Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-07-17
PLAN MAIN ROADS FOR THE STATE
Convict Labor in the Rock Quarries VIII
Greatly Decrease Cost.


north along the eastern shore Of the
Sound to Vancouver on the south, is
the general scheme of road develop
ment through the state outlined by
Joseph M. Snow, state highway com
missioner, and Samuel Hill, president
of the state Good Roads Association,
says the Ranch.
Both Mr.. Snow ard Mr.. Hill are
members of the state road commission
appointed by Governor Mead to super
intend the establishment of convict
quarries for obtaining crushed rock for
highway construction. Coincident with
the construction of these roads, the
commission proposes to establish four
convict quarries-One at Deception
Pass, on Fidalgo Island; one at Che
halls, another in the vicinity of North
Yakima, and the fourth near Spokane.
The four roads together will reach
the great majority of the population
of the state, and upon the construction
of these four principal arteries the
good roads forces of the state propose
to concentrate their efforts The quar-
ries will be located at points so situat-
ed that together they will be most
available for supplying the crushed
rock for the road construction in each
section
"The roads will be built along the
lines of greatest needs and on the
routes most feasible and practicable, -
said Mr.. Hill. 1--WE provide a sys-
tenn of roads which we believe will be
invaluable and of great Importance in
the development of the state.
Zone of the most significant fea-
lures of our whole scheme is that we
propose to build these roads without
any increase Of taxation. However,
the construction of the roads will
mean the employment of very much
greater amount of free labor than un-
der present conditions.
The two statements may seem par
adoxical, but they are not. The sec
ret of the whole situation is that we
propose to get our rock at cost. The
money saved in obtaining material will
be available for employing labor, SO
that more men can be employed and
more road built at the same cost than
at present.
eve figure that by using one con-
vict in a rock quarry we are giving
work to four other men. The four
men are required to handle the rock in
the various phases it passes through
from the time it leaves the quarry un-
til it is finally worked into the road.
With the establishment of convict
quarries in various parts of the state,
it should also be possible to send all
the less serious offenders direct from
the courtroom to the nearest convict
quarry and thus save the state con-
siderable amount in transportation ex-
penses to Walla Walla.
The Seattle-Spokane road will be
built by the extension eastward and
westward of what is now known as
the Snoqualmie Pass road, or state
road No. 7. The summit elevation Ct
this road in the Cascades is 3, 965 feet
and the maximum grade in its route
across the mountains is per cent.
It's westward terminus is now North
Bend. 1t will be extended westward
to Renton and thence to Seattle, a
branch also leading off from Renton to
Tacoma.
From its eastern terminus at Easton
it will lead to Wenatchee and thence
through Waterville, Coulee City, Will
bur and Davenport to Spokane. and
from there to the Idaho line. This
road passes through counties paying
so per cent of the state taxes.
The next road to the south will
cross the Cascades at Cowlitz Pass.
The road is known as state road No. 5.
Westward it will run to Chehalis and
thence to South Bend. From Chehalis
will be built branch road to Monte
sano to connect with the state road
leading westward to Hoquiam and
northward from there to Quiniault
Lake. More than $50, 900 is being
spent this year on the portions of the
road in the vicinity of Montesano and
Quiniault Lake.
The road will emerge from the Cow
litz Pass through North Yakima and
will then run eastward through the
section irrigated by the Hanford Irri-
cation Company along the northern
part of Yakima and Franklin Counties
and the southern part of Whitman
County to Pullman.
Vancouver will be the western ter
minus of the most southern road. A
section of this road known as the Co
lumhia River road has already been
built from Washougal, in Clarke
Co,n4v to GOldeOdaIe in Klickitat