The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-11-24

Judge Webster, county judge of
Multnomah county, whose wit
kept the convention in constant
good humor. He is a firm advo-
cate of convict labor and gives
good reason for his faith. He says
to take convicts out in the open air
and give them employment on the
highways with a knowledge that
their labor is shortening their term
of service, tends strongly to reform
them and it is far better than to
keep them Ishut up in the pens
where for IS cents a day to the
state they are galley slaves of the
stove foundry people. From a hui
manitarian standpoint, they ought
to be put on the roads. More pow
erful still is the unitarian reason
for employing them, In. the foun-
dry they are in constant competi-
ton with free labor. On the roads
they would not be. Moreover, the
labor of two convicts is the equiva-
lent of one of ordinary labor, and
since IS cents per day is the price
per convict, labor would be avail
able for building state highways at
10 cents per day, a very, very low
rate. The factthat many of the
states are successfully working the
convicts, and that it has been done
in Marion county, this state, with
the best results, shows that the plan
is not a dream or chimera. Later
in the convention it was shown
that by the use of c%onvicts, crushed
rock was put on the roads in Mar
ion county at a cost Of 46 cents per
yard, but which with other labor
cost $1,25 per yard
J Thursday was a busy day in the
convention hall. In the morning a
| large number of the visitors ac-
cepted the invitation of President
Catch and attended the chapel ex-
ercises. The OCCASION turned into
an ovation for the Good Roads men
the students extending them a
greeting. Of, enthusiastic character.
Speeches were made by Tom Rich.
ardson, Ex-Governor. Geer, Judge
Ryan of. Clackamas, and Judge
Webster of Multnomah, and the re-
marks of each were cheered to the
echo. After that, President Catch
excused all students from classes
who desired to attend the conven
ton in the forenoon and dismissed
classes altogether in the afternoon
On the same basis. IL - las: .s
At the morning hour in the con
vention hall an excellent address
was made by Isaac. P. Manning %.
the Salem Statesman, which will
appear in a future issue of the
Times. Another address was by
H. B. Thielson. formerly chief en-
gineer of the>O. R. & N, the full
text of which appears in other col
umns of this issue. A third was
by J. II. Albert, the well known
Salem banker. The question @o OF
why it is a railroad can haul, a tor
of freight 100 miles for S. while i
costs a farmer three dollars to hau
a ton a few miles, using his owr
team and doing his own work.. Mr.
Albert brought out with startling
distinctiveness as illustrating why
better roads should be built. 8
At the afternoon session there
were excellent speeches by Profs,
Fulton and Shelton Of the College,
and by County Judge Waters. Al
the evening session there were ad
dresses by Ex-Governor Geer, Pres
ident P. l.. Campbell of the State
University, and by Mr. Shupp Of
the Southern Pacific.
The delegates to the convention
were highly pleased with the cor
dia1ity extendedethemin Corvallis
Judge Scott Of Marion said: '"Cor
wallis has the reputation abroad TO:
its delightful hospitality and tn
cordially of its people, and thu
courtesies, and attentions shown u:
since wehave been here more thai
justifes her fair repute."
: Nearly all the Benton county SD
pervisors werein attendance ane
all are enthusiastic in commenda
;. ton Of the work of the convention
and on the general subject of goo
roads.
= t'55N r.1 II J sz;.
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| For Sale.