The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1915-11-10
Many States Have Abolished
Contract System of Work
ing the Prisoners
WORK C0HVICTS ON ROADS
Kentucky Could Possibly Save From
Twenty to Thirty Per Cent of the
Money Expended For Road Work on
the Public Highways Says Commits
sioner Terrell.

asked for his views regarding the en-
ployment of convicts on the roads Of
the state, granted the following inter
view on this subject:
'In recent years the convict labor
problem has been one that has been
given a great deal of attention, and
prison reforms have brought about a
study of conditions as they exist, with
a view of how they could be bettered,
and as a result, most of the States
have abolished the contract system of
working the prisoners and have estab-
lished the more modern system of
using the convicts on the public high
ways, and in the prisons for the pur-
pose of preparing materials for the
highways, and on other public works
in the various States Reports from
various Highway Departments over
the United States show conclusively
that convict labor can be used to an
advantage in road building and at a
saving of both to the county and State
in the cost of labor for this class of
work.
I'm the biennial report of Mr.. T. F.
lyman, Warden of the State Peniten-
tiary of Colorado for the year 1912, it
is shown that there was built one hun
dred and ffty-seven miles of road
through the mountain sections of that
State, at a saving, according to his es-
innate, of 1929, 479.56; that the average
cost per day per man for the laborers
engaged in this class of work was 32c.
He further states that the convicts
were able to do the work of not only
ordinary laborers, but some were
found able to perform the services re-
quired of experienced men in drilling
blasting, laying masonry, blacksmith
ing, and other skilled labor With
such labor commanding a salary of
from 81 to SIS per day, this without a
doubt, shows that convict labor can
be used to advantage on heavy con-
struction work, and in places where
more or less permanent camps can
be maintained.
Virginia also has succeeded in this
undertaking, as is shown by the re-
suits. For the past nine years con-
victs have been used on the public
highways of this State, and Mr.. P. St.
]. Wilson, former State Highway Com
missioner, and now the Assistant Di-
rector in the United States Office of
Public Roads at Washington, D. c.,
stated that more than 1900 men were
used on the public highways of Vir-
ginia in the year 1913; that from forty
to seventy-fve were grouped together
in a single camp-separate camps be-
ing maintained in each county-and
that the cost of clothing and feeding
them, and general maintenance of the
men was SIC per day for a period of
three years; that the men we're not
specially selected, but that the road
forces were made up of prisoners as
they we're presented at the prisons
that men who were physically weak,
or even cripples, were often sent out
as part of the road force. He further
states that the contractors who con
tracted for the work had very fire.
quently offered 81 per day for men
furnished by the State.
Under our present system in Ken
lucky the State receives the magnifi
cent sum of 75c per day per man EN-
ployed under contract, and the State
is required to feed and clothe the pris
oners and a great many of the pris
oners are let at a lower figure thar
that stated above.
Kentucky could possibly save from
twenty to thirty per cent of the money
expended for road work under the
State aid plan, if the conYicts coulG
be used on the public highways, anC
in the preparation of the materials
which go into the highways. 1t would
be possible to establish semi-perma
nent camps in the various countie!
where limestone is available In large
quantities and prepare this materia
for road building, ready to be deliv
cred by rail or motor truck to roads
under construction, and these camps
could be maintained practically tht
entire season.
"In Edmonson County, Kentucky
there exists an unlimitable deposit o
rock asphalt, which is a hard sand
stone-the finest road making mater
ial known-containing from seven t.
nine per cent Of bitumen or asphal
base. This material has an overbur
den of from ten to twenty feet of soil
sand or rock, and lies in a horizonta
strata of from six to twenty feet II
thickness. Would it not be a fin
thing to establish here a permanen
convict camp, where they could b
used in the stripping of this material
ouarrving and nulveriZiuR and loadin