Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-08
CITY CONVICT CONTRACT
As Made With the SIoSs Iron
 and Steel Company
REPORTED BY MAYOR EVANS
At the Meeting of the Board-Reports Q City OfficaIs-Dance Halls Abated-
 Sewers To Be Built. =

The mayor and board of aldermen met in regular session last night at 7:45 o'clock in the city hall. The follow ing were present at roll call: Mayor Evans and Aldermen Ward, Wheeler, Rainbow, Kerr, Mcknight Meighan, Moore, Drennen, Hamilton, Pierce, Me Cartin, Harrington and Hentschell.
 The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved
 Aldermen Ashford and Williams came in and were marked present on the roll. Mir Terry addressed the board and pre- scented petition from the ,real estate agents as to their licenses. The petition was referred to the miscellaneous com mittee with power to act.
 Alderman Gray came in at this point of the meeting and was enrolled as pres ent. ..s.ss Mayor Evans read the following corn- muncatlon:
 To the Honorable Board of Aldermen:
 Acting under your instructions 1 have, since your last meeting, signed contract with the Sloss Iron and Steel company, for the lease of certain of the city pris- oners, said lease to expire March 31 1S9S A copy of the contract and the ap- proved bond are hereto attached and marked Exhibit A" and made part of this communicat tion.
 Since said lease went into effect sixty nine (69) prisoners have been sent to the camps of the lesees, divided as fol- lows: White males 5, colored males 45, white females ?, colored females IT; and the crimes for which they were convict. ed are as follows: For adultery 3, lar ceny 13, vagrancy 35, embezzlement 1. assault and battery 4, abusive language 5, gaming 4. concealed weapons l. tres passing after warning 1, common prosti- tutes 3. -s' It will be observed that each and ev- cry casa above is for violation of state laws; tkat in no case has prisoner been turned over to the lesees who is guilty simply of disorderly conduct
 The following figures will indicate to you the moral effect of the plan upon which you have so recently entered: Prisoners confined in jail March 31. ..179 Average per day during March ........115 Prisoners confined in jail April 6..... 53. Average No. cases docketed daily since Average No. cases docketed daily dur
 March 5l ...... ..... ...... l9 Under the influence of the lease sys- tenn, as you will observe, the great re- duction in the number of prisoners af- fords the city an opportunity to furnish comfortable quarters for the prisoners, guilty of minor offenses; and to work to advantage (well guarded) that portion of the short time men needed for street work.
 up 10 the DeBlnnlnS or tnlS lease an average of five. six or more worthless women were confined in the city prison at dead expense who could not be em- poyed. Now there iss only one female prisoner and she is employed as assist ant in the cooking department.
 From a financial point of view be- sides the consideration of the funds de- rived from the hire of the convicts, the following figures are worthy of your con- sidera tion.
 fo, f,ooc
 month of March ...SS16 % Average per day .................. 27 22 Cash collected for fines since
 March 31 G days) ................ 329 % Average per day ....... 54 ST You will observe that under the pro- visions of the contract, besides the in- spection to be made by the state board of inspectors, of the convicts leased, spe- cial provision is made for regular in spcction by your honorable body, or agents appointed by you. I would there fore, recommend that the police and san itation committee be requested to take this matter in hand and visit the camps as often practible.
 Respectfully submitted,
 F. V. EVANS, Mayor.
 The city treasurer reported as follows: Ba:ance for March l .s5z iS5 isb sf sf ., Receipts for Apr,il p,ad i'....' zol4S eo s,2 99s f5 Interest paid :. .. .... S,190 % Appropriation for bond oo Balance asn9e in N. Y. banks. a,6lo % Balance in local banks.... 2S,66O g Total. .......... SIP 574 57-$72, ,574 57 The city tax collector submitted the following report:
 Real and personal tax collected. s 6.514 s Street Improvements. .. .. .. .. ... 3,574 @ Merchants tax.......... lf9 G3 Tsx TsnteTIni caIiacfoT's feeS fees " =. " .. " s8S 9 69
 S,ai Tha street and poll tax collector re- y ported the following collections for the month of March:
 Poll tax collected. white. .. .. ..s f45 50 Poll tax collected. colored... 225 % Poll tax feeS... 40 O0 Total. ..... :. ... ... ..... ..$4,058 50
 Chief Mullin reported that thirteen alarms of fire had been responded to during March, and that sixteen building permits had been granted, for which $10.50 had been received.
 The market clerk reported that collec- dons for March amounted to $S92.75 and the March rents collected in April were $43. a total of s4S5.75.
 The report of the finance committee was received. The payrolls and other bills were ordered paid. The bill of Spiro & Long for $1, 100 will be liquidated by the issuing of four notes by the city.
 Alderman McCartin, chairman of the street committee offered a resolution providing for the laying of sidewalk out of artificial stone on both sides of Twelfth avenue. south and the west side of Twentieth street, between Elev- enth and Twelfth avenues. The reso- lution was adopted.
 He also introduced a resolution in- structing the city engineer to open and establish a grade on Eleventh avenue north, between Twenty-first and Twen- ty-fourth streets. This resolution was also adopted.
 Another resolution was introduced by Alderman McCartin regarding the city's chirt roads. but was deferred to the next meeting. He stated that S6,000 would be needed to place these roads or streets in even passable condition. The reso- lutin called for the appropriation of the street tax collected in 1897 to the use of the street department
 The street committee was instructed to buy ten cars of gravel al SIP per car
 A motion to pay Guard Roach one-half of his salary on account of illness since January 1, was carried, Aldermen Moore and Drennen voting in the negative
 he r,afitfOp Kline was