The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-28

uons, or worked on state farns.s This
is Very serious and vital question
and one that the people have been dis
cusslng for several years. There j.
one bill now before the General AS
sembly which will stop the u.s.. of con
V1cts for building railroa dS and which
puts these conyictS 10 building public
roads. This bill does not in any way
interfere with the present chainganss
In the various counties and simply has
reference to those conVicts that are
sentenced to the State Prison.
| have given considerable thought
and study to the use of State convicts
on the public roads not only in this
State. but in other States of the Tn
ion. One point that / would like to
emphasize is this, that if it is possible
Tor the state cOnvicts to be worked TO
advantage IN building railroads. they
can be worked to equally as good ad-
! vantage in building public roads. In
regard to the cost per convict for
maintaining a chaingang, would say
/ that, according to the statistics col
/ lectel, the cost for guarding, keeping,
! and feeding convicts varies from 3a
| to 55 cents per day. We have q Ger
| tain number OF able-bodied convicts
| who are either leased directly to rail
roads or used by the railroads in their
| construction work, and these convicts
|
| which stock is. as rule, never worth
anything to the State; and thus a pri-
Vate corporation gets the direct benefit
OF the convict labor. the cost Of which
! we as individual citizens have paid in
| taxes for the arrest. prosecution and
conviction Of the convict.
Now, if We have able bodied CON
victs capable Of being worked on the
State farm or away from the State
prison. and if it is safe to work them
on railroads it is just as safe and profit
able to work them on the public roads
Of North Carolina and if there is
work which they can do to advantage
on a railroad, there is just aS much
work that they can do to advantage
on a public road.
The bill now before the General AS
sembly provides that the superinten-
dent Of the State Prison shall be re-
sponsible for the convict ca mp when
they are at work on the public roads.
| [ believe the plan is entirely feasible.
The cOnvicts would be either under
the supervision Of Highway Com
. mission or the Survey. and would hs
kept under the direct control Of the
superintendent Of the State Prison
and l believe it would be to the best
interest OF Sorth Carolina to gi,e uu
: furnishing the State convicts 10 pri-
A
f, Coast Line pays cash for them, the
I others pay stock: and the bonds ano
: stock are usually not worth the pa per
they are printed on. The public road
has a direct interest for every citizen
of the state, because he has the priyil.
ese of using every mile of public rOa d
no matter where ii is situated i'm tne
' State.
1 There is also bill before the Gen
: eral Assembly authorizing the sale o.
: the State Farm, the proceeds of wnit-f
I shall go to the school fund and t,
: building public roads. The bill ala,
1 provides that sufficient land shall y.
g retained by the Prison Board To pro
8 vide employment for those VINO can
1 not work on the public roads,
Z State Security for County Road Bonds
very important form Of State ait
e is provided in the bill introduced h.
d Mr.. kellum. Of New Hanover.
g The bill provides that the state shai
a become security for county boai
7 issued for tina construction Of publ
: roads. The plan upon which this 4
/. based has been worked o9t IL Xer,
:. great detail by W. ;. Wilson. .
!, Raleigh. and the plan has been subfn !.
< ted to many bankers. lawyers. are
S bond dealers al Of whom pronounc.
:, it feasible and practice ble pfopo
It gition.
Il The plan is based npon ti,e fac
( that in this State the bond issued >!
the State are free from al state eoun
l. ty or other taxation. regardless - IN
e holders or III what ceDtcit. nd
Continued on Page Txeiva.)