Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1914 — 25 GOVERNORS FAVOR CONVICT ROAD WORK [ARTICLE]

25 GOVERNORS FAVOR CONVICT ROAD WORK

Healtiiful Nature of Labor and Better Highways at Minimum Coat Are Advantages. Twenty-five governors have placed themselves on record as favoring the working of convicts in the construction and repair of highways, according to a compilation of the discussions of prison labor n ther last messages to the legislature, recently issued by the national eommittee on prison labor. Convict road woik is advocated by the governors both 'because of the healthful nature of such work and owing to the fact that convicts who have been employed in this way can more readily find employment when released, while many of , the governors also point out the benefit to the public from better roads secured at a minimum cost. Governor Dunne, of Illinois, states that humanitarian reasons underlie the employment in open-air work of this sort wherein and whereby the convicts are restored to society with--their manhood quickened instead of deadened or destroyed.

Governor Gddie, of Nevada, who was instrumental in securing the passage of the legislation -which provides for convict road work in that state, is enthusiastic as to the success of the plan. i "There is no question,” he maintains, “but that the passage of this law has had a wholesome effect on our prison system and has been the means of giving a new start in life to a large proportion of the discharged and paroled men. About 40 per cent of the total number of our convicts have been performing good service under the honor system at the road camp.” Governor Hanna, of North Dakota, Governor Cox, of Ohio, and Governor West, of Oregon, hold that outdoor work should be a privilege to be earned by good conduct; Governor 'Mann, of Virginia, testified to the efficiency of the convicts when employed on the roads and cites figures to prove the economy of such work, maintaining, however, that the present cost can be greatly reduced by placing the men on their honor and lessening the number of idle guards, while Governor McDonald, of New Mexico, and Governor Carey, of Wyoming, refer to the few attempts at escape that have been made by convicts practically unguarded. Governor Hunt, of Arizona, is in favor of paying the convicts at least 25 cents a day for their services, as the cost will be small compared to the actual benefit derived by the construction of splendid highways, While the benefit accruing to society will return the investment a thousand fold. The consideration given to convict road work by the governors is an indication of the importance attached to the matted by the people throughout the country- The governors present many different viewpoints, but a careful study of their tatements shows that road wprk, when conducted on a basis fair to the convict and the state, will go fiar toward solving 'both the convict labor problem and the problem of good roads.