Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-10-21
BOARD Of CONTROL
WILL BUILD ROADS
Prison Labor to Be Used in High
way Building.
PROPOSED BY ]. O. DAVIDSON
Head of Wisconsin Body Notifies
County Supervisors That Services
May Be Obtained at Rate
Of $3.50 Day.

Madison.-President James o. Dav-
idson Of the state board of control
sent letter to chairmen of county
boards Of supervisors of the state an
nouncing that experiments of the
board had shown the employment of
convict labor on public highway con-
struction work was entirely practic-
able and the board intended to lease
such labor to counties for road build
ing work or take contracts for such
work during the coming year.
The board will furnish conyicts for
$3.50 per day each, and look after
their maintenance and control, the
county furnishing the building mate
rails and engineering work. If a coun-
ty does not want TO hire the convicts
by the day, the board will undertake
to furnish the labor by the job, the
county supplying the materials and en-
cheering skill, as under the former
proposal
President Davidson urges the vari-
Gus boards to consider the matter at
thesr meetings next month. The pres
ident's letter to chairmen of county
boards includes the following:
THE legislature of 1913 enacted a
law authorizing this board to make
an experiment Of constructing high
ways by convict labor. During the
year 1914 the board did considerable
experimenting and constructed road
with convict labor from the city of
Waupun to the station at Chester, a
distance of about three miles. An
18-foOt macadam road was construct
ed and we are advised by the high
way commission that it is one of the
best pieces of macadam road ever
built in the state.
THE experiments have proven sat
factory to the board and it is believed
that cOnyicts can be successfully en-
ployed in the construction of high
ways. The legislature of 1915 enacted
law authorizing this board to con-
tinue the work of constructing high
ways by convict labor.
I'VE are considering the advisable
ity of employing a large number of
convicts in the construction of high
ways when the new road construction
period commences in 1916. This
board will at the commencement Of
the new road construction period be
in a position to either furnish to the
counties convicts at a price per day or
to take contracts for doing the entire
construction work of roads for the
counties or towns. If the convicts are
leased at a price per day, this board
will furnish the supervision, the hous-
ing, the feeding, and take entire
charge of the conYicts, and the only
thing that the counties will have to
do will be to furnish the employment,
material and engineering
THE board believes that it can with
advantage to the state and with ad-
vantage to the counties and towns
furnish such labor at $3.50 day, ten
hours to constitute a days labor. If
this is not satisfactory to the counties
the board will take contracts for con-
struction of highways at price per
yard, and we believe that we can take
it at a price less per yard than any
contractor.
IF this board can interest the diff
ferent county boards of the state in
this proposition, it will see to it that
convicts, who are thus employed, are
properly safeguarded and that no COM
munity into which they are sent will
be in any peril on account of their
presence in such community The
convicts who will be placed out will
be dressed in khaki suits and they
will not have the appearance Of con-
victs."