Semi-weekly herald., 1913-01-16
ShAfROTH'S MESSAGE
TO 18th ASSEMBLY
CALLS ATTENTION TO PROMISED
LEGISLATION AND SUG-
GESIS MORE

nial message to the Nineteenth Gen.
the senate and house. The governor
takes up considerable space enumer-
ating the measures which he termed
progressive placed on the statute
books the past four years, being thir-
ty-thIee in number. Following is a
synopsis of the governors review of
the state institutions and recommen-
dations.
TO the Members of the Nineteenth
General Assembly of the State
of Colorado:
Ladies and With a to-
tai production in the state of Colo
rado, for the year 1912, of miners of
the value of S42, ,502S2 of eleven mil
hon tons of coal; of steel and iron of
the value of SIS, l40,523; of agricul-
ture of the value of $50, ,2s7 800; of
live stock to the value of S41 ,Sd4 900;
of beet sugar of the value of $780,
TS2,991; of Denver manufactures of
the value of S63,0S4,524, and of Colo
RADIO manufactures OF the value of
Sl51, ,573, 1854, we can greet the world
with the statement that Colorado has,
in the last year, produced more sub
stantial wealth than ever before in
its entire history.
With rank among the states as
second in mineral, third in sugar and
seventh in coal production, we can
truly say that, for young state, its
progress has been indeed marvellous.
The Penitentiary
Notwithstanding the increase in the
cost of living, the penitentiary has
been conducted during the past two
years upon the appropriation of $237,-
900, which is $4,000 less than the
app opriation for the former biennial
period.
The institution has earned in cash
S33, 144.2I and in farm and garden
products $21 1,017.23. With no appro-
priation for buildings, the warden has
constructed two new buildings from
the earnings, has made improvements
and repairs to the value of S76,320.36,
and has done road work to the labor
value of S223,479.56, to the counties,
above all expenses.
While the total appropriation for
this institution was S237 900, the to-
tai earnings in cash, labor and i'm
provements was $3.50 1861 80. The daily
a 0a ptIp1har of TES
during the past biennial period, while
the daily average for the two years
previous was 724. Eliminating the
female prisoners, the insane, the men
tally and physically defective men in
: the institution, the average who were
on trust and honor in work upon the
highways and farms, was 81 per cent
of the total prison population. There
was a net loss from escapes of only
twelve men in the two years, or a
percentage of only | 1-5 per cent of
the total population of the peniten
tiary.
Highways have been constructed by
the prisoners in Mesa, Fremont, Lar
liner, Weld, Boulder, jefferson, El
Paso and Pueblo counties. One hun
dred and fifty-seven miles of good
roads have been built; some of the
same have been blasted out of solid
rock. This work has been done at a
cost to the different counties of 80
cents per day per man, or a total
cost of $50, 1854, or including the
feed for twenty-one state teams, $46,-
S05.44. At the figure of 50 day for
the road workers, SIS day for the
cement workers, "a day for the
blacksmiths and $3.50 day for the
state teams, the value of the labor
of these men and teams would be to
the counties S266,2S5.
The road work is done by gangs of
men, between forty and fifty in num-
ber. They are maintained in unin-
closed camps, consisting of several
tents. During their work no armed
guards accompany them, and only two
unarmed overseers, direct how and
where the work shall be done. Dyna-
mite is used freely by the convicts in
rock work. At night the men are
not manaced or chained, but sleep in
tents, with trusty, armed with a
rifle, as guard. Each prisoner who
is entrusted to do road or farm work,
takes an oath, administered by the
warden, that he will not escape or
permit any other prisoner to do so.
A few months ago one of the con-
victs escaped. He was seen by an
other prisoner, who went to the camp,
seized rifle, followed him for eight
miles, arrested him, and brought him
back and turned him over to the su-
perintendent, who returned him to the
penitentiary. few months ago a
life-termer, working upon road in
Larimer county, came unaccompanied
to the meeting Of the board of par
dons to plead for his own release.
After he made his statement, he re-
turned to the camp and continued his
work. These are simply illustrations
of the splendid results from the honor