The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-05-31
CONNICT-MADE ROADS.

| The question, What shall be done
with convicts and Migrants? is ans
wered by the advocates of good county
roads with: Put them to work in con-
structing highways. 1t is a reply that
may call out protest, as the employ
ment of prisoners on labor which may
be classed as competitive is not al
ways approved.
| Those who recommend cOnVict-labOr
for road making have ground for re-
torting that almost all work is Compel
tive, and that of competitive employ
ments, the building of roads is prob
ably the least competitive. Trained
roadbuilders do better work than con-
victs, as the convict is not only mex
perienced but is for many reasons,
against hard and efficient work. partic-
ularly owing to the lack of incentive.
! But the service of trained roadbuilders
! is not absolutely necessary for making
rural roads. Provided the superintend-
ents are experts, it is possible, as eX-
! perience proves, to get satisfactory re-
suits from convict and hobo" labor.
Objection to employment of convicts
and Migrants should emanate, if at all,
from mion-la organizations. OBJ
lection from this source would be JUS
titled, as one purpose of the organiza-
tons is to guard the interests of the
unemployed and another is to protect
the interests of all of their members.
But it is not likely that union labor
organizations Will protest against the
several places where cOnvicts and va
grants have been put to work on the
roads, the local labor organizations
have approved the experiment. And
experience appears to show that the
innovation is generally advantageous
In fact, it is not improbable that la
Dor organizations will support the plan.
Putting convicts at work in roadbuild-
ing will keep them out of the regular
trades and will not interfere with the
regular laborer. 1t is remarked that
the men employed on wages in road
building, are not, as a rule, members
of unions, but newly arrived immi-
grants. However, taking other cir
cumstances into account there are
many reasons for supposing that, if
the plan, they will, at least, not OPP
pose or condemn it.
There is much truth in the assertion
that enough good roads cannot be con-
structed quickly except with convict
and vagrant labor. The necessity for
good roads and the opportunity and
means for building them warrant en-
ployment of convicts and Migrants and
thus afford a plan for using the con-
victs and saving expense to the pub
lie. When the plan is developed, it
viii also be advisable to exhibit some
consideration for these workmen, not
only by teaching them how to earn a
livelihood after they are free. but by
giving them some remuneration for
their labor.
Concerning the employment of con-
Victs in Schenectady county, New
York, Mr.. Will Templar wrote in the
january Municipal Journal: "As to the
actual working of prisoners under this
plan, none of the bugbears of philan-
thropic penologists have been apparent
The labor unions have heartily indoors
ed the movement, there has been no
recourse to shooting in the endeavor
to recaptre an escaped convict, the
hardening process has not been no.
ugeahle ana most Of the men have
performed their work cheerfuIly."
Conditions are not the same every
where and success may not be the re-
suit everywhere, nor would the en-
pIoymeut Of convict labor in road
building he a good policy everywhere:
but 50 far most experiments have been
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