Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-24
IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS
Work of the National Parliament Held at
Nashville, Tenn.
Gen. Roy stones Proposition to Build
n National Highway Across
the Continent.

division, Department of Agriculture, has
returned from the south. He went to Nash
vile last week to attend the national road
parliament which convened September 16,
in Nashville, Tenn. From Nashville, by in
vitation. Gen. Stone went to Atlanta, Ca.
to attend the sessions of a joint committee
of the legislature, convened specially to de-
eide in regard to the employment Of con-
vict labor in the state.
General Stone says that the national
road parliament would have been much
more successful had it not been for the
fact that the yellow fever scare kept a
number from attending. AS 1t was, thir-
teen states were represented. the majority
being in the south. Those outside of this
section were Indiana, Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin and Nebraska.
The principal business transacted at the
parliament was the passing of a resolution
recommending the employment of convict
labor for the preparation Of road material,
which. 1t was stated. would encourage the
employment of free labor in building roads
out of the material prepared.
Delivers nm Address.
In his address to the parliament Gen.
Stone advocated the construction of a
great national highway. to be called 1.-THE
Great Road of America" which should
first join together the states along the At
lantic seaboard. then strike across the
country on central line from Washington
to San Francisco, joining there another line
which connects the states of the Pacific
coast; the road to be built, not by the ger
eral government alone, but by the states,
under such arrangements as they may
make within their own borders. 1t was the
idea of Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin.
Gen. Stone was reelected president of
the parliament.
Speaking on the subject of his trip-good
roads and the employment of convict labor
Gen Stone said to The Star reporter:
Was Greatly Impressed.
Il was greatly impressed on my trip by
the immense improven ent in affairs in
general in the south, and especially the
great disposition to improve roads. They
are being put in fine order, particularly
about the cities. by means of convict labor
This system is worked most successfully
in the south, Charlotte, N. c., having doI-
tled its population in ten years simply
from the results attending the construc-
ton of the roads in and about the city,
under the convict labor system. The value
of the property has been doubled for miles
around. Tie convicts have constructed no
less than thirteen miles out of the town.
1.-The building of the roads by the con-
Vets has been found to work successfully
in the south. and in some parts of Penn
sylvania. New Jersey and Delaware, as
well as in California, and l think could be
tried with excellent results in Maryland
and Virginia. / should advocate the en-
ployment of the convicts in New York.
where it is found necessary to walk them
up and down to keep them from becoming
lunatics. The best plan is not to have
them build the roads themselves but to get
out the materials for this purpose and let
the work be accomplished by free labor.
1T is a hard matter to guard them
when on the roads, but 1t is comparatively
an easy task to do this when they are at
work in the quarries, preparing-Ihe stone
Then. again, there is sentiment against
having the cOnvictS seen working in pub
lie. This fact does not appear to apply to
the south. Most OF the convicts down
there are negroes.
CnlffOrnin's Project.
1.-THE state of California has prepared to
furnish one thousand tons of stone a day
to the different counties, at the nominal
cost of twenty-five cents a ton, delivered
ready for transportation.
THE committee of the Georgia legisla-
ture has about decided, believe to pur-
chase lands and build prisons with the
convicts, as well as to establish Qlarries
Tor the preparation of road material to be
furnished the counties. A number Of con-
victs in Virginia will soon be released by
the expiration of contracts and 1t is pos
sible they will be put to work in the same
manner"
Gen. Stone is going north soon to close
state experiment stations on object lesson
roads. This work is being carried on I'M
der the supervision of his division. One
of the most Interesting OF these is at
Geneva, N. Y. where twenty counties sent
representatives to experiment and make
1900 visitors have inspected the construc-
ton of the road.