The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-11-11
Waste In the Administration
of Prisons and Roads to
Be Done Away With.
BOSS HAS INFLUENCE
Proper Conduct of Man in Charge
Gives Great Incentive to
the Workmen.

The people OF north Idaho are deeply
interested at this time In anything per-
tanning to the successful working of
convict labor In the construction OF
highways, for through that medium. It
seems, Is their only hope for a paasably
good highway between the north and
the souht portions of the state, and
that is looking at present about as
brilliant as the rear plumage OF flee
ing cottontail. Grangeville has passed
resolutions, the people up at Higgins
have passed resolutions asking that ac-
tion be taken toward relieving the sit
uadion by placing a force OF convihts
to work this winter, and promising
hearty moral and financial cooperation,
and letters have been written to the
powers that he to the same effect,
only to elicit cooEy court eous and per-
functory acknowledgements of the same.
But possibly we are too restive and
impatient, and may yet receive the
good news that our request Is to be
needed. Following is a favorable report
on the use Of convict labor from an
authoritative source under "A Washing
ton date. that should prove Of interest
10 our readers as wen as the state
authorities, under present conditions In
our state:
'The use OF convicts on the public
roads has passed through the period OF
hysterlcal wrangle into a period OF act
ually universal acceptation." sta ed f.
Stagg Within, whose new course In prac
tlcal pneal problems at Columbia uni
versity was recently announced.
penal problems at Columbia university
DR. Whitir holds that the underlying
motive In convict road building must
be to secure the great efficiency for the
state out OF It's possessions. Both the
convicts and the roads are property of
the state, and the working OF convicta
upon dhe roads should eliminate many
elements of waste In the administra-
tion of road and prison departments.
statistics VIII Keep.
THE efficiency OF the convict on the
, road gang" me continued, differs great
ly in different gangs. There is no doubt
in my mind that the application Of
the efficiency records in use at the
present time in the Wisconsin road
camps for free labor will tend even
more perceptibly to raise the efficiency
OF convict labor.
: Incentive must be created before
good work can be produced. Coop any
. OF us up In a stuffy unsanitary jail for
several months, arraign us for triai
2 amid the excitement OF what we mis-
name as justice, and then take few
months OF breaking our spirit in pris-
on surroundings and there Is Mttle like
iihood that the thing we cali gingea
e will be apparent. There is definite neet
e of building up II the convict is to ne
9 turn to society and make good.
Depends on Foreman.
4 THE greatest need" DIR. Within con-
n cluded, IDS for the foreman Of a convicd
n road gang to throw his shoulder t.
: the task and inspire his gang with th'
n desire to be like him. The problem
n lies in securing such men as foremer
OF the road gangs"
The graduate department Of highwa!
engineering ait Columbia university hal
been In close touch with the nationa
n. committee on prisons and prison labor
which rs located on the campus. for /,
"a number OF years. This work has beeu
& carried on under the joint direction O
ID tn dpartmnt and the prison committees
"a DIR. Blanchard, professor OF highway en
No gineering, sees the great opportunity 70
m the highway engineer in developm
of convict road work, and, as he stated d
A. recent article in the Columbia Spec
tator: "The humane element must b
an factor In the education OF he highws
in engineer of the future" This VIII b
ar supplied through the cooperation of tn
ON national committee on prisons and pris
A. on labor and the work under Dr. Whit
n In at Columbia university.