Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-04
CONVICTS
TO BUILD
GOOD ROADS
EXPERIMENTS IN WASHINGTON
SHOW THE EMPLOYMENT OF
CONVICT LABOR ON ROADS Is
A GREAT SUCCESS.

That convicts are superior to free
labor when employe don roadbuild.
ing, that they can be kept in suit.
ably guarded camps at cheaper rates
than the average free laborer Is
shoused and fed, and that the employ.
ment of free convict labor was bene-
ficial both to the man and to the
state, we're among the things Samuel
Hill, honorary life president of the
Washington State Good Roads Asso-
citation, demonstrated Saturday when
he invited several prominent Port
land and Seattle people to inspect
the work now under way in Wash
ington, and which owed its inception
to the efforts of Mr.. Hill.
The road is projected from Van
couver to Walla Walla and is under
construction at number of differ
ent points. AS an enormous part of
the distance requires the road to be
chiseled out of solid rock, it was
deemed suitable one to place the
convicts at work, which they are en-
abled to do owing to a provision
made by the State Legislature. AL
though 100 miles of good roads are
planned by the state, it is first in
tended to finish three main trunk
roads, the Blaine-Vancouver, the
Walla Walla-Vancouver, and the
Walla Walla-Spokane.' These, it was
stated by Major Bowlby, will benefit
80 per cent of the residents of
Washington.
COnvicts Earn $500 a Day.
Perhaps the most startling figures
presented by Major Bowlby were
those relating to the earnings of his
convicts on the roads. On the Lyle
road, known as Camp No. 8, last
month the men earned apiece $3.50
a day. This was a net earning and
was after the expenses of mainten-
ance, superintendent and transpor-
tation had been deducted.
AS the total cost of keeping the
convicts on the work is so cents per
convict per day, inclusive of all
charges, the average daily earnings
of each convict is $3.10 day. Simil-
arly the net earnings per day. in Feb
ruary were s1.55, in March $1.66
and it is expected, the May earnings
will at least, equal the April results.
Are Superior to Free Labor.
Major Bowlby says convict labor
is superior to hired labor by one
third, in other words, three convicts
did the work of four hired men. The
convicts themselves admitted the
work was much preferred by them to
the shiftless confining life Of the
penitentiary.
Both Mr. Hill and Major Bowlby
laid particular emphasis on the fact
that in place of being an economic
loss to the state the convict thus en-
ployed became a distinct economic
benefit. In place of work having to
be found for the convict and which
when finished, would enter into COM
petition with the work produced by
employed men, the work on the roads
was work that hired laborers do not
desire.
Guard Keeps Watch.
Except that guard, with loaded
rifle, patrolled the stockade, the
camp was similar to any railroad or
logging camp in the state. Working
on the road the men worked under
a foreman. One hundred feet away
stood a guard with loaded rifle and
revolver.
"A most picturesque sight" com
mented H. L. Corbett, land one rare
ly to be seen in this country. 1t adds
to the picturesqueness to know the
guns are loaded"
The convicts are entrusted with
the dynamite, the head devil" be-
ing convict with a record for dyna-
miting in Spokane that landed MIN
a life sentence. There was no par
ticular incentive to work, but those
who did not work well knew they
would be sent back to the pen.
An appropriation of 100000
was made by the State of Washing
ton for good roads. This is being
expended on the construction Of
100 miles of state roads and on
thirty state-aided roads, on which
the state and county divide the cost.
On the state roads number of con-
tracts have been let and the main
trunks will be completed within two
years. Fifty miles of good road
have. already been constructed and
about $50 miles of rough road.