was
inclined to agree with Mr.. Wooden. In this
State, if the system of farming out the con-
victs to the counties of the State were
adopted, it would not be found practicable
to furnish men to the different counties
whose homes were in those counties No
such classification could be made, and he
thought the inducements pictured by Mr..
Ewbanks would have little effect on men.
They could not be employed on the roads
during the winter and through the summer
months there would be before them the
knowledge they must return to spend their
winters behind the bars.
Mr. Mounts spoke on the question of i'm
proving highways and building good roads.
as 1t affected the farmers. He said the
farmers, as class, were inclined to favor
the movement. No set of men were more
willing to have their property taxed for
this purpose than the farmers, when their
iulIluS were Ollce dTOuSeu 10 the uetuS ne
advised that the members of the Improve
ment Association and the Engineering So
ciety make 1t a point to visit the farmers
Institutes throughout the State and en-
deavor to awaken an interest in the subject
Mr.. Goss said he wished TO emphasize the
suggestion made by Mr.. Mounts. He had
himself made a practice Of speaking on
these questions at the Institutes, and found
the farmers soon became interested and
showed disposition to favor the move
ment.
No officers will he elected at the nresent
time, but Mr.. Mounts said another meet
ing will be called for some time prior to the
meeting of the next Legislature, when def
mite steps vii be taken to secure legisla-
ton along this line.
The final sessions of the Indiana Engi-
neering Society will be held in the State
house to-day. beginning at 9 o'clock this
morning. officers for the coming year are
to be elected.