MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



STRONGLY ADVOCATES 



PRISON LABOR ON ROADS 



W. M. Bryant, chairman of the Kalamazoo 

 county board of road commissioners, who was 

 instrumental in bringing about the use of jail 

 prisoners on Kalamazoo roads, says: 



"The question of using ccnvicts is agitating 

 the minds of the prison board of control not 

 in this state, but also in many other com- 

 monwealth^. Jt is a broad question and one 

 which must be settled right. I believe the 

 present prison board is composed of fair mind- 

 ed men, broad and wise, who conscientiously 

 strive to solve the problem in a manner which 

 will safeguard the interests of the state and 

 have in view the uplift of those under 

 their care. 



"The board probably would not if it could 

 continue to sell the labor of the prisoners at 

 a mere pittance in direct competition with 

 many kinds of skilled labor. Granting this, 

 when the present Contracts expire they will 

 only have work for 125- men in the binder plant 

 with nearly 600 prisoners in Jackson alone. 



"I have not the figures of how many men are 

 confined at -Marquette and other penal institu- 

 tions. 



"This is a serious condition, with constant 

 confinement and little opportunity for exercise 

 men will degenerate morally, physically and 

 intellectually. Two objects are in view with 

 e\ery just and conscientious judge in sending 

 men to prison that they shall pay for their 

 misdemeanor to the community and that they 

 shall have .time to reflect and reform. 



"The best reformation for them is steady 

 work out in God's fresh air. They can there 

 pay back to society in a measure the debt they 

 owe it. If the board has not the authority to 

 place these men at wcrk outside the prison 

 walls, then let us all join in a strong appeal 

 to the next legislature to enact a law allowirig 

 and compelling them to place the men at work 

 on the roads of the state. 



"This would not be impracticable or vision- 

 ary. Many of the southern states have made 

 a great success of the plan. Colorado has 

 long been the dumping ground of the worst 

 class of criminals this country has known and 

 yet nearly all their convicts are employed on 

 the roads and the warden of the penitentiary 

 writes me that less than one-half of 1 per cent 

 pe. (I doubt if Jackson can show such a 

 --mall per cent.) A recent visitor, Judge Ga- 

 vin, tells of hundreds of miles of magnificent 

 already built. 



"The Hills of the Great Northern railroad 

 m endorse the system and had much to 

 do with its adoption in Washington. In a 

 ma! letter, Samuel Hiil says: 'It is the 

 i inly sane, sensible thing to do with prisoners,' 

 and he wonders how any one can oppose it. 

 California has adopted the plan and the last 

 -lature of Kansas endorsed it. 



"Here is the plan: Let the Michigan legis- 

 ire pass a bill as Colorado has. Then start 

 '>n a broad plan of trunk line roads con- 

 necting the entire state. The first road start- 

 Ing at Detroit extending westward to Ann Ar- 

 or, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, 

 . agiac and connecting with the Indiana 

 ystem near New Buaffalo. 



"Second, starting midway between Sturgis 

 lind Three Rivers and running north through 

 Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Big Rapids, Cadil- 

 lac, Petoskey and Mackinac. Another trunk- 

 line at the state line south of Jackson then 

 rlh to Lansing and through the famous lake 

 |egion to Cheboygan. 



"Third, from Detroit to Flint, Saginaw, 

 lay City, Alpena, and along the shore to Che- 

 ,'oygan, with cross roads connecting the vari- 

 us communities. This would give every pris- 

 oner work for year to come. The roads would 

 ;<e of great value to the entire state and at a 



nail cost, as labor is always the largest ex- 

 pense in any undertaking. 



"l! is urged, what would you do with the 

 risoners during the winter season? Surely 



rm would not have them work in the cold. 



A NEW IDEA IN DUMP WAGONS 



See that Truss 



At One Third the Usual Price 



Simply placing- this box on any wagon gear makes an outfit that will handle sand, 

 gravel, crushed stone, etc., in a. superior manner by dumping it instantly in a heap or spread- 

 ing it if desired. Kntire -fool operation, automatic locking device making accidental dumping 

 impossible. 



In extensive use on the PANAMA and NEW YORK BARGE canals, also by contractors, 

 teamsters, road builders, highway commissioners, etc. 



Specify the "EVERETT" when hiring teamsters and others to do your hauling, as the 

 time and money saved will p.iy lav.y dividends on the investment. 

 A Progressive Highway Commissioner Says: 



"\Vr are using four of your patent dump beds and are much pleased with them. They 

 save lots of time and pay for themselves very soon. They come within the reach of any 

 teamster and will handle sand, gravel, crushed stone, etc., as well as the more expensive 

 dump wagons." 



CHAS. W. KKATZ, Comm. of Highways, Alabama, N. Y. 

 Write for catalog and full information. 



EVERETT WANUFACTURING COMPANY, 78 Lake St., Newark, New York 



Yes, I would make it a 12-months' job each 

 year. Are the prisoners any b-.-tter than the 

 farmers and laboring men who work out prac- 

 tically every day of the year? Give them warm 

 clothing, good food and plenty of work and 

 they will come out alive and all right. That 

 is the medicine every farmer boy gets. Man- 

 istee county is doing the bulk of the work 

 during the fall and winter. There is lots of 

 rock at the door of Marquette prison. Rock 

 which would make as fine roads as any in the 

 world. 



"Give us the men and there need be no hold- 

 ing back for lack of work. There is plenty 

 of work for many thousands each year. With 

 this system in vogue it would be only a few 

 years when our system of roads would be as 

 great as those of England. 



"Michigan bids fair to be one of the five 

 great manufacturing states, supporting in the 

 next half century an immense population. She 

 occupies a more strategic position than any 

 other. Her water power utilization the past 

 five years has been great, but its growth in 

 the next 25 years, I am told by electrical ex- 

 perts, will be phenomenal. We should look 

 ahead so that our highways and transportation 

 facilities are adequate. 



"If this plan of using convicts on the roads 

 is adopted there is no question but that it 

 would immediately decrease crime in the state 

 '.!'< per cent." 



Reading, with the highest assessed valua- 

 tion of any township in Hillsdale county raised 

 last year only $2,000 for road work. Wood- 

 bridge with an assessed valuation $600,000 be- 

 low Reading, raised $3,300. Reading is getting 

 stirred up to the benefits of good roads, how- 

 ever, and will be heard from in the future. 



WEXFORD COUNTY HAS A ROAD 

 ASSOCIATION. 



The Wcxford County Good Roads Associa- 

 tion was organized in October, 1909, with a 

 single object in view, namely, to promote by 

 all legitimate means the building of good 

 roads which would conform to the require- 

 ments for state reward, throughout Wexford 

 county. To that end a committee was ap- 

 pointed to solicit funds by private subscrip- 

 tions to pay additional rewards for roads 

 constructed under these specifications, and up 

 to t''is time about eighty-five firms and indi- 

 vidual have contributed. The contributors 

 Mi1>M-ribcd in .-.urns ranging from 25 cents per 

 mile of ,-tatc reward road built up to 10 miles 

 per year up to $300 per mile. It is the purpose 



of the Association to pay a reward in addition 

 to the State Reward for all roads built in the 

 county under State Reward Specifications upon 

 which State Reward is paid. 



The Association proposes to encourage the 

 building of roads, not only by the county road 

 commission, under the county road plan but 

 also by the several townships of the county, 

 and individuals. The pledges and organiza- 

 tion of the Association runs for three years, 

 and it is expected that during that time every 

 main road in Wexford county will be built up 

 to state reward requirements. 



The board of county road commissioners of 

 Genesee county have been re-elected. The 

 board is made up of Lineus Wilcott of Burton, 

 term six years; Wilbur' Becker, Fenton, four 

 years and Geo. Sellers of Flint, two years. 



J. A. Dillon, jr., an implement dealer of 

 Hudson, hit upon a novel plan to induce the 

 farmers to visit his store. He offered $175 for 

 the improvement cf the roads in Hillsdale and 

 Lenawee counties. The plan of operation is 

 as follows: To the R. F. D. registering the 

 largest numbers of names $75, to the second 

 $65, and to the third $35. Men, women and 

 children registered and the mail carriers made 

 considerable effort to arouse the enthusiasm 

 of their patrons, and the plan worked well. 



The executive committee of the Epworth 

 Assembly at Ludington has let the contract 

 for the building of a new road from Luding- 

 ton. 



WILL TRY CONCRETE BRIDGES. 



Wm. Godfrey, county road commissioner of 

 Chippewa county, writes to Michigan Roads 

 and Forests as follows: 



"We have 275 miles of county road in Chip- 

 pewa county. There are 150 miles of road 

 in very good shape, built with crushed rock 

 and gravel. We are replacing our wooden 

 bricfges. So far we have only used steel in 

 the replacements, but we are seriously con- 

 sidering the use of reinforced concrete for 

 bridges hereafter. A fair amount of work will 

 In dune on the county roads this season. The 

 board favors crushed rock in road building. 



"The money that has been spent on roads 

 in Chippewa county is the best and most prof- 

 itable money that has ever been spent in any 

 other improvements. I consider it has in- 

 creased the value of our farms :'>0 per cent. It 

 was a grand hit the day that we adopted the 

 county road system. 



"Yours ever for good roads." 



