The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-07
ROADS AND CONVICT LABOR.

roads of Utah has been at once salts
factory in tho labor itself, and also
IN the secure keeping of the convlcts.
The warden has made judicious selec.
tions of the convicts that he would
allow TO go on the road squads, and
his Judgment has been verified in Il
satisfactory manner The convicts en-
ployed have been working in Davis
county this past summer, and prob.
ably, as heretofore, the convict camps
will be moved into the southern part of
the State during the winter months.
There, also. they did good work last
winter, with the loss of but one con-
Wet, and that is the only loss of a
convict that has been suffered during
the whole period of this road work The
security of the convicts in this work is.
therefore, fully vindicated, and the
work that they do is entirely commend
able. 1t is done under expert super
vision, and it is work that will last.
There is call ont for the conven-
tion Of the American Road Builders
Association to meet in Philadelphia on
this year. The general subject of
road building will be discussed at this
convention under three heads, "Organ-
ization,o Construction, "Main-
tenance' Good results are expected
from this convention, and doubtless
such results will be fully realized.
The use Of convict labor upon the
public highways has come into favor
in many States. Utah was not the first
State to use convict labor on the roads,
but this State has used that labor to
excellent advantage on many roads in
the State, The convicts do good work,
they are as a rule anxious TO get out
into the sunlight and the free AIR. and
readily pledge themselves not to at
tempt escape. And yet in this State,
while as much credence as is possible to
give is given to these pledges OF the
convicts, they are not allowed this en-
larged liberty except under guard, They
have shown little disposition to abuse
this liberty and only one in the whole
number has ever made his escape.
A summary Of tho spread Of the use
Of convict labor upon the public high
ways is given as follows IN recent
number of the st. Louis Globe .Domo-
crat:
Kentucky's road commissioner, after
an investigation of results In other
States, reports In favor OF the employ
ment OF able bodied short-term convicts
in road making. Georgia's road com
missioner states that the prisoners en-
ployed on the highways are healthy,
tractable, and more than ordinarily con-
tented. and that their labor Is satisfac-
tory. Alabamas highway engineer re-
ports that when properly managed con-
vict labor on the roads Is more effec-
thus using convcts is from 40 to 65 cents
a. day. Georgia employs 5000 convicts
on the roads, and estimates the cost at
one half that of paid labor. California
pleased with Il, Colorado's convlcts built
Isl miles OF mountain road In 1912 at a
cost OF SO cents day per man, In III
nois sixty-six convicts are kept at wofk
in ouarries at crushing stone at a cost
OF 50 cents day, Kansas officials think
the effect good on convicts. Louisiana
built twenty-five miles OF permanent
roads last year with convicts and found
the expense 40 cents per man,
In Michigan the convicts prefer road
work. and Minnesota considers stone
crushing by convicts success. Montana
works 225 prisoners on the roads and
thinks they are much benefited by the
outdoor labor. North Carolina. is another
State that has gone into the system ex-
tensively. Its 1900 convicts thus en-
ployed cost from 42 TO 72 cents a day
each. Oregon makes a favorable report.
It's 106 convict road workers cost Sl4
per month. Virginias 735 convicts are
kept busy on the roads al a cost of 34.5
cents a day per man, Washington is
satisfied with convict labor in stone
quarries. Cole County, Mo, has had from
twenty to forty convicts at work on
roads and the State highway engineer
testifes that the work, at a daily cost
OF 40 cents. is equal TO that Of free labor.
The movement is growing, In every case
the sanitary benefit to the men IS stated
to be marked and the discipline is easily
enforced This resource for getting good
roads has become one Of the most i'm
portant
This shows the rapid spread Of the
use Of convict labor for road purposes;
and there is no doubt that the use Of
convicts in this way Is, and will con-
tinue to he, most useful to the States