The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16
of the coal including the loading of the railroad cars.
The Contractor's Duty.

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 The Contractors Duty.
 The contractor or contractors with the state are expected to furnish the pris- ons. mines. machinery caps, pumps, boil- CTS, tracks, timber for props, hoisting en- zines. rollers, trans. pulleys; to erect fans and open necessary air shafts and be responsible for the proper ventilation of the mines and furnish all things nec- essary to coal mining not enumerated above as being furnished by the state, including mechanics to keep in repair hoisting engines. pumps, fanss etc. The mining to be done under the superintend- ence or direction of the contractors min- ing engineer.
 It is the purpose of the state to mine about 1500 tons of coal per day, and bids will be considered for as much coal deliv- cred upon the railroad cars, at so much per ton, as may be mined by 600 convicts, more or less, or any other number, not less than 200
 The payment to be made not later than the 20th of each month for previous months delivery.
 Where the coal runs Into fault exceed ing four feet in depth, or height, the con- tractor is to bear the expense of going through said fault.
 The state reserves the privilege to re- ject any and all bids.
 Bids In Tuesday.
 The bids in accordance with the re- vised memorandum which was adopted are to be in Tuesday next after the ar rival of the noon train. It is understood. and was clearly stated by the governor, that the convict labor is to be put on pre- cisely the same footing with free labor, rftt-- ,1I .r,1f fcu free laborers furnish and do all that free miners are required to do. The principal change in the second memorandum Is that coal Is to be delievered by the state at the mouth Of the room instead of at the tipple, a change made to avoid complica- tlons in mines working county conviets also.
 The operators all seemed in high good humor over the situation and went home apparently satisfied to make the best pos sible bids for the labor. Be1ton Gilreath. however, was not here as a bidder but as a student. Talking of the matter, he said. he had no idea of making any change from free labor but was here for information, to familiarize himself with the prices of labor and cost of mining to his competitors. MT. Gilreath endorses the states working the convicts itself both from a business and humanitarian point of view.
 Operators Return.
 The coal operators of the Birmingham district who went to Montgomery to attend the conference returned last night.
 The party included Walker Percy, gen. eral counsel; P. J. Rogers, division super intendent, and Dr. R. N. Cunningham physician for the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company; President J. c. Maben, Superintendent T. c. Culverhouse and General Attorney John P. Tillman of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron compa- ny; Vice President George B. Mccormack of the Woodward Iron company; Erskine Ramsey of the Pratt Coal company, Pres ident Henry L. Badham and w. S. Lowell of the Bessemer Land and Improvement company, w. M. Spencer and T. H. Spen- cer of the Echols Coal company, Presi- dent T. G. Bush of the Alabama Consol- dated Coal and Iron company. and Pres ident Belton Gilreath of the Gilreath Coal and Iron company President Jones G. Moore of the Birmingham Southern rail- road, F. B. Clements of Tuscaloosa and w W. Thompson also attended the con ference.