The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-23
IMPROVEMENT IN
The PUBLIC ROADS
New Convict Law of Georgia Is
Working Very Well
GOOD REPORTS ARE MADE
Thirty Out of One Hundred Counties
Have Almost Doubled Their
Mileage of Good Roads Within
Year.
GOOD REPORTS ARE MADE

Atlanta, December 22.-(Specia1.)-
Particularly gratifying are the reports
now reaching the office of the state
prison commission with regard to i'm
provement in public roads in various
counties as the result of the new con-
Wet law.
The work done by 1000 ablebodied
men on the public roads of the state
Is beginning to show up splendidly.
The prison commission has requested
its force of inspectors now making the
rounds of the 13c convict camps in the
state to furnish as early as possible
reports covering the extent of the
work done and the results attained be-
tween April l, the date the new law
went Into effect, and December l. thus
covering an eight months period.
These reports have already begun to
come In" said Chairman G. r. Hutch ems
of the prison commission today and
when they are tabulated and published
they are going to make a showing that
will crafty and surprise the people of
! the state.
"A series of questions has been pre-
pared and the blanks have been fur
nished each of the inspectors. The re-
ports will thus cover every essential
feature, showing what each county has
done. the methods employed, the cost
Of the work and the substantial value
Of the various kinds of Improvement
made.
I'VE have received reports so far
from about 80 out of more than 100
counties which are working their roads,
and there Is scarcely one of them
| which has not doubled it's hrst-class
road mileage within the present year.
| The report from Carroll county, for ex-
emple, show 1900 miles of frst-class
road, 500 miles of second-class, and no
third-class at all. The little county of
Stephe ems, in northeast Georgia, has
more than $50 miles of first-class road.
Now the greater part of this work has
| been done within the last eight months
during which the counties have had
state convicts for road work.
| SO satisfactory have been the results
that do not believe there is a county
in the state which would. for any con-
| cAoOA ctAohp 8iNC dP It's coANiClS. when
! our consolidated report Is published I
am satisfied the people of the whole
state will be highly elated with the re-
suits of the new convict road law"
There will be new division of the
| convict forces of the state next yeax
Counties desiring convicts for road
work will be notified to have their ap-
plications in the hands of the prison
commission early in February, as was
the case last year. When all of the
applications are received, the prison
commission will apportion the convcts
among the counties applying in accord
ance with the basis provided in the law.
| The Indications are that every coun-
| ty now holding convicts will apply
again, and that some of those without
| them will be on the list. This will re-
suit In a still longer division, giving
fewer convicts to each. Some coun-
| ties have had the use of more con-
victs than their regular share, and,
under the law. these can be called
| upon to pay back, In convicts, their
excess Just how this will work out
in the new apportionment remains to
be seen; 1t depends of course upon the
demand