Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
RHODE ISLAND NOW USES
CONVICT LABOR ON ROADS
Arrangements for Mon Have to Be
Made Through Penal and Char
S table Commission.
RESULTS ARE SATISFACTORY
Michigan County Places Work of
Maintaining Highways on Thor
oughly BusincSslikc Basis Under
County Engineer.


oughly Busincsslikc Basis Under
County Engineer.
WASHINGTON. September 22.-The
Rhode Island Legislature has made It
possible for the State Board Of Public
Roads to employ convict labor on high
way work. provided that body can mako
satisfactory arrangements for 1t with
the penal and charitable commission.
The law permits the use of convicts
only on State roads. The Board of
Public Roads first sends a request for
certain number OF convicts to work
on designated road TO the prison au-
thorities. who are authorized to detail
az many of these men for the purpose
IS they consider advisable The addi-
tional cost OF transporting, guarding
ana supervising the convicts as re-
suit OF their work on the roads, and n
reasonable Charge for their services,
ms; be paid to the penal and chari-
table commission by the Board OF Pub
lie Roads. The prison authorities are
permitted 20 pay to the families of
tfe coHvicts, or TO the convicts them
selves, st the end of their terms. the
whole or any part of the money re-
cctved for such labor in excess OF its
cost. This law leaves with tho penal
and charitable commission so much dis
erection as to using convict labor on
roads that the results accomplished un-
der the statute will be watched with
much interest.
The State Board OF Public Roads re-
Questi' the Penal and Charitable Com
mission to furnish two gangs Of prison
laborers, thirty-one men for each gang
Tor work on State highways, and the
boards request was granted. The first
gang was started July 10. on two-mile
section Of reconstruction by the btu
n!nous penetration method. The prison
authorities are paid 4 fiat rate Of $3.50
per day per man. and they look after
their guarding and maintenance. The
work Is progressing satisfactorily. the
men are doing fair days work and
tract price bid when this section was
advertised last spring. The second
gang of thirty-one men was started
August l on resurfacing and recon
structtng section of State highway
about one mile in length. The same
price per day is paid to the prison
commission for the labor OF the men.
This work is progressing in the same
manner as the other section. and is
very encoura Ging to the board.
IOWA EARTH ROADS
BENEFITED by OILING
The earth roads of Iowa carry a very
heavy traffic in many cases and their
maintenance mas consequently received
careful attention. The dirt roads arc
dragged after rains with great success
In large part of tho State, but during
the long hot summer season every we'll
dragged road becomes extremely dusty
Consequently the thrifty farmers of
Iowa have been oiling their dirt roads
to greater extent than has been the
case elsewhere. There Is consdcra bile
doubt expressed by engineers unac-
Quainted with the Iowa experience as
to the value OF oil on a dirt surface,
so T. r. AEg. professor OF highway
engineering in the Iowa State College
and c. d. CurtIss. an engineer Of the
State Highway Commission, made n
careful examination OF nil the most
important oiled roads in Iowa during
the spring. when they were in their
worst condition. This investigation
shows beyond any question. that the
oiled treatment had benefited the roads
One important highway was examined
during rain and snow storm. Where
the crown of the road had been prop
erly maintained the surface was not
cut up very much. but where the crown
was not good and ruts had formed the
road was muddy and cut up. 1t was In
much better condition. however than
adjacent sections OF unoilcd roads In
another place, where oiled roads had
been submerged by food, 1t was plain
that the oiling had helDed materially
In preventing erosion OF tho roadway
The most important lesson learned from
the Investigation was that the peopls
along ~ roadway which had been
oiled. -wcEe. strongly in favor Of this
treatment, and perfectly willing to pay
$3.50 20 $500 4 year per mile for such
maintenance. An oiled road must be
ORA Cged the same as IN uroiled road
hut the dragging need not he done so
frequently. Before the oil is app;Ied
the road must be prorer!y graded and
drained, and better results will be OBJ
ta!ncd when the Gil is applied hot Tho
hot oil apparently penetrated from / .
to 1-2 inches, Heavy soils absorb the
OIL more readily than light soils. and
oiling Is more beneficial with them.
The examination proved. however, that
oihne does not furnish road which
is good 3S5 days in the year. and the
deTirahility Of spending as much as
$500 per mile. in addition to the cost
OF dragging. for maintaining an earth
road should be carefully weighed In
every case against the advantages Of
more permanent roadway
now a MICHIGAN COUNTY
OBTAINED GOOD ROADS
Genessee County. Mich. did not he.
gin 10 improve its roads until 1910.
In that and the following year enough
money was raised by direct taxes TO
build small amount of gravel and
nacadaTn highway. but improvements
were Desired so strongly and this
method OF securing them was so slow
that the county was bonded to the ex-
tent or s5ooo0 20 connect every vii.
lage and market place within it's boun.
GARY. In order to improve as large A
mileage as possible. the work wa.
done just well enough 20 receive the
award which the State gives to n coun.
~ which builds roads of approved
types In lal! II was discovered that
this method of construction was not
satisfactory. The county had devoted
all its attention to building roads and
neglected tho maintenance of those II
mad constructed. Attempts were made
to keep the roads in condition by en-
ploying farmers TO drag them. but the
results were much criticized
A year ago a change was made in the