The Winslow mail., 1915-03-20

of some system for the employment of convicts
On state and county roads.
In speaking of what can be accomplished in the
way of road building by the use of convict labor
Thomas ]. lyman warden of the state penitentiary
under whose supervision the work the last three
years has been done, recently said:
The benefits in this any other state from
broad and scientific system of convict road build
Ing can scarcely be estimated. Basing our figures
on actual experience confident that can
construct In the next ten years more than five
thousand miles Of the very finest roadways for
less than $5O0000 and this without adding any
thing whatever to the burden of the taxpayers.
During the period of ten years the internal
revenue fund of Colorado should amount to So 000,-
000 After deducting $500,OOO for road construc-
ton, the remaining amount should be wisely ex
pended in bridge building, road repairing and for
similar uses. Add to this the financial assistance
from the different counties and 1t would enable
to construct not less than 10000 miles. 1t be
done in Colorado. Why should not the con-
ditions apply to other states under favorable
conditions where the roads are naturally better
and where cost of construction would not neces-
sarily be so high as in our mountainous sections?
ITO illustrate better the great saving to the
payers on this class of work and it's possibilities,
let quote few figures from one of our road
camps During month we worked 95 men on
the road not including the camp help. The
per OF Gays employed was l4N EdCn OF CnoS0 80
men rendered to the state labor equivalent in
value to So and So a day. The labor for each
cost the state exactly 25 cents per day. Had this
number of men been employed at the regular
standard of wages of say $500 per day per man,
the cost of wages alone would have been 81 632.50
Each days work thus represented net saving of
at least $1.75 per man. The total cost of all the
work for the month, including salaries, of
stock feed for tcams and cost of equipment
$515.15, or 47h cents per day per When
these figures are considered can doubt for
moment the economy of building roads with con-
vict labor. The roads carefully and thoroughly
inspected by competent engineers who testify to
the completeness and high character of the work.
What is the incentive for the to create such
great work. is a question often asked Colorado
ans. 1t is just this the man who is allowed to
leave the prison for the road camp has practically
the last of prison life if he conducts himself
properly his food is better; his clothing is better
his sef-respect is preserved and he is taught self
reliance and sustained application He earns an
additional ten days a month during the time he
works. which very materially reduces his SEN
tence Eliminating the policy of armed guards.
the men have been placed under skilled and COM
petent overseers and guarded only by their word
of honor not to away. They remain faithful and
loyal to their pledges. The success of such
honor system instantaneous; the plan has
worked out better than it's originators expected
During the last three years we have had more
than one thousand individual prisoners in the
vict camps. These men without guards-some 800
miles away from the prison-have created ma
tiona reputation for loyalty Less than one per
cent have violated their pledges and made