The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-09-16
WHY CONNECTS SHOULD BE
USED ON THE PUBLIC ROADS
Address OF President H.. B. Warner at Meetino If
North Carolina Good Roads Association
and Resolutions Adopted.

North Carofina Good Roads ASSocia-
ton, which was held at Morehead
City on July 31st and August 1st, the
question of the Use of State convicts
on the public roads was taken up. and
Mr.. II. Il. Warner, president of the AS
ISOLATION, made the following speech
with regard to it:
Why Convicts Should Be Used Oh the
Public Roads. |
"Gcntlemen of the Conventions:
Il find that my name is on the pro-
gram to make a speech on the sub
ject, Why Convicts Should be Used
on the Public Roads l have been so
busy with road campaigns and with
my duties as chairman Of the Central
Highway Trustees, that l have made
no preparation whatever.
In the beginning, l want to say
that l ave no criticism for those
who are profiting by the present sys-
tenn of the State giving away its on
Wet labor, and / do not censure them
for desiring to retain that advantage
that's human nature. Most any of us
would object and use all influence pos
Sible before we would surrender such
IA soft snap as receiving S35S per day
in the way of convict labor from the
State without giving anything Of value
in return. The gentlemen who are
promoting these railroad projects are
splendid fellows, it is true, but there
are lots of good fellows in this State
who are Just as much entitled to this
bonus from the State as they are.
Some Of the newspapers have been
criticizing my action along this line
because l have been trying to do
something for the good of the State
with the states convicts. At the
present time, as you all know, / pre-
sumo, the State %cOnvicts are being
worked on the States farm and on the
numerous railroads of the State. Now,
when | mention that they have been
worked on the railroads, do not get
the idea that they are being hired out
to these railroads., that the railroads
are taking care of them, or are paying
the State anything for their services.
That would be d mistake. They are
being employed, not by real railroads,
but by lumber railroads and roads
promoted for personal gain by a fav-
ored few. The promoters of these pro-
jects get bills l~og-rolled through the
Legislature providing that the State
will furnish conNictS to these roads
and the State board, keep, n take
care of them in every way, and that
the State will take in payment stock
IN such railroads. We have today IN
the treasury of the State something
over s40O, 900 in stock of this charac-
ter. The State has paid for the main
tenance of these cOnvicts, which is
something like St cents per day each
1T has taken from the treasury the
hard-earned tax money of the people
to pay the expense Of work done OF
bnSa - .i1rDnIc nr6 hoe 4 u lon in ma W
ment stock that is absolutely worth
less. A few days ago l saw the Chic
Clerk Of the Treasury Department II
a meeting, and | asked him what wa
the value Of this stock. He said it wa
absolutely worthless. l knew it wa
worthless, but l wanted to have
authoritatively. We are hroWin,
away his convict labor; we are givin;
it away. not for the good of the peopi
of a few counties, but to enrich pro
motors. We are giving away $35S Q
convict labor each day, which amount
To Sl04, 700 every year. We could mr.
out every convict in the State to res
railroads and get $50 a day each TO
their work. Now, if we are going t
work the convicts on the railroad:
We ought to hire them out to railroad
that will pay us cash, and thereo
wipe cut the deficit in the state
Treasury.
End "EIocus Pocus'' DOings.
> these railroads deserve stat
ala? II they do, it is the duty OF IN
General Assembly to openly and bolt
y make a direct appropriation {
certain to each or ines
schemes from the State 1reaSur.
Let's he honest with the people an
stop making these gifts III an lnolre'
Focus pocus" manner.
The men who are proftlnS by IN
poi O. cannot defend it. but beg IN
question by saying the state is moral
bound to carry out these contracts %
cauSe they arc acts of II General A
sembly. My answer is that. owing
the fact hat the bills were SilPpe
through without a full and Tree az
crSsior. that the General Assembly
under neral obligation IL the poop
To repeal these acts. There IS r
question il my miod but th"t u
whole business i morally wrong ar
that ttle Z, L.; is nrG is END CtnSt