Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-17
HIGHWAY BUILDING
WITH CONVICT LABOR
IOWA BOARD MAY ADOPT sYs-
TEN IN USE IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
UNDER CONSIDERATION
AND CLOSE INVESTIGATION
System Brought to Attention of Board
by Secretary Summer, Of State
Health Department Suggestion
Made That Auto Tax Be Used to Re.
imburse State.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Sept 17-Dr. G.. H
Sumner. secretary of the state board
Of health. has taken UP with the state
BOARD of control the system followed by
the state of North Carolina in build :
ing highways with convict labor. The
state board of control is seriously con
sidering adopting some similar plan
here in Iowa
Now that the system of convict la
Dor has been done away with at the
Iowa prisons it is problem to find
profitable employment for the conyicts.
In the opinion of DR.. Sumner the work
OF building highways is an ideal solu-
ton to the problem of developing
Iowa roads and it will also fur
nish profitable employment for the
prisoners.
The automobile tax which each
county receives could be used to REIN
hurse the state for the work of these
convicts and 70 pay the cost Of the work
In these counties" explained Dr. Sum
ner. AT the same time il is a health
full occupation for the men and we viii
be doing a much needed work, that OF
improving our highways
Plan Systematized
North Carolina has worked out quite
thoroughly this plan of using prisoners
in building roads. The prisoners live
IN camps. Portable houses have been
devised and the camp moves forward
from one stretch of road to the other
as the work progresses.
In discussing the question of the re-
lation of the state to the convict the
North Carolina authorities declare that
the state must assume the responsible
ity of looking after the moral and ply
steal welfare of her prisoners. Among
the facts which must be taken into
consideration by the state in its treat
nent of prisoners the South Carolina
authorities cite the following:
The prisoner is a human being and
must be treated as such; he has sense
of responsibility, honor and discipline
and this sense can be quickened and
developed.
That perhaps. with few exceptions
there Is some good in every prison l..
which can be developed and made par
amount IN the character of the man.
The prisoner IN serving his sentence
is usually paying a debt that he owes
TO the state fof certain infringements
of the laws Of that state: and. when he
has served this sentence he has paid his
legal debt and should be in a position
to become a good and valuable citizen
20 the state. Most prisoners are serv-
ing first sentence and often for a
crime committed on the spur of the
moment, and with many of them this
one crime committed represents the
only black spot In their lives.
The state, on her part. owes it to the
prisoner to assist him in every way to
pay his debt as speedily and economic
ally as possible and in such way that
he is better man when his debt is
paid than when he was convicted.
The attitude of the state toward the
prisoners should be corrective and not
vindictive: to uplift and not degrade
him.
To put a man in stripes often so de-
grades and huniliates him that it is
remedy hard. and sometimes impos-
S: lie, for him to reform.
Hard work is much more conducive
to guutii heath heath and cheerful disrosi-
tions than confinement in prisons or
factories with no outdoor exercise but
what can be obtained in a limited area
of a penitentiary yard or court.
There must be an incentive before
good work can be expected from most
prisoners.
There is a great variation in the
character and working ability of diff
ferent convicts
In many cases families were Deepen
dent upon the prisoner before his SEN
tence and are, during his incarcera-
ton. deprived Of his support.
It has been with the above principles
in mind that the authorities in North
Carolina have established and main
tanned prison camps and had obtained
splendid work out of the prisoners and
developed their highway system with
out great expense.