The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-03-02
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One Way to Build.
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&oE IT the convention Of Amcrl-
4 h can Road Makers. which
is IA = met in Detroit, Mr.. George
4 "A 4 Burns, the labor leader ard
~oE President Of the Michigan
Labor Union, advocated the use OF
prison labor, either in building roads
or in preparing material to be used
for hardening their surfaces. He is
the first labor leader to advocate this
course, although it has been suggested
by many speakers and writer's on 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 in the jails in the various States,
who are doing no good for themselves
and adding nothing to the common
wealth, applied to the road PROPOSE
ton in some form or other. Mony
people object to suggestion of this
kind because they say that the use of
such labor for such a purpose would
have a contamina ting influence in the
community where the work is done.
But to avoid such result Mr.. Burns
showed how this labor could be applied
in the preparation Of material, eitGer
brick or broken stone. where the pris-
oners could be worked in Enclosures
as they now are. The products so pro-
duced would not come in contact with
free labor as the articles generally
produced by such labor do; conse-
quently by this course you avoid COM
petition with the manufacturer who
offers for sale the manufactured ar
ticle, or competition with the free Ia
borer who works to produce these
articles, and at the same time tie
prisoner is receiving more useful IN
struction, having more healthful exer-
else and adding greatly in the course
of years to the common wealth. II
Mr.. Burns idea, which is undoubtedly
q sound and wholesome one, should
be adopted by the labor unions OF the
country generally, it would bring to the
road cause very great and much
needed aid.
The great meeting Of the Automobile
Manufacturers of America, held 1n
Chicago soon after this Detroit con-
vention, developed the fact that all
of the automobile manufacturers OF
America are heartily in favor of some
general plan of road building that shall
be applicable to all the States in the
Union. Being unanimous in this view,
they adopted resolution indorsing
the passage Of the Brownlow bill
which provides for system OF Ma
tional, State and local cooperation in
the permanent improvement of the
public highways. 1t is very: evident
from the logic Of events that the time
, is rapidly approaching when the
friends of the good roads cause Will
be able to unite many forces in favor
of the general plan of road improve
! ment that have heretofore been either
Indifferent or hostile The labor lead
ers generally have been hostile to the
i idea of applying the prison labor TO
this work, but now one OF the most
progressive leaders Of organized labor
has come forward and indorsed in the
most hearty and intelligent way the
i idea Of applying this labor to the gen.
eral welfare OF the community by
building up the public roads. In order'
however, that this shall be made pos
sible the road-building authorities, in
the, various States and counties, must
; be provided with funds Of money IN
order to obtain the proper machinery,
engineering skill and expert labor, so
as to make use of the army Of prison
ers who would be put at their disposal
under the new plan. In order to secure
this necessary fund II is more and
more evident that the aid Of the Ma
tional Government should be called
in to supply a portion Of the money.
, This is all provided for by the Brown-
low bill, which was not only indorsed
by the Chicago convention, but also
by the Detroit convention Of American
Road Makers.-Hon. Martin Dodge.