The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1903-06-18
FOR BETTER ROADS.
LABOR UNIONS AND AUTOMOBILE
MANUFACTURERS JOIN HANDS.

Tho Use Of Prison Labor I'm building
Public Highways "A Labor Lead
er's Plan For tho Employment of
Convicts In This Work.
The convention Of American road
makers which met in Detroit was re-
markablc in this respect, that Mr..
George Burns, the great labor leader
and president Of the Michigan Labor
union, advocated the use Of prison
labor either in building roads or in
preparing material to be'used for hard
ening their surfaces. He Is the first
great labor leader to advocate this
course, although it has been suggested
by many speakers and writer's OH this
question during the past ten years. Mr..
Burns sees that it would be clearly In
the interest Of such prison labor and
also In the interest Of free labor to
have the great army Of prisoners now
III the jails in the various states who
are doing no good for themselves and
adding nothing to the common wealth
applied to tlyo road proposition in some
form c"l her.
Many people object to suggestion
OF this kind because they say that the
use of such labor for such n purpose
would have n communicating influence
In the community where the work is
done. But to avoid such a result Mr.
Burns showed that this labor could be
applied In the preparation Of material,
either brick or broken stohe, where the
prisoners could be worked in inclo-
sures as they now are. The products
SO produced would not. come in contact
with free labor as the articles general
ly produced by such labor do. Conse-
Quently by this course you avoid COM
petition with the manufacturer who
offers for sale the manufactured arti-
Gle or competition with the free labor
cr who works to produce these articles,
and at the same time the prisoner Is
4eceiving more useful instruction, hav-
I'M GIRa&ke healthful exercise and adding
glk in the course Of years to the
cot wealth. If Mr.. Burns idea,
llp a. sog;ad isfid
wholesome ondoXhould be adopted by
the labor unions OF this country gencr-
ally, 1t would bring to the road cause
great aid.
The great meeting Of the automobile
manufacturers Of America held in Chi
cago soon after this Detroit convention
developed the fact that all Of the auto
mobile manufacturers Of America are
heartily In favor of some general plan
Of road building that shall be applica-
bic to oil the states In the Union. Be-
ing unanimous in this view, they
adopted resolution indorsing the pas
sage OF the Brownlow bill, which pro-
vidcs for Il system Of national, state
and local cooperation in the perma-
nent Improvement Of the public high
ways. 1t Is very evident from the logic
OF events that the time Is rapidly ap-
proaching when the friends Of the good
roads cause will be able to unite many
forces In favor Of the general plan OF
road Improvement that have hitherto
been either Indifferent or hostile.
The labor leaders generally have
been hostile to the idea of applying the
prison labor to this work, but now one
Of the most progressive leaders of or,
Endorsed in the most hearty and intelli-
gent way the idea Of applying this la
Dor to the general welfare Of the com
munlty by building up the public roads.
In order, however, that this shall be
made possible the road building au-
thorlties in the various states and
counties must be provided with neces,
sary funds in order to obtain proper
machinery, engineering skill and ex-
pert labor SO as to make use OF the
army Of prisoners who would be put at
their disposal under the new plan.
LIN order to sccule this necessary fund
IT 'fsSa pore. and more evident that the
aid ON the national government should
be cal \cd in to supply portion Of the
money. This Is all provided for by the
Browhlow bill, which was not only in
dorsdd by the Chicago convention, but
also by the Detroit convention OF
American roadmakcrs. Every conven-
tion met to consider this question since
the Brownlow bill was introduced in
congress has fnG.oIsed tho bill and
urged its passage. Hon. Martin Dodge.