28 



BULLETIN 414, LT, S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Example II. The effect of a large amount of lost time upon the 

 cost of work by convict labor is very apparent in Table 7 of unit costs 

 of work performed in the State of Washington by honor convicts, 

 free day labor, and contract labor on the Olympic, Pacific, and other 

 highways. In explanation of the results accomphshed with convict 

 labor the biennial report of the State highway commissioner is quoted 

 as follows with regard to the Olympic highway work: 



The excavation work during the winter months was entirely in earth. The earth, 

 which is classified as common excavation, is a material composed of a mixture of soil 

 and gravel, resting on a cemented gravel or hardpan foundation, which slopes toward 

 the road and water's edge. Owing to the porous nature of the soil and the impervious 

 foundation below, a large amount of surface water is retained, thus causing many 

 slides. During the winter months these slides were a continual source of expense. 

 Great quantities of soft earth intermingled with trees, stumps, and brush would come 

 down on the road, and in some instances destroy the finished roadbed. When the 

 conditions would permit, the men worked even though it rained, with comparatively 

 little ill-feeling toward their position. At times the material became so soft that it 

 would run from the shovels and resemble mortar more than earth and the men sank 

 halfway to their knees in the mire. During the month of January it rained continu- 

 ously for 25 out of 27 days and working under such unfavorable conditions, the best 

 of efforts accomplished but little, much time necessarily being lost * * *. 



And in regard to the Pacific highway work: 



About the same general conditions surrounded this work as that on the Olympic 

 highway, but the excavation was in a different class of material and the slides did not 

 interfere with the progress of the work. Over half of the excavated material was solid 

 rock and could be handled more economically dm-ing the wet weather than the earth. 



Table 7. — Unit costs of work on certain highways in the State of Washington. 



Items of work. 



Convict labor. 



Olym- 

 pic 

 high- 

 way. 



Pacific 

 high- 

 way. 



Day labor. 



Olym- 

 pic 

 high- 

 way. 



Pacific 

 high- 



Nat- 

 ional 

 park 

 high- 



Contract labor. 



Olym- 

 pic 

 high- 

 way. 



Olym- 

 pic 

 high- 

 way. 



Smiset 

 high- 

 way. 



Mc- 

 Clel- 

 lan 



pass 

 high- 

 way. 



Common excavation, cubic 

 yards 



Loose rock excavation, cubic 

 yards , 



Solid rock excavation, cubic 

 yards 



Clearing, acres 



Grubbing, acres 



SO. 446 



.645 



1.02 

 110. 18 

 174. 20 



$0. 304 



.559 



.933 

 112. 43 

 155. 67 



$ 0.21 



.37 



.83 

 92.44 

 113.44 



80.38 



.50 



.94 

 61.10 

 87.10 



$0,226 



.857 



126. 44 

 257.29 



W.-31 



.45 



1.50 

 200. 00 

 300. 00 



SO. 325 



.50 



.90 

 75.00 

 110. 00 



SO. 28 



.88 

 150. 00 

 150.00 



SO. 35 



.40 



1.00 

 175. 00 

 150.00 



On the other hand, it is stated that the contract and free day-labor 

 work was conducted only during the summer when weather condi- 

 tions were favorable. As a further aid to the intelligent comparison 

 of the data in Table 7, it is stated that the prevailing cost of free labor 

 was $2.50 per eight-hour day, and of a double team and driver $5 per 

 eight-hour day, whereas the equivalent cost of the convict's labor was 

 approximately $1.58 per day as shown in Table 4. 



