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Show ROADS AND CONVICT LABOR. Tho use of convict labor upon tho roads of Utah has been at once satisfactory satis-factory "in tho labor itself, and also in the sccuro keeping of tho convicts. The wardou has made judicious selections selec-tions of tho convicts that he would allow to go on the road squads, and his judgment has been verified in a satisfactory manner. The convicts employed em-ployed havo been workinu in Davis county this past summer, and probably, prob-ably, as heretofore, the convict camps will be moved into the southorn part of the Stale during tho winter mouths. There, also, they did good work last winter, with the loss of but one convict, con-vict, and that is tho only loss of a convict that has boen suffered during the wholo period of this road work. The security of tho convicts in this work is, therefore, fully vindicated, and the work that thoy do is entirely commendable. commend-able. It; is done under expert supervision, super-vision, and it is work that will last. There is a call out for tho convention conven-tion of the Amorican Road Builders' Association to moot in Philadelphia on December Oth, 10th, 11th, aud 12th of this year. Tho goneral subject of road building will be discussed at this convention under three hoads, "Organization," "Organ-ization," "Construction," "Maintenance." "Main-tenance." Good results are expected from this convention, and doubtless such results will be fully realized. Tho use of convict labor upon tho public highways has come into favor in many States. Utah was not tho first State to uso convict labor on 'tho roads, but this State has used that labor to excellent advantage ou many roads in the State. Tho convicts do good work, they aro as a rulo anxious to get out into tho sunlight and the free air. and readily pledge themselves not to attempt at-tempt escape. And 'et in this State, while as much crcdoncc as is possiblo to givo is given to these pledges of tho convicts, thoy aro not allowed this enlarged en-larged liberty except under guard. They havo shown little disposition to abuso this liberty and only one in the wholo number has ever made his escape. A summary of tho Eproad. of tho use of convict labor upon the public highways-is given as follows in a recent number of tho St. Louis Globe-Domo-crat: Kentucky's road commissioner, after an Investigation of results In other States, reports In favor of tho employment employ-ment of able-bodied short-term convicts In road making. Georgia's road commissioner com-missioner states that tho prisoners cm-ployed cm-ployed on tho highways aro healthy, tractable, and more than ordinarily contented, con-tented, and thnt their labor Is satisfactory. satisfac-tory. Alabama's highway engineer reports re-ports that when properly managed convict con-vict labor on tho roads Is moro effective effec-tive than paid work. and. that the cost of thus using convicts is from -10 to fin rents a day. Georgia employs R000 convicts on tho roads, and estimates the cost at one-half that of paid labor. California adopted tho system last year and is pleased with It Colorado's convicts built 157 miles of mountain road In 1312 at a cost of Pi2 rents a day per man. In Illinois Illi-nois sixty-six convicts arc kept at wofk in quarries at crushing- stone at a cost of SO cents a day. Kansas officials think the effect good on convicts. Louisiana built twenty-five miles of permanent roads last year with convicts and found the expense 40 cents per man. Tn Michigan the convicts prefer road worlc. and Minnesota considers stone crushing by convicts a success. Montana works 225 prisoners on the roads and thinks they are much benefited by the outdoor labor. North Carolina Is another State that lias gone Into the system extensively. ex-tensively. Its 2300 convicts thus employed em-ployed cost from -12 to 72 cents a day each. Oregon makes a favorablo report. Its 106 convict road workers cost $11 per month. Virginia's 735 convicts aro kept busy on the roads at a cost of 34. 3 cents a day per man. Washington is satisfied with convict labor in stone quarries. Cole County, Mo., has had from twenty to forty convicts at work on roads and the State highway engineer testifies that the work, at a daily cost of -10 cents, Is equal to that of free labor. The movement is growing. Tn every case the sanitary benefit to the men Is stated to be marked and the discipline is easily enforced. This resource for getting good roads has become one of the most important- This shows the rapid spread of the use of convict labor for road purposes; and there is no doubt that tho use of convicts in this, way is, and will continue con-tinue to bo, most useful to tho States which so employ that labor. |
