The Prescott daily news., 1915-01-30
POINSETT COUNTY BUILDING
 ROADS WITH CONVICT LAROR

Ooie, Souilty Juuge or tnlS (PCmSett) county, has just received two wagon cages for convicts to be keot on the public roads in which to lock the con victs at night. One of them has a capacity of twelve men and the eth. CT of eighteen nlen. Judge Cole is now working the county convicts on the public roads, and as soon as he can make the proper arrangements he will use the State convicts that have been sent up from this county.
 The county judge is entitled to work all convlcts sent up from his county for terms not exceeding five years. This will make an efficient gang of road workers to be used in preparing the roads for the graders that Judge Cole now has in this county. Much mileage of good graded roads is to be built each year.
 Publisher News-What think you of the above road proposition? If Poin- sett County can work the convicts why not Nevada county? At this term of court 8 ablebodied men went to the Penitentiary for terms varying from one to five years. Next court an- other gang will go and the county will pay the cost. It certainly seems that just a little get-up-and-get, on the part of our own people would solve the road question.
 A Tax Payer.
 This is an important question and Taxpayer is not the only man who has asked that same thing. We are glad our people are interested in this mat ter and hope others will give it more thought. Working convicts on the the roads is a popular theory and looks good to one who has not gone into the subject and studied it out thoroughly. But when one under takes to put it into operation it is more difficult than appears at first glance.
 For the benefit of the Taxpayer and others who may be interested We give a brief synopsis of the law under which convicts may be worked.
 1st. The county judges of any ju- dicial district must meet at some con- venient point and organize themselves into a convict board. 2nd. This board is authorized to purchase road work ing outfit for said counties. This out. fit shall consist of wagon cages for the safe keeping of the convcts, tents, camping outfits, tools and all other necessary equipment. If they are to work with teams, graders, etc. all these must be purchased. If they arc to work with shovels, wheelbarrows and such outfits as were used in the construction of railway dumps thirty years ago of course the outfit would not cost so much. 3rd. The board musi then emrloy foreman and guards to care for the convicts. Pro- visiton is made for the punishment of unduly prisoners. 4th. The board is authorized to employ an engineer to make specifications for the work. 9th. The convicts shall be worked an equal time in each county of the district each year. 9th. The foreman shall notify the county judge of the county, in which he expects to work next, thirty days beforehand that he will begin work in his county at a certain time. It is then the duty of that county judge to advertise for bids for fur nishing supplies for the outfit during the time they are worked in his coun- ty. After accepting the best bid he must purchase supplies and turn them over to the foreman. The expense of the outfit is to be borne by the county working the convicts while in his county. All payments for said outfit must be paid in cash or its equivalent. This means that any person furnishing supplies or equivalent can charge a price, in case he should be compelled to receive script below par, that would be equal to cash. It is plainly vol lation of law for anyone doing work for any county to charge a higher price for service rendered because of any depreciation in scrip. Just what the effect of this provision would be cannot be said until it is tried out In the courts.
 Comment on this law is hardly nee essary. There is no doubt about the adivisability of. working convicts on the roads where it can be done but there is serious doubt as to whether it would pay in Nevada County at this time.
 IL would probably not be out oi