The Pulaskian., 1915-03-05
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of some system for the employment of convicts on state and county roads.
 In speaking of what can oe accomplished in the way of road building by the of convict labor, Thomas J. Tynan, 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 Easing our figures on actual experience are confident that we can construct in the next ten years than five thousand miles of the very finest roadways for less than $5O0,000 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 $2000,- 900. After deducting $500 900 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 it would enable to construct not less than 10000 miles It can be done in Colorado. Why should not the same con- ditions apply to other states under more favorable conditions where the roads naturally better and where cost of construction would not neces- sarily be so high in mountainous sections?
 ITO illustrate better the great saving to the tax payers this class of work and it's possibilities, let me quote a few figures from of road camps During month we worked 35 men on the road not including the camp help. The Der of days employed was 24% Each of these 35 rendered to the state, labor equivalent in value to $2 and $3 day. The labor for each man cost the state exactly 25 cents per day. Had this number of men been employed at the regular standard of wages of say $2.00 per day per man, the cost of wages alone would have been $1 63250 Each days work thus represented net saving of at least $1.75 per The total cost of all the work for the month, including salaries care of stock feed for teams and cost of equipment was $51515, 471a cents per day per man. When these figures considered can doubt for a 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 men to create such great work? is question often asked Colorado It 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 sefrespect Is preserved and he is taught self reliance and sustained application He earns an additional ten days month during the time he 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 run away They remain faithful and loyal to their pledges. The success of such honor system was instantaneous; the plan has worked out better than it's originators expected During the last three years have had more than one thousand individual prisoners in the con vict camps These without guards-some 300 miles away from the prison--haye created a na- tional reputation for loyalty. Less than one per cent have violated their pledges and made sue