The age-herald., 1901-02-01

Age-Herald Bureau, Clanceys Hotel, Montgomery, January 31.-(Specia.D D-The convict committee made it's report today and pretty full house sat through the reading of the document. It deals in general way with the convict question and makes certain recommendations as to re- forms that should be introduced in the management of the system. It contains about twenty thousand words. It sets out the joint resolution passed by the General Assembly before recess, and endeavors to follow seriatim the provisions of that reso- luton, authorizing the creation of the con- mittee. There are ten paragraphs in the resolution which may be condensed into the general statement, whether or not the system had been carefully and prudently managed with due regard to economy; a proper system of accounts had been kept, and the number of employees was such as was needful or to the contrary.
 The committee has engaged in actual work for twenty-eight days beginning on January 1st, and ending it's labors on the 18th instant. The committee reeounts the difficulties under which it labored owing to lack of proper method in the system of bookkeeping and the reluctant witnesses with which it had to deal. The most signif- cant statement in the report proper Is con- tained in the very first sentence which is to. the effect that the management of he system for the last four years has been characterized by great extravaganza. Tt is a sad commentary upon the state that while similar enterprises controlled by in- dividuals are paying handsome dividends the states splendid cotton mill at Speigner is rusting in idleness or run at a loss, and the state, farms are but yawning sinks to swallow up the profits derived from leasing convicts,' says the committee.
 Significant Statement.
 This condition Is due to incompetency and gross carelessness and negligence" is another significant statement. "The num- Der of employees of various kinds, notably at Wetumpka and Spegner, was charac- terized by extravagance Of this class were men whose salaries ranged all the way from $15 to $50 per month, some of these positions being created to discharge politi- cal debts or to secure political services in the future
 "The violations of law have been repeat ed in matters of great concern statutes whose provisions were salutary have been subverted. Great license has characterized the number of trustes, the privilege of permitting the wearing of citizens clothes
 
 them. Various sections of the Code are instanced which have been entirely ignored, such as not allowing less than fifty con- victs to be leased to any one contractor, failure to file monthly reports. quarterly reports to the Governor, long intervals at which meetings of the board of inspectors have been held, only one having occurred since last May, the failure to submit the preparation of all contracts to the attorney general and the practical running of the system by the president of the board or inspectors. Contracts have often been made without the approval of the Governor and in the case of the eyWorthington contract, by which the State had lost heavily 1t had never been enforced and no steps taken to that end. The GoVernor had been consulted touching the unwar- ranted manner in which the head of the department had conducted affairs by other members of the board and the only thing which he did In the premises was to give a courteous hearing to the complaint ana do no more Inspectors Booker and Blake had thus been made mere figureheads All contracts, 1t seems, have been prepared by Chief Clerk Lawson.
 Other Charges.
 'The foundation laid for the reformatory had been torn down and no proper account ing made therefor. The cotton mill had been a failure, the classification of con victs by the physician inspector had been overriden in many instances. Gratuities from contracts to inspectors had come to the surface The office of the bureau has not been examined since 1899, during Gov ernor Jones' administration The treat ment of the convicts al the different State prisons had on the whole been humane, in fact, 1t had been characterized by great laxness, little or no work being required of many convicts and the treatment had been of such a nature not to impress them xuith consideration Ot16nSCS which they had committed. The question of consumptlves came in for its share of attention and the chief burden of this complaint arose from lack of neatness and comforta bleness in their quarters, as we'll as a general want of cleanliness, especially at the ''Walls." " It Is the opinion of the com mittee that this idle labor, although many