Mountain advocate., 1915-10-29
USING CONv|CTS
ON HIG \ WAYS
Many States Have Abolished
Contract System of Work
ing the Prisoners
WORK CONVlCTS ON ROADS
Kentucky Could PeseibIy cave From
Twenty TO Thirty Per Cent OF the
Money Expended Fer Road Work or
the Public Highways Says Commits.
tioner Terrell.

lTuHhlOIl, hN.-tSUtCldID-N. Y.
Terrell, Commissioner of Roads. when
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
study Of conditions as they exist, with
view OF how they could be bettered,
and as 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 conyicts 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 conclusiyely
that convict labor can be used to all
advantage in road building and at
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.. r. +.
lyman, Warden of the State Peniten-
tiary of Colorado for the year 1912. it
is shown that there was built one hun
dred and fifty-seven miles OF road
through the mountain sections of that
State. at a saving. according to his es-
innate. of $223.479.56; 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-
CURED OF experienced men in drilling,
blasting, laying masonry, blacksmith
ing, and other skilled labor. With
such labor commanding a salary Of
from 81 to So per day. this without =
doubt, shows that convict labor can
be used to advantage on heavy con
struction work, and in places wher,
more or less permanent camps can
be maintained
Virginia also has succeeGed Ia this
-u.ts. Fer The Past HiEe years Goa
viCts have been used on the pubic
highways of this State, and Mr.. p. 81
J Wilson, former State Highway Com
mi sioner. hnd LCN Ihr Assistant u!
rector iH the unittd states Uhlcs Ci
Public Roads at Washington. ID. g.
stated that more than | 800 men were
used On the public highways OF Vir
sinii in the year 1913, that nom forty
10 seventy i've Wee grouped tOs ether
in single camp separate camps be-
ing maintained in each county and
that the cost vi c!o,h.ng and feeding
them. and general maintenance o. the
men was 52c per Gay for period OF
three years; that the men were not
specially selected, but that the road
forces were made up of prisoners a.
tney were presented at the prisons;
that men who We're physically weak
or even cIipples, were often sent out
as part Of the road force. tie 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 magnif.
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 lower figure than
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 convicts could
be used on the public highways. and
in the preparation of the materials
which 90 into the highways. II would
be possible to establish semi-perma,
nent camps in the various counties
where limestone is available In large
quantities and prepare this material
for road building, ready to be deliv- |
cred by rail or motor truck to roads !
under construction. and these camps f,
could be maintained practically the |
entire season.
In Edmonson County, Kentucky, 7.
there exists an unlimitable deposit OF /.
rock asphalt. which is a hard sand .
stone-the finest road making mater /
ial known-containlng from seven to I
nine per cent OF bitumen or asphalt ,
base. This material has AN oyerbur- .
den of from ten TO twenty feet of soil. /
sand or rock, and lies in a horizontal .
strata OF from six to twenty feet in .
thickness, Would II not be fine
thing to establish here a permanent
convict camp, where they could be
used in the stripping of this material,
quarrying and pulverizing and loading
IL ready for shipment TO the counties /
Of the Commonwealth? The actual
cost OF production, or even a reason
able per cent of Profit could be
charged by the State for the material,
and at the same time very materially !
reduce the cost for use In road con
struction, and insuring 10 the counties
for their limestone, macadam. or 9th.
er hard surfaced roads. splendid,
long life'i surfacing material, that Is
dustless, noiseless, durable aud al the
N..s. Of