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Show CONVICT-BUILT ROHOSMCESS Governor, and Warden Are Pleased With the System in Colorado. ASSURANCES ARE GIVEN . REGARDING MOFFAT LINE Centennial State Executive Says It Will Be Pushed on to Zion. Governor William Spry and Arthur Pratt, warden of the Utah state prison, returned yesterday morning froih a trip to Colorado, where they Inspected the convict-built roads of Colorado and sludicd'the system which provides for the use of convict labor on the highways of the state. At the last session of the Utah state legislature a law was passed providing for the use of convict labor on the roads of this state, and thu trip of the governor and the warden was to study conditions which obtain in Colorado under the operation of a law similar to that of this state. Governor Spry also went to Denver to see Governor Shafroth with referonco to the construction of the proposed Moffat tunnel, In which both Utah and Colorado are vitally Interested. There was a suggestion sug-gestion that the road might not be built into Utah and to Salt Lake, but Governor Shafroth assured Governor Spry that the plans . contemplated the complete construction con-struction of tho road from Denver lo Salt Lake. Wonders Are Worked. Both tho governor and the warden were enthusiastic In their, praise of the convict con-vict road .system. They declared that Colorado had worked wonders In tho way of road-building and road Improvement under this law and predicted that with this law. In operation In a few years Utah' would have one of the greatest road systems in the country. The law providing for tho use of convict con-vict labor on the roads of the slate is effective at noon today and within ;t short time work will be begun under this law. It is probable that, the lh;st work on the roads under tho new law will be in Dovls county, on thu main highway between Salt Lake and Ogden. The first work will probably ho on the sand ridge, one of the worst stretches of road between be-tween . Salt Lake and Ogdon. If the results are as the governor expects them lo be an excellent road between Salt Lake and Ogden will bo obtained in a short time. Governor Is Elated. Governor Spry is elated over the prospects pros-pects for good rouds throughout the state. He said that he was agreeably surprised, at the success of tho operation oper-ation of the law in Ooloryido and was confident thnt it would work out as well in this state. The prison population of Colorado is COO, and of this number 15U are ulmost constantly at work on tho roads. The present population of the Utah state prison Is ,'iOO. and it is ex- peeled that 150 of Iheso may be used in I road work. I "Prom what I lenvncd In Colorado," Lsuld Governor Spry. "I bellevo that the use of convict labor Is thu solution of the good roads problem. The high cost of labor for work on the roads makes road construction decidedly expensive, but by the use of convicts this expense- la reduced to the minimum. "In Colorado the expense of convict labor per capita per day, Including food, ! col thing, shelter, - guards and tools. Is !3iJ cents. The cost of employing citizen ! labor, which does not Include the cost of tools. Is 2.50 per day per laborer. 'This saving makes possible tho conslruc-I conslruc-I tlon of a much greater mileage of roads Continued on Page Throe. i fiOIIOS CONSTRUCTED 8K CONVICTS 6000. System in Colorado Pleases Governor Spry and Warden War-den Pratt. Continued From Page One. than Is at all possible under the present system. "The roads of Colorado, built by the convicts from the Canyon City prison, are equal to the finest unpaved roads in tho country. A road lias been built to the summit of the mountain overlooking overlook-ing the Royal Gorge. From this road one can look down into the Royal Gorge and sec tho famous hanging bridge far below. This road Is excellently constructed con-structed and Is ono of the show places of Colorado. It is ten miles long and was built: at a cost of only SOf.OO. "Another excellent road constructed by the prisoners Is a road known as 'The Sky Line,' which runs along tho summit sum-mit of the mountain and then winds down to the valley on the Canyon City side of the range. We traveled by motor over the roud from Canyon Citv to Colorado Colo-rado Springs, an excellent road, which was Improved and rebuilt by convict labor. Tho courso of this road was changed and a 20 per cent crale reduced to a 5 per cent grade. Tho road Is now one of the finest in the country and the cost of the improvement wns only 51200. "In Colorado the state furnishes the men and their,, clothing. The county In which the work Is being done pays for the food, the shelter and the guards, so that the cost to each countv Is very ismall. In this stale our law doesn't specify such a division of tho expense of the maintenance of the labor, but I am satisfied that such an arrangement could be made without Its specific Incorporation In-corporation In the law. "The convicts of Colorado are pleased with tho operation of the law and all of them are eager for the opportunity to work on the roads, both liecause of the respite from walls and bars and because of tho fact that the sentences of those who work on the roads and who do not misbehave are reduced by one-third. Strict discipline is maintained and escapes arc few and far between. Eoward and Punishment. "Only tho3e convicts who tho warden believes may bo trusted aro permitted to work on the roads. If they work well and give no troublo they are rewarded by a reduction of sentence. If they give trouble to the guards their punishment Is prompt and severe. I know of an instanco where ono Colorado convict was away from the road camp for twenty minutes. Ho was caught and his twenty minutes absence cnit him six years which , otherwise wouIB have been deducted de-ducted from his sentence. "Under tha Ulah law there is no reward re-ward specified, but tho state board of correction is empowered to reduce the sentences of those convicts who work well and give no trouble. A svstem of credits will probably be evolved by the board and I he prisoners given tho advantage ad-vantage of this system. "The greatest fear we had for the svstem svs-tem was the maintaining of night camps when the prisoners are working far away from tho prison. In Colorado we found that the convicts occupied tents and that with efficient guards there was no dan-gor dan-gor of escapes. From what the warden and I learned with this respect I am satisfied that the convicts will give us little trouble, after they learn that tho reward is sure If they do not misbehave and punishment certain If they do. "A trial of this system of road building, build-ing, I am satisfied, will convince the people peo-ple of the state of its feasibility and within a few years give Utah one of tho finest systems of public roads in the country." Good Nows for Utah. While In Colorado Governor Spry called on Governor Shafroth ' at Denver, and conferred with him with reference to the boring of tho tunnel for the Moffat road. The Colorado state legislature recently proposed a bond Issuo of S 1.000.000 to assist the builders of the Moffat road In constructing a new tunnel. This will be voted on by the people at the general election of 1912. A commission was created cre-ated by tho legislature to visit the site of the proposed tunnel and to pass upon the feasibility of railroad construction at that point. The Utah legislature created cre-ated a. similar commission, consisting of Governor Spry, President Henry Gardner Gard-ner of tho stale senate and Speaker E. W. Robinson of the house of representatives. representa-tives. "I found Governor Shafroth a very busy man." said Governor Spry. "He wns busy with his work In connection with the approaching adjournment of the state legislature, but he found tlmo to discuss the proposed Moffat tunnel with me. I had luncheon with the governor and we discussed In a general way the proposed extension of the Moffat lino throimh tho tunnel and Into Utah. "While I was In Donvor the question was raised as to where the terminus of the line was to be. There was a suggestion sug-gestion that perhaps the line would not penetrate Utah, but would go in another direction. In that event, t told Governor Shafroth tho people of Utah would not be Interested In the project and of course would lend no assistance In tho construction construc-tion of the railroad. However, the governor gov-ernor assured mo that the purpose of the construction of the road wns to link Salt Lake and Denver by a short route, that the purposo of tho builders was to construct tho line through eastern Utah to Salt Lake City and to make Salt Lake City a terminal point. Will Call Mooting. "As soon as Governor Shafroth has some leisure following the adjournment of tho legislature I ratbor think ho will take some action In calling a meeting of the joint commission created by the legislatures leg-islatures or Utah nnd Colorado. The Utah commission was created at the request of Colorado, so that it is proper to allow Colorado to take the initiative In calling a meeting of tho commission. "The members of the commission will meet at the site of tho proposed tunnel and Investigate the feasibility of boring tho mountuln for tho new railroad and then Report Its findings to the people of k Utah and Colorado. Tho poople of Colorado appear to be eager for the construction con-struction of tho new road and tho opinion opin-ion of Governor Shafroth Is that the bond Issuo will carry- "Under the terms of the proposed bond Issue, the slate Issues four million dollars dol-lars wortlt of tlfty-year 4 per cent bonds to" provide funds for the boring of tho Moffat tunnel. The railroad company Is to pay tho state a toll for the uso of tho tunnel during tho life of the bonds and to take up tho bond issue at the expiration ex-piration of tho fifty years." |
