Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-18
USE PRISON LABOR
FOR PUBLIC WORKS
j. G Davis Before Control and superinte
Fe Instt utionSl

y 1
municipality but what Is agitating and
keenly alive to the Importance OF this
proposition.
The demand for improved Highways
IL without limit. There As no private
ownership in this class OF property
nor should there be any element OF
private gain In same. The improve
ment IL purely of public nature. Ihe
character OF labor required Is not usu-
ially recognized as highly skilled, ano
is ordinarily not organised. CONVEY
labor on roads. instead of reducing the
demand for this kind OF labor, VIII IN
crease such demand, for the more Sooo
roads a state or county has. the more
good roads the people will insist up
on.
Ii would not seem that organized Ia
Dor should have any serious oo5ecuoh
or objections that should receive Sc
rious or effective consideration. TO tne
employment in a very extended way %
prison labor TO assist in the constrhc-
ton Of improved highways the state
Is entitled to the fruit of this labor;
the dictates of humanity require thai
these men be given some employment
Why not utilize them in service So
essential to the prosperity OF the
state and the comfort. happiness. and
convenience of her citizens?
One enthusiastic writer on this SUD-
ject has said:
open up your tails. penitentiaries
and prisons.' cries the Good Roads As
sociations thruout the country, So
luton is at hand for your most DIM
cult problem. Bad men on bad ROADS
make good roads. while good roads
make good men tHf -
Good roads and good men has be
come a slogan, and no topic of prison
news today IL more widely discussed
In the press from coast to coast than
this-the employment of conyicts ir
public road building"
Again. this same writer says:
Road making is legitimate use OF
state funds, and Is Of practical bene-
fit to all citizens by reducing the cos'
of TRANSFORMATION of the products ri
the farms to the great markets: sae-:e
fare anything that will expedite tbs
building of good roads is for the com
mon welfare. 1t is on this basis thai
i, In urged that the labor Of conrtsts
be used for this purpose. The stats
has a right to its use. and under Ger
tain conditions It would greatly reducs
the cost of production and tend 10
more rapid development OF good road:
, projects"
Iewa's Need For Better Roads.
That the field of endeavor In this In
dus,ry lie unlimited is shown By 1t
tie consideration of the tremendous az
sregate amount of public highways II
! this country.
The public roads and rural engineer
ing office IN Washington. D. c.. state:
tina, there are 2,21s.0e miles Of public
roads in the United States, and there
are bu. 24T,4so miles Of hard surfaced
road out Of this total.
Here in Iowa. according to the an
nual report of the state highway com
! mission. there are l04.os2 miles o.
road. outside of municipal corporation!
that il, country highway. The stat
highway commission has selected frnr!
this grand total, an a county or stat
road system, 1877 miles OF road. o.
an average Of about $50 miles 10 eafi
county. This system Of county roads
connects every county scat with ever,
other county seat. and also connects
! the principal trading points in eaci
| county with the county seat so tina
s the. Improvement OF the present lait
| out system of county roads would pu
practically every important point in thu
/ state in good roads connection witt
/ every other important point.
The importance Of system OF goot
&, roads. especially in a state like low
can not be too highly emphasized. Thu
people OF our state are disappointed
with each recurring census report, IL
/ the fact that our rural population I!
| diminishing. We have the greatest ag
+. ricul,ural state In the unions 900. 90
| acres, with practically no waste mo-
| untillable land within the borders o
| the state. The effort Of the state gov
I eminent and our people should be {,
make rural and agricultural life $,
profitable tina. the ambitious, younI
men and women Of Iowa Will renal,
in the state, rather than seek tiei
fortunes in what they consider NOR,
attractive places.
Would Solve Farm Problems.
The completion Of a system Of stat
highways would solve many OF t,es
domestic questions that are now bein
discussed. It would do more that
anything else to add to the pleasur
and the charm Of rural life The pub
lie school system Of Iowa could b
wonderfully improved by the concen
tration OF small schools. and the crea
ton of township high schocais, but thi
change in our public school system ca
only be brought about when, there ar
good roads in the state, capable Of be
ing Travelled every day In the year.
From material standpoint, II woul
add many times to the value OF GU
farm lands over what the cos. woui
be. No element IN the state would
more benefited by a system Of goo
roads than would the farmers. Their
are portions Of the year in Iowa whe
our roads are impossible. and FIRE
quent1y when the roads are passable
is the particular season when tn
farmer should be at work In the field
: There is no doubt but whstSthe farm
; ers OF Iowa lose many millions OF dol
} lars annually by reason Of an enforce
fdleness which could be turned into
period OF profitable industry were til
Z roads from the farms 60 their rail
road stations In passable condition 90
days In the year.
lows Spsnds Enough Now.
In Iowa II does not seem to be u
lack Of money that has prevented
.arr!!aa progress in good road improve
. ment, but failure to efficiently spen
. the money that we NOW raise Recel
} federal statistics indicate that thel