Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-23
CALIFORNIA CONV|CTs
DO GOOD ROAD WORK
First Camp OF Thirty Men Began
Road Improvement. Near Mendo.
elmo Last September.
MEN ARE BETTER PHYSICALLY
Highway Commission Now Prepares
to Attack the Sierra Lateral CUES
ton by Placing ConyiCtS ON Each
of tho Four Roads at Once.

wASHINGTON. July 22--Convic-
labor on State highways is one means
Of solving California's tremendous
mountain road problem. which has been
beyond the states resources since the
early days - gold" The convict
takes work from no man. but builds
roads that otherwise could not be built.
The law provid,nc for convict road
work became cffectivc in August. 1915.
In a bulletin Of tho California High =
way Department sent TO the National
Committee on Prisons. tho progress Of
the wor} since that time is described
as follows
In September tho first camp "f
thirty mon was established in Northern
Nendocino. The scope OF tho work
was gradually enlarged on safety
first basis We carried two camps With
125 men through tho winter. work in L
every day hut sunday. through a rain
aud snowfall az seventy inches. The
men have boon givou sanitary camps
and food that az lcas; equal tho bcst
free labor camps We have given
them better living and working condi =
tons. a large measure OF personal FREQ
dom. and, under the law. the crowuiuu
incentive Of one days reduction of sem
;cuCc for every two days of loyal work.
The laying on, and direction of tho
work has hccn in the hands Of the
Highway Commission. as well as pro-
NtdinC campS. CommlssarE. etc Tho
discipiin" OF tho men has been i'm tho
hands Of the board Of prison directors.
represented by three guards. without
arms in each camp--onc acting as cap
tain Of the camp, the others as sun
foremcn on tho work.
''rhe Humanitarian side Of the wort;
is sclf-evidcnt. The men are inn
measurahly bctterod physicallv which
means mentally and morally. Con-
structivc work instead of the juto mill;
under blue skies and among the beau
ties of mountain California instead OF
behind stone walls: cooperation with
The State instead of being outcasts Of
the sta tc-lhese things are alone worth
the doing
But there is another side without
which tho scheme would not solve tho
problem for which il IS intended.
These men have como soft from prison
10 new work under almost impossible"
weather conditions We have supplied
them with everything they have or Us"
---clothinc, transportation. guards.
food. beds. medical attention. rs Well
rs the ordinary expense for materials
and equipment for road work all this
many miles OF transportati"u--;.nd the
winters work shows "a profit Through
tho winter eight miles OF difficult
CANYON road have been bull, for -
per cent less than the estimate. and
little moro than half what similar work
has cost ON contract in the same local
ity. As weather conditions improve.
costs arc falling and yarda%c in
Crea sing
Tho success OF the work in Men
docino led TO the placing OF u crew
from Folsom on section of the
IlnCerville road, near Shnclc Springs
Only an nadcquatoly small amount OF
maintenance funds were available for
this section. but thus cxpedicnl will
give the equivalent of $1,000 i'm work
for an expenditure %! $4,000 and make
possible an improved section OF a
needed road which otherwise must
have waited for the next bond issue
The commission is now preparing
to attack the Sierra lateral question
by placing convict camps ON each of
four Of these roads for active construr-
ton This summer"