The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-11-10

as to their feed. have
5lso bought for the county during1
the last II months one pair Of
Nules which the county nov owns.
items Of expense taken together
with the cost Of the tools which
would have had to been furnished
for free labor we will place at
100000 which taken from the
100000 would leave 100000
left to maintain the changing for
the year which would be 1898 90
per month. This, taking an aver
age of 80 men for the month would
make the cost to the county $10.-
loo per month for each man kept
on the Changing. This of course
includes every expense, including
the Supervision, Guarding, feed
ing. clothing and Medical Atten-
ton. / do not believe that any
one can say that free labor can be
had at anything like this figure.
Now as to the enormous expense
of Supervision and Guarding: /
have been giving a great deal of
my time and attention and some of
my best thought to keeping the
accounts, surveying the roads,
looking out In every manner for
the welfare of the changing and
the county, at sometimes being on
as many bonds personally as
would amount to 100000 for men
that were taken out of Jail to the
chaingang before they had been
tried which was saving the county
expense of feeding these men in
jail and was at the same time
getting the fruits of their labor
on the County roads.
For this / have been receiving
$500 per month.
This salary / do not think any
one will consider excessive.
The foreman of the changing
has until last June been working
for a salary of $4,000 per ninth
which was at this time on account
of his excellent work and good
qualities, increased to$45.00 per
month, and I think the people
among whom he has worked and
who know his judgement as ia
| building roads and managing men
will bear me out in saying that
| it would be hard to find a mar
| who could fill his place at
| salary even greater than mine anc
his combined.
( If the above figures are true
+ and it would lbe an easy matter
for, anyone to prove them SO from
t the records at the Court House
z I believe that any fair minded
man will concede that the worl
that is being done by the chain
r gang cannot be done for thre'
times the amount of money tina
is now being expended if done b.
; contract and free labor.
r l am willing to go on record
D as saying that the work that ha
t been done for the past II month
by the changing, which is showl
n by the above figures to be $4,000
a cannot be contracted and don
under any free labor system TO
t for an expenditure of $12,0OO.OC
:, and I invite anyone to make a
n inspection of the roads built an
q see if this is correct.
1 My sole object in writing thi
8 to you is to prevent if possibl
= carrying out the idea of dom
r away with Henderson County
8 Changing which in my opinio
h would be killing the goose tia
4 laid the golden egg, and also t
g prevent if possible getting til
management of our changing an
a. the work on our public roads int
l "a partisan fight, as in my opinio
if this is done we will be able I
s accomplish nothing, and I hoT
after your reading this that 70
-
d will e fit to make such CORE
N tions in your article in tt
n Western North Crolina Tim,
y under date of Oct. 18th as 70
ID may see fit.
le / beg to remain,
a Yours truly,
)r p. f. Patio.
$. P. ST. would like to add TIL
70 your arguement for the abollt1e
of the State Convict Farms an
lg the placing Of these conVicts Z
on the public roads in my opinie
N is the very best thing that coul
ne be done by the State and will {
ne more good for the improvemel
of our public roads than anythlr
a +hat has ever been tried.