The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-12-29


6 yshnty are such that it has
been impossible to keep the NUM-
fber of the chain gang up to sufi-
fcient number to operate it econom-
ically, and in order to do this, /
.I.haYe bought the prisoners from
1.-THE adjoining counties of Transyl-
vania and Polk, and have this
year, since / have lost the use Of
the railroad mules belonging to T.
@. McNeely, bought one pair Of
mules at an expenditure of $500,
(which now belong to. and is han
died by the county. For these
two items just mentioned we will
set aside $1,000, which brings the
amount to be expended for. main
tanning the chain gang for the
year dow nto $4,000. The num-
Der of men that have been worked
on the chain gang for the last IL
months varies from 26 to 46, or
we will say an average of 80 men,
who have been worked for the en-
tire year at an expenditure. of
$4,000, which would be SO a
month for each man kept on the
chain gang. Understand that this
$40 per month covers all cost for
the supervisor, for the foreman.
the guards, for the foods, for
tents, for the tools and for every
other expense of maintaining the
chain gang. Will any one say
that free labor can be had at any
thing like these figures9
Another comparison which may
bring this out a little more force
ably is as follows: Total cost of
maintaining and working 33 men
and 6 mules on the chain gang for
IL months, 50, 4,000.t Compare these
figures with the following figures
of free labor: 33 men at 81 per
day, $10,296, one foreman to look
after the work Of these men at $50
per month, 5000; 6 hea dof mules
at So per day, 81, ,s72; tools and re-
pairs. $1,000, making a total of
$13, ,768. ,::::,--ss
| woulf be glad for every one
to stu1y these figures carefully
land SEQ If have over estimated
the cost of free labor, or if I have
under-estimated the cost as to the
chain gang. If these figures are
true, the free labor system win
cost us something more than three
times as much as the. convict sys-
tenn, and then the helf will not be
told. With the convict, we know
that he is there-he knows that he
is sent there to work and he ex-
poets nothing else but work; we
look for it, expect it, and know
that we get it-but with the free
labor system, how many extra men
will it take outside of the foremen
to keep the required number of
men at work on the Job. For an
example of this, I would refer you
t othe Southern Railway, a large
corporation, which usually under
stands how to get men when 9th
ers fail. I viii guarantee to you
if you will watch closely you will
find the Southern Railway section
foreman a great many days dur
ing the year although he is
drawing from $50 to $65 month
walking up and down the tracks
Of the Southern Railway with
probably one negro man under
him. for supervision. La my
opinion, Henderson county could
never afford to do away with her
chaing gang. It is the foundation
of good roads Of this county, and
has been with all other counties,
and should it be abolished. this
county will take step backward
in the improvement of her roads,
from which it will take us a long
time to recover.
Now, in regard to the fourth or
last item which is abolishing the
free labor system we now have