The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-04
SUGGESTS HONOR
CONVICT SYSTEM
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER WOULD
HAVE CERTAIN MEN WORKED
WITHOUT GUARD.
HE WANTS MORE MEN
LAWS SHOULD MAKE. 1T LESS DIFF
FICULT TO SECURE MEN FROM
JAILs-FOR ROAD MAIN
TENANCE.

partial adoption of the Colorado
plan of working convicts without
prison stripes or guard Is recommended
by State Highway Commissioner Cole
man In his annual report submitted To
the Governor yesterday.
Commissioner Coleman, as outlined In
The Virginian Wednesday, urges that
II be made less difficult to secure
prisoners from the jails OF the state
for work on the public highways. and
suggests the following division OF all
eonviets and prisoners:
Long-term and dangerous men. short
term men. TRUSTEES and paroied men.
The Commissioner suggests that the
long-term and dangerous men be
dressed in stripes and worked in stock
AIDES under guard in the lime grinding
plant and on the State quarries and
that short-term men be worked under
guard on the roads, while dressed in
uniform OF blue.
The other two classes. under the
Commissioners plan, would not be
under guard or be dressed In stripes
or uniform. The TRUSTEES he would have
clothed in ordinary khaki and used
as .enginemsn. cooks. yardmen and SO
forth in the convict road camps The
fourth. or paroied men class. he would
draw from class . and paroled for
the period of their sentence. These
men he would have dressed In ordi-
nary clothing and assigned as patrol
men on maintenance of roads.
Has Worked Well.
The system of working certain class
les of convicts distinguishing clothing
and without guards over them has
been tried In Colorado and in one or
two other States and fs reported 10 have
: nFaged stfrcRagftft
their good behavior and are treated
an ordinary laborers, rather than as
convicts.
Commissioner Coleman reeo amends
further that there be a change in the
law, allowing greater discretion in
fixing the salaries of the engineers en-
plosed, so that better men can he Sc
cured: that the automobile tax be
placed In the maintenance fund and
distributed on the same basis as the
state money aid IL now distributed to
NIL counties which have built either
Improved roads or permanent bridges
but allowing counties in which no i'm
proved road work has been done to use
the automobile fund to improve roads
until there is a maintenance charge
the work TO be done under the super
vision iof Highway Department
1t is also recommended that a-law
he enacted similar to that presented TO
the last General Assembly by Senator
Fletcher. of FauQuier County. He
would amend the laws applying to the
issuance OF county and magisterial
district bond, issues, 80 as to require
the boards of supervisors to lay levy
OF not less than three per cent on all
bond issues for the maintenance Of
the roads after construction. the main
tenance work to be done under the
supervision of the department
In the past. roads have been con-
structed In many counties and districts,
only TO be allowed TO disintegrate be-
cause OF the lack Of provision for their
upkeep. The great waste in this par
ticalar would be eliminated by the pas
ga sc of some such law as recommended.
thinks the Commissioner.
Commissioner Coleman's report
shows that 4a3 roads and ninety
bridges In ninety-six counties have been
worked during the year by the con-
Wet road forces. At the present time
the forces are at work In thirty coun-
ties, representing LOO convicts and
SOC jail prisoners. Applications are on
Ale now from Ave counties which could
be answered il IL were made easier
TO secure men from the various jails
Of the State