The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-01-06
GOOD ROADS.
An Able Paper on This Important
Subject by G. w. Agee.
Working OF State ConvIcts on Public
Roads ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Facts and Figures.

4 irOin paper prepared Oy Mr.. G. w,
Agee for the Tennessee Industrial
League on the subject of 'Transporta-
ton Facilities
The matter OF good rOads-public
highways or turnpikes--is one of the
most potent factors in developing the
prosperity of State: and yet this is a
subject concerning which our laws are
very inadequate, not to say unjust and
!nequitable. The present road laws of
| Tennessee provide that all male inhab-
itants over IS and under - years OF
age, competent to manual labor. shall
work on the public roads so many days
in each month as the county courts may
require, provided it be not less than
four nor more than eight days. The
Jaw also provides that from the tax
levy not less that ) cents. nor more
than - cents, in each 500 of taxes
may, by the county court, be set aside
for building public roads.
Such are the road laws not only of
Tennessee, but of most of our South
iuation, resulting as they do in crazy
patchwork of highways (so-called),
built without proper material, often
without any material at all, having no
pcrnanence or stability; and thus in
accommodation between rich and
populouslv-Sett!ed communities is prac-
tically barred when weather conditions
are unfavOrablc, and, even under ia
yorable circumstances, the labor. the
wear and tear OF equipment necessary
to reach our railway systems or our
market places are great burden and
AK upon the people.
There are two questions of paramount
Importance to every State in the Union
at the present time:
l. How to improve the public roads
and highways; and.
>. How best to employ convict labor
without bringing it into competition
with free labor.
Obviously, If convict labor can he
worked TO advantage in making road
material and in improving the public
highways, this class Of labor would not
be in competition with free labor. The
plan Of working convict labor on the
public highways is no longer an expert
mCnt. New York, New Jersey. Della
ware. Iowa. California aud North Caro-
lima have laws on this subject. the
practical operation of which has
demonstrated the good results of con-
vict labor i'll this field of enterprise. In
the limited space of this article these
laws cannot, of course. be quoted in de-
tail; bat it viii suffice to say that uu-
der the California law, for example,
Tire State convict5 arc employed in
crushing rock by machinery, which is
sold TO the counties in the State at cost,
aiding 10 per cent for cost of machinery
III pad for. At Fresno and Folsom,
N that State. plants for crushing rock
ng ~ been csta blished. and hundreds of
Cnv;cts are engaged at this abor, fur
5i-':.ur broken stone al 80 cents per
cubic yard. as against from $3.50 to 81
per yard demanded by private con-
tractors.
The United States Department of
Agriculture, recognizing the great i'm
portance Of good roads. especially to
the agricultural classes. has cSta blished
On office OF Road Inquiry;" aud this
department is in charge of Gen. Roy
Stone. as special agent and engineer,
,Fho is doing good work in this behalf.
Gen. Stones plan, in part is as follows:
I. TO buy, at places suitable for gen
sral distribution. rock quarries.
>. To make the necessary railway
Connections, first securing permanent
agreement with the ilway companies
- carry road material at cost of haul |
ing. which railway companies gcner-
lily offer TO do.
5. Having erected the necessary ma
rEincry for crushing rock and stock |
AIDES for the care of the prisoners, to
bring ali ablc-bodied State convicts to
these places and put them at work.
I. The counties TO put their Jail pris-
orerS. tramps. and Migrants at the |
work of grading. draining and prepar-
ing the roads for macadamizing.
;. The state to furnish the broken |
stone free on board ears as its contri- |
5t;:ion t. road Improvement.
Nov: this latter provision may seem !
lues, ionable, but this is matter Of |
Detail. Perhaps the better way would /
be TO charge it up at cost and let each |
county or district in which it is used |
pay cost FOR road material.
Now let us sec, for example, what |
Tennessee i doing with its convict |
abor. On January 1. 1898, the State |
had about 800 convicts. About 300 of |
hc>c arc working within the prison
walls aud on the State farm. Those |
within the prison are engaged in man
sadIlery, harness, hosiery,
hoes. clothing, chairs, etc, all OF
which industries are in direct competi-
ion with free labor.
As to the farm products. the report of
he prison commissioners for 1886 shows
rat the market gardeners of Nashville
octltioned the prison authorities to
ease raising vegetables on the State
arm. as they were being sold at such
ow prices Is to drive the Nashville gar
leuers out of the business.
Some 600 State cOnvicts are now en-
.arcd. and were in 1896, in mining
.oal: in fact Tennessee has expended
n the last few years SO, 600 for State
arm and SI1T,9l2.15 for coal mines, and
-et the net loss to the State from its
business of farming and mining coal
or thirteen months, ending February,
S31, was SO. 599.O3. The cost to the
state for operating its convict Ia Dor for
he corresponding period was S2l3,-
az a., Now let us suppose. for exam
lie, instead of spending this vast sum
esrly one-quartcr of a million dol
ars-in the already over-croMded in