The age-herald., 1898-12-13
4 PLAN TO BUILD X PRISON STOCKADE In Which to COniine City Prisoners
 Unable to Work the Streets. ALDERMEN WORKING ON 1T Committee Empowered to Draft Ordl-
 nance for Improving Streets.
ALDERMEN WORKING ON II
TO ASSIST COMMISSIONER M'CARTlN
All This Done by Resolution of Alder man Altman at Executive Session Last Wednesday Committee to
 Report Soon-Meeting Tonight.

In 1rder to relieve the crowded condition of the city jail, Alderman Altman has pro- posed that stockade be built over In Shades valley, near the Red Mountain cemetery and that all the city prisoners who are unable to work the streets of the city shall be sent over there to do truck farming, thus giving employment to those convicts who are now lying up in jail do- ing nothing.
 Alderman Altman introduced resolution to this effect at the executive session of the city councilu last Wednesday night. Al- though introduced and passed behind closed doors, there was no secrecy intended about it. the alderman had simply failed to give 1t out for publication.
 But, to begin at the beginning: Alderman Altman's resolution provides that the chair men of five of the standing committees or of the board be appointed special commit- tee to agree upon and draw up a system- atic method of working the streets and ave- nues from one end of the avenues to the other, under the new street commissioner, the establishment of a prison stockade over Red mountain and the clearing off of a large part of the cemetery lands owned by the city and using the same as a truck farm.
 The resolution passed, and Aldermen Alt man of the judiciary committee, Graham of the street, Gray of the finance, Pearce of the police and sanitation and Moore of the miscellaneous committees were appointed on the committee.
 MT. Altman Talks
 do not Lnou, ubat action tho compnit- tee of the board will take on this mat ter" said MT. AlhVan in discussing his res- olution yesterday, but my idea of running the street department is that every able bodied convict in the jail should be kept at work improving and keep the streets in good condition. I also think that for the next twelve months, at least that num- Der of free laborers, separate and distinct from the convicts, should be employed in this work of improving the streets of Bir- mingham. It will take more men than we have convicts to get our streets in the con dition we want them during the next twelve months The sidewalks also need great deal of attention in some parts of the city. With such a man as John McCartin at the head of the street department, I have full faith that there will be a radical change in the matter of street improvements. What the board of aldermen want to do Is to enact such laws and ordinances as will en- able him to do his work thoroughly and we'll That is why introduced the resolu- ton.
 Confinement in Jail No Punishment
 .eThen as to the stockade which was re- ferred to in my resolution. As you know, ever since the system of sending city con victs to the Coalburg mines was abolished last February, the city jail has been in a
 tc trYIn a majority of the prisoners are taken out every day to work the streets but at nights and on rainy days all of them are huddled' together in the small jail building
 Then there are a number of old men, women and boys in the jail who cannot De sent out to work the streets and all they have to do is to sit around all day in the iail and do nothing To most of the pris- oners. the negro women especially, such life Is one of luxury. The last time I was in the jail there were any number, It lookeo to me- of half naked negro women loung- ing arund in the womens quarters with mi thing to do but have "a high old time They ate and slept and watched the few of their number whose turn it was to wash the dishes do their pttance of work.
 s.Its the same way with the old men and bovs whom the city could not send out to work on the streets. Formerly when the Coalburg system was in vogue, the negroes were not so willing to go to jail They Knew they had to work, and they either paid their fines or kept out of mischief. Now they had almost as soon spend vacation in iail at the city's expense as not. If the stockade which I suggest IS built ana all of the prisoners not able to worK the streets were put to truck farming. I'm afraid we'd have to send out some able bod led men to assist in the work so few in number would become the weaker convicts That stockade would become perfect niqhtmare to all would-be evildoers.
 Plan is Practical
 q think it could be put up and kept in oneration at very little cost The city al- readv owns 12O acres of land in Shades val 1ev mart of which is known as the Red Mountain cemetery. There all the paupers of the city are buried. It only occupies comDara lively small space, however, ana tbe rest of the city's land could be cleared off and made into an ideal truck farm. There is already a good deal of timber on tbe land, from which nice log cabins could be made at very little expense. The farm would be almost self-sustaining and would materially reduce the cost of feeding the prisoners in the city jail itself, as they could be fed from the products of the farm.
 "No meeting of the committee has been called vet, but I think the members will get together at an early date and prepare to report to the board as soon as possible"
 Tonight's Meeting
 There will be a special meeting of the hoard of aldermen tonight for the purpose ot fixing the salaries of the various city officials for the ensuing year. These offi- cials were elected at the meeting of the board last Wednesday night.
 It Is thought the board will also elect