The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-11
les AND COMMISSIONERS.
Let and Discuss the Best Methods for Gettiro
Good Roads.
ment of County Convcts and the Insane Are probers
lat Engage the Attention Of the Convention
rleeting at Galveston

| - .hau you can under the present sys-
Now with reference 20 the ten days
| az now allowed county commissioners for
acting as road supervisors we know that
mere are many commissioners precincts
III this state so large that IL wouli be a
| physical iinpossibility for the commissioner
10 ride horse over it in ten days
| | do not believe that IL was the purpose
| oil the trainers OF The road law to require the
county commissioner to work for nothing
| That law has been on our statute books
Tor many years. At the time of its adop-
ton il was probably broad enough 10 meet
ell requirements. We had then but few
roads and bridges and The demands made
upon the county commissioner we're slight
| but since that time everything has changed
| except that law. The man with the hoe
has invaded our praires and where there
was seen only waving grasses and lowing
herds, we now find the tilier of the soil
and fields of cotton and corn.
| Since the enactment of that old law,
thousands Of hone seekers have found their
way into our broad domain. Have built
their houses and fenced their lands This
is fact, both as to the prairie aui TIM
bered sections of this State II the East
! the ring Of the wuodman's AK mas been
heard for years, and the once virgin forest
is now honeycombed with farms and thick
" dotted with the hahitstlons OF man
Where once we had reads or trails that
when cut up by travel might be abandoned
for new ones. we now have lanes. and
| when you conine the travel 10 a lane Just
/ then you creatd necessity for road work.
and to enable US to do this necessary read
work we must have a law in keeping with
| the present time. and one Of the objects Of
! this association is to secure the enact
| ment OF such n law and you can do II.
| nf
| citation will put his shoulder to the wheel,
| and say we will do it, then II will be done,
| The next legislature will give us such
| law, or laws as Wa stand in need OF II
| we put this matter before them in the
| proper manner.
| Judge Roulett Of Jackson county said
! he wasn't loaded, but he advanced the
| opinion that the convention should be
| broader in its nature, should consider other
| subjects than that % roads. lie had no
| suggestion to make.
Judge Shaw, on motion OF Judge Gray,
was invited to speak on the subject of
| "Paupers and Poor Farms" The jurist
said he was not prepared to speak on gem
eral subjects yet he would make few
remarks on roads and bridges. This is
, his first term, and his predecessors were
| the first to inaugurate system Of good
roads He alluded to tho Harrisburg road
and spoke OF the material employed, 81 ell,
| WHICH ne considered inferior 10 NtdlusEts
| He advocated good roads and bridges and
thought an official should devote the same
care and attention to public affairs as he
| would to his private business. Drainage
| he considered a matter Of even higher I'M
! portance than the material Of "A road. He
| would rather have well drained dirt
road than a poorly drained road Of costly
| material. The issuance of bonds i.r such
purposes was encouraged by the speaker
and he aptfy illustrated his theo'r by refer
ence TO the man wh1 always k,pt a little
| in debt in order to stimulate himse! to
greater efforts in securing and laying for
his property. Mention was made Of work
now going on in Harris county and the
Increased valuations To so anead and
keep ahead we must go into debt 4 l'ttle.
Good drainage he considered VAS CT the
first Importance. Have first class drain
age even IL you have to have att"nd class
roads" concluded the speaker.
An informal discussion followed et the
use of convicts in building reads and the
expense thereof, together with portable
jails. etc. Comparisons were made and
the discussion DEVELOPED into an lnforme.
conversation Commissioner johnson OF
Galveston said that the C0nvt,.s il his
district were building about four niles OF
5 cents per cubic yard, He described The
implements used aud the svstonl employed.
| going into details. He spoke in lhe highest
| terms of the culverts of Harris county. In
| speaking OF county farms, be said that in
Galveston county the first thing the present
administration did was to get rid OF the
hogs and cattle, except whit COWS we're
| necessary to furnish milk. Just enough
vegetables were raised 10 supply the in.
inmates The superintendent also acted
| as road overseer. The convicts are well
fed and are well treated, and {, y 90 good
work.
Owing to the illness OF Commissioner
Jules Hirsch of Harris county the following
| paper prepared by him upon the subject OF
employing county convicts on roads was
read by Commissioner Becker OF Harris
county.
Mr.. President and Members Of the Con-
ventlon-The working of convicts on coun.
ty roads Is one OF vital Importance and
has been agitating the minds OF tho great
est economists in this country, as well as
Europe and the problem, in my humble
! opinion. has not been solved as yet. doubt
very much whether can enlighten you on
the subjsct: What shall be done with coun-
ty convicts? Should they be left in Jail
and fed at the expense OF the county, or is
; il not more beneficial for the public at
large 10 have them work on county roads
That issue brings to question taNatior,
labor and morality, The connection OF tax
alton In this matter Is in case or convict
labc- not being utilized and taxpayers
TO foot the bills OF expense OF suste nance
without any returns, The connection o.
|, labor Is that these conyicts. If not used To
perform this work free, labor would have
10 be employed aud the connection OF NOR
, atty being somewhat remote 1t Is never
tbeless aft cted TO some extent Ter snould
ia fV, sQI Ia
idleress. would rot their minds be con-
stantly employed deyis.ns some new Grim
InaI scheme when released?
Work they must rform aud 1t IS 10 D.
decided where they can be utilized TO the
best advartaga. If ii WIRE feasible TO adopi
plan by which these conylcts could p'
worked on county farms and to be made
salf-sustaning then. in my opinion. tax
alton. labor. etc. wouldn't conflict, as the
taxpayer by the labor performed by tn So