Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-04-07
WHAT A HEAVY
TAXPAYER SAYS
tContined from page Al

Iazewell county should vote a bond
issue and APP ~ to your State aud
county governments for the use of
the able bodied criminals to be used
IN the construction of roads through
your county. Leaving aside all other
reasons we have given above, this
one alone is sufficient reason wby
every qualified voter who has in the
slightest degree the interest of his
fellonw man at heart, should cast his
vote in favor of the bond issue. 1t is
easy enough to say that criminals
should be punished. but we VIII, are
law abiding citizens, do not know The
reasons that women and men disre.
gard the laws.
1t is gratifying to know that the
Southern States are taking the lead
in the matter of using their convicts
for road building. OF the fifteen thou
sand miles of highways built in the
twelve southeastern states between
1904 and 1910 the greater part was
accomplished by the use of convict
labor. Georgia keeps $500 convicts
Mt work on her public roads the year
around.
No fewer than thirty three states
have laws favorable to the employ.
ment of convicts in road building I'M
fortunately, though, the laws in many
cases are vague, and in still others
narrow; SO that the plan is actually
followed in but eighteen states,
though in several others convicts are
employed in quarrying, cutting and
crushing stone for use in road build
ing, 1t has been found that convict
will do practically as much work in
day as free laborer and that the
cost of guarding and maintenance on
the highways is actually less than the
cost of maintenance and guarding in
Jail, in addition to the great benefits
to this class of people by being given
out door work to do.
Believing as i do, that your county
will vote in favor of the bond issue.
it then becomes necessary that dol
lars worth of road be obtained for
dollar expended, and this cannot be
obtained by divided authority or
without proper plans and specihca-
lions and thorough supervision of the
construction of the road. You may
rest assured that money will be saved
if your roads are properly laid out,
properly surveyed and grades and
curvature established in manner
that will not make a weak link in
any portion of a road built.
That is to say, stretch of road
five or six miles long should be so
graded that there is no one point
which will prohibit other than a max
imum load. The state of Virginia has
well equipped department for this
class OF work and it is within your
province to call for assistance from
that department.
Another and just as important fea-
ture is that after your road is COM
plete it must be cared for and kept
in good condition all of the time, for
if it is allowed to deteriorate here
and there, your road will soon be
weakened.
In conclusion, representing as
do one of the largest tax payers of
the county of Tazewell, l urge, with
all the force at my command, the
voters of Tazewcll county to cast
their votes in favor of the bond is
sue, and if it prevails then the citi-
zens of Tazewell county see to it that
their money is properly expended and
that they get dollars worth of road
for dollar of money spent.
You have my permissio TO use
this communication in any manner
which seems to you best and which
will be the most beneficial.
Very truly yours,
LIE. JOHNSON, President.