The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-02
PRISON LABOR AND ROADS.
n r. Olson Doesn't Think That the
Solution of the eueq+tor

The agitation for good roads 10 oor,,
paratiVeiy new. The idea of utilizing
convict labor in making them good is at
ledst three thousand years old The en-
pIoyment of prisoners in the construction
Oh publc works and highways dates
pack to the dawn of history. The soIu-
tlon OF the convict labor problem nv
means means OF the good roads movement is
therefore antiquated, no matter how
plausible the subject may still look on
paper For If that problem could have
mus been solved 1t would long since
nave ceased to confront US.
In thls country convict labor has been
applied TO the public highways for gem
efauons; sometimes, as records SHOW
TO the extent of more than 5000 men
In single season. Among the states
which in years past have had experience
with 1t are Virginia, South Carolina.
North Carolina, New Jersey, Mississip-
p1: Kentucky, and even Texas and Kan
sas. Yet there are those who seem tn
consider the idea a new one and a fine
one TO advocate. Nevertheless the con-
vet labor problem remains as unsolved
as ever. The fact is that the road build
ing subject and the convict labor prob
lem have long since been found to ha
two distinct propositions, with no moro
relation in common than there is between
yard stick and a peck of potatoes.
Good roads have always been desirable,
especially to those who have not had to
build them or pay for them, conseuuent-
ly theorists have frequently made laws
requiring prisoners to be employed in
their construction. These theorists have
always forgotten that 1t requires more
public money to transport, guard and
superintend prisoners employed in this
kind Of work than 1t costs to have the
same amount of work performed by free
labor. Experience, however, has made
them see 1t, that is, those who have
tried 1t. They have also seen that it is
too late at this stage of civilization for
armed guards to parade around the coun-
try with chain gangs, the only way in
which prisoners can be made to do road
work. The rural districts thus invaded
will tolerate no such reversion to bar
barlsm. ga. e.s
But there are other considerations to
be taken Into account. By expanding
vast sums Of public means in utilizing
convict labor so as to divert such labor
from competition with the mechanic. arts,
competition with free labor has by no
means been averted. The competition
has simply been shifted from skilled
labor to common labor, the poorest paid
and least able to bear it, proving the
remedy to be far worse than the evil
proposed to be remedied. Besides, it
is an open question whether the state
ought to go into the business of making
improvements wholly local in their char
acter, as the construction and repair Of
country roads would be-
At any rate, it is quite certain that
the solution Of the question as to the
best and most profitable method Of utf-
izing convict labor without coming into
competition with free labor is not to be
found in the agitation for good roads.
Like most things in practical life good
roads will doubtless have to be construct
ed and paid for by these who require
them. In short, the two subjects will
have to be disposed of Independently Of
one another IN. P Olson.
St Paul, Aug. 81. 1900