The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-26


Southern Good Roads:
The State of Virginia extends TO
her counties for the purpose OF roao
improvement aid in two forms. VIZ.
convict Labor and money.
While 1t Is not proposed at this time
to discuss the money aid form- let
II be briefly said that an annual APP
preparation for that purpose Is d.
vided between the counties applying
for this form Of State aid in proper
ton to the total amount OF the rea,
estate, personal property, income ana
capitation taxes paid into the state
treasury by such counties during the
preceding fiscal year. "A county 70
obtain money aid obligates itself to
put up an amount equal to That re-
ceived from the State and to nave
| the work done in accordance with
| the plans and specifications OF the
State Highway Commissioners and un-
| der the supervision of representa-
| tive appointed by him.
No county can receive both forms
of state aid in any one year. and
! Application has to he made FOR either
! hat IL desired before March l OF each
Year.
:. should Il county decide to use the
convict road force, its local road au-
/ thoritles to obtain such aid have TO
/ agree to furnish the teams, machin-
! cry. tools. materials. etc. necessary
! for an economical and expeditions
/ prosecution OF the work, to pay the
/ salary of All appointtee OF the state
| highway Commissioner, whose duty II
! AZ t. see that the work Is carried on
| IN accordance win the plans anu spe-
| Quotations of the Highway Commls-
/ sion and to provide such medical at
7. tendance AS may be required tor the
prisoners.
The state convict road force Is com
/ posed of males over sixteen years OF
age who are imprisoned In the tails
or confined in the penitentiary for
! terms not exceeding uSe years.
This force Is guarded. fed. clothed
and transported at the expense Of the
/ state under the direction OF the super
| intendent OF the penitentiary, and is
furnished by him To such counties and
I in such numbers az the highway COM
+ missioner may direct.
i In counties where the road force Is
10 be used and the road work Is let
TO contract, the convicts are furnished
to the contractor at 10 cents per man
per hour. and their hire is deducted
from the monthly payments. the coun-
lty securing the dement's OF this deduc-
zion. At one time a form of contract
| was tried by which 1t was agreed
| that all the labor necessary for the
work should be furnished contractors,
but 1t was found that under that sys-
| tenn the labor was not used Az eco
Inomicaliy as when n rer diem charge
Is made.
Camps are located with view to
securing proper drainage and plen-
tful supply OF good water. The men
are CHARTERED in two sheds that have
corrugated metal roofs anu canvas
SIDES, ana are o constructed that tney
may be readily taken down anu set up
again when camp Is moved. me eat
ing shed IS provided with tables ana
benches, ana the sleeping fsnea with
noorins ana bun9s. 1ney are of am
pie capacity for taking care of from
nifty to seventy-f1ve men. Smaller
buildings OF the same construction are
pro,iaeu for the sergeant in charge,
guards. cooking, etc. AS rule nve
prisoners are kept in camp for the
purpose OF cooking, washing. cleaning,
etc. in addition 10 the sergeant. four
or five gaurds are employed at each
camp. Our law prescribes that the
number OF guards shall not exceed
one to every eight prisoners. The
guards are required to direct and su
pervise the workr OF the men an far
as practicable. The pay Of sergeant
begins usually with $50 per monlh
and board. and may not exceed SIS
per month ana board, ana that of q
guard begins with SIS per month and
board. and cannot exceed $50 per
month and board. Such salaries con-
stI,ute the heaviest single item Of ex-
pense in the maintenance OF the road
force, and while TRUSTEES are made as
| frequently az possible, our experience
has not yet enabled us to materially
reduce the cost OF guarding.
| The cost OF the State Of providing
convict labor has thus far averaged
about seventy cents per man per ten
hour working day.
| Since the organization OF the road
force about four years ago, it has
been worked In seventeen counties.
Starting with six campo, the number
was gradually increased to fourteen.
representing about seven hundred
prisoners at work on the roads of the
State. At present. however, owing to
the tnadequacy OF the appropriation
/ there are only twelve camps being
maintained by the State, though when
It became necessary In order to re-
duce expenses to withdraw from
| Washington and Nottowa counties the
camps that had been located there,
those counties arrange to continue the
road forces ut work by paying for
their maintenance out Of the county
/ funds, which tends to show that the
experience OF the county authorities
with this class Of labor had been salts
J factory.
A great deal has been said about
thu inaA3alAncv of convict labor -