The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-08-20
On the Public Roads Of
Kentucky
IS PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE
A Proposed Constitutional
Amendment Is To Be
Voted Upon.
AN EXPLANATION OF THE PLAN

. proposed amendment to the Consti
tuition to permit the employment o.
convicts in the building of public
roads. At present Kentucky's con
victs are hired out to firms of pris
on contractors at prices ranging
from fifty to seventy-seven cents a
day per man. The Times has not
at hand the report from the peni.
tentiaries for the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1913. The report for June
80, 1912, the best showing made w
to that time, disclosed a deficit OF
1880. That is, the State suffers a
financial loss from the maintenance
of this system. The mental, moral
and physical loss 10 the convicts
themselves. dealt with as so many
beasts Of burden, is not to be fgur-
ed in dollars and cents. II cannot
be other than considerable, If not
considered.
Julian Leavitt, writing in Pear
sons Magazine. thus outlines in
brief the method of operation OF tine
system which Kentucky will be en-
abled TO adopt, provided the Con-
stitutional amendment is approved
and the prison contracts are annull-
ed:
The prisoners are classified into
three groups.
"A. The Honor Group, consist
ing of trustworthy. good conduct
men whose sentences are short or
within sight of expiration date.
e., the tried men who have little to
/ gain and much to lose by attempt
/ ing to escape. These men may be
put on road work anywhere within
the State.
"B. The Trusty Group, consist
/ ing of good conduct men, whose SEN
fences are long and far distant from
expiration date. e., men TO whom
the temptation TO escape may appeal
powerfully, but who have demon
strated some capacity to resist it.
These men may be put on road work
in the vicinity of the prison.
&C. The remainder who cannot
be trusted. These men may crush
rock and prepare the road material
for the use of the other groups, but
within the prison walls.
THE organization of all road
forces with the advice and under
the superintendent of competent
road engineers from the State High
way Department. Cooperation with
the county authorities by exchang-
ing prison labor for county food and
equipment"
Among the results of the opera
ton of this system as cited by Mr..
Leavitt are the following: i
During 1909 and 1910, the con-
victs Of Colorado built fifty miles of
road, much of the way through
mountain fastness, at a cost of only
s56,700. II done by contract, this
would have cost over $500, 900.
During 1911 and 1912, they built
800 miles.
THE convicts OF Montana have
already saved the State 5000, 900 in
road bills.
THE Virginia Highway Commits
sioner has reported that he can
build macadam roads with convict
labor at a cost of only $4,000 a
mile, while free labor had been cost
ing $4,000 per mile-convict-built
roads cost $1,000 less a mile than
roads built with free labor"
Here are some further facts and
figures" in Mr.. Leavitt's article that
are worth thinking over:
THE wastage caused by our bad
roads has been estimated compe-
tently at over $3.50. 900. 900 a year. |
IL strikes the farmer in his wagon,
the tourist in his automobile and |
the city dweller in his fat, little |
though he may suspect it.
The average hauling cost per
ton mile on our average country
roads is about twenty-three cents.
In Europe IL is less than ten cents.
On some roads leading to London,
the motor has reduced the cost to
four cents. The consumer pays this
difference. A high cost of hauling
In the country means a high cost of
living in the city"
With State aid and convict labor
on the roads. 400 miles OF good /
roads would be built in Kentucky
the first year. At the end OF ten
years. Kentucky would have not
less than 5000 miles OF good roads.
That is. In ten years. the taxable
value Of agricultural lands in Ken
lucky would. at a conservative esti-
mate. be Increased SO per cent. The
Increase In the taxable values Of